Megan Morris

(she/her/hers), Director of Campus Recreation

Megan earned her B.S. in Recreation and Sport Management from Indiana State University and her M.Ed. in Leisure and Tourism from Bowling Green State University. She enjoys playing soccer, softball, and traveling. When asked about her favorite part of working in Campus Recreation, she responded with, "Students! I love being a part of developing the student staff into leaders as well as getting to be a part of their collegiate journey. It's also very rewarding knowing that our programming is such an important part of students’ lives while at LUC. We have a chance to make people’s lives better daily and I feel very fortunate to have the best job ever!"

 

 

Melanie Stawkey, Ed.D.

(she/her/hers), Assistant Director of Campus Recreation

Melanie earned her B.S. in Psychology from Wayne State University, her Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Valdosta State University and her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Wayne State University.

Melanie enjoys staying active through rock climbing, yoga, and kayaking. Outside of staying active, Melanie likes to travel, attend concerts, and listen to podcasts and audiobooks.

One of the things she likes most about campus recreation is the positive impact campus recreation can have on student wellbeing. Melanie is excited to be a part of the campus recreation team and looks forward to supporting the Loyola campus community!

 

Jeremiah Lester

(he/him/his), Facilities and Aquatics Coordinator

Jeremiah earned his BS in Physical Education Teaching and MS in Coaching at Indiana State University. His journey in Campus Recreation started his freshman year in Competitive Sports where he was an Official for Intramurals and has been involved ever since. Throughout his college career he has worked mostly every position there is in campus recreation, except anything pertaining to training. He has also worked jobs such as serving and Pest Control. Jeremiah enjoys telling personal stories and terrible puns, but what he loves the most is what role Campus Rec and the staff have played in his life. He strives to be like those who mentored him and wants to provide both personal and professional development for all. Also, he does not drink coffee.

 

 

Aaron Carlson 

(he/him/his), Fitness Program Coordinator

Aaron is a Loyola Alum who earned a B.B.A. in Business Management & HR in 2017 and went on to earn both an MBA and a M.S. of Higher Education from Northern Illinois University. While attending NIU, Aaron served for two years as a Graduate Assistant of Fitness. Prior to joining Loyola, Aaron worked as an Operations Manager for Amazon.

Aaron has held various fitness certifications including ACE Personal Trainer, AFAA Group Exercise, Zumba, Barre, & Aqua Fitness. His fitness experience includes seven years of instructing group classes and three years personal training, as well as leading six instructor training programs. He enjoys that Campus Recreation is a welcoming space on campus that supports people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Outside of work, Aaron hosts a top 100 podcast called “Sip With Me” and has an adorable Corgi named Eleanor Roosevelt. He spends his time visiting national parks, going for swims, and, of course, working out.

 

Luke Schmidt

(he/him/his), Rock Wall and Campus Recreation Programs Coordinator

Luke graduated Loyola with a BS in Environmental Science in 2023. He started working for Campus Recreation in 2019 as a Rock Wall Assistant and Fitness Supervisor and after graduation, continued his campus rec journey by rejoining the team as a program coordinator! Luke now oversees the operation of the rock wall on campus, as well as organizes various activities and events for Loyola students.

Luke is a big fan of the outdoors and music and is passionate about environmentalism. You can probably find him most days eating lunch at Chipotle, and some of his favorite past-times include board games, video games, and instruments. If you ever want to talk to Luke about anything from school stuff to great spots to eat in the city, just head to Halas and find him! He is focused on creating new and engaging experiences for Loyola students within the realm of campus recreation, so if you ever have an idea or suggestion for a cool event, don't hesitate to reach out!

 

Kylee McDermott

(she/her/hers), Business Operations Coordinator 

Kylee graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management. Since then, she has had many job opportunities in different areas of the hospitality industry. From traveling all over the U.S for Maui Jim events to organizing the U.S. Open Cup for U.S. Soccer Federation to working in the Catering business, Kylee now feels at home with Loyola University. She is excited to be apart of the Campus Recreation team and looks forward to advancing her career here. Kylee enjoys running, photography, trying new foods, going to concerts and traveling. But most of all, she loves spending time with her family and friends as much as possible. You can always catch her rooting for the Chicago Bears on Sundays, even if it means disappointment. Kylee is ecstatic to be a part of a team so motivated to make sure that every day is a great one for the Loyola Community.