Presidents Medallion
SES undergraduate Cosette Ellis received the President’s Medallion, an award that honors Loyola students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, scholarship, and service. She is pictured with SES Dean Nancy Tuchman, PhD, and Loyola President Mark Reed EdD.
Congratulations to Cosette Ellis, the SES President’s Medallion Recipient
Cosette Ellis from Seattle, Washington, has been awarded the prestigious President’s Medallion for Loyola’s School of Environmental Sustainability (SES). The President’s Medallion honors one student from each college, school, and institute at Loyola who excels in leadership, scholarship, and service. The recipients exemplify the true meaning of being a Loyola student by empowering their community with integrity. Cosette will complete her environmental studies major and minors in art history and sustainability management in the spring of 2023. Cosette shared the following thoughts about what she has gained during her time at Loyola and how she has given back.
Q: Why did you choose to come to Loyola and SES specifically?
A: I had always loved the idea of going to school in Chicago. My parents met in Chicago, and when I visited in middle school, I fell in love with the city. I grew up hiking in the Cascade Mountains outside of Seattle, and my family loved to travel to different National Parks. Early exposure to nature helped me develop a love for the outdoors and a desire to protect it. When I was looking at colleges, I was looking for a big city near mountains or water with a good program for environmental studies. When I toured Loyola for the first time, I immediately felt a difference between SES and other environmental science colleges at different universities. At its core, SES is student-driven, and students are encouraged to make changes on campus in any way they can. I met the co-president of the Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) when I toured SES, and after speaking with her, I turned to my mom and told her that someday I wanted to have that position. It’s pretty crazy to look back and see that I accomplished that goal.
Q: What do you appreciate most about your experience at Loyola and in SES?
A: I’ve loved how much students are encouraged to create change. Many of the sustainability initiatives on campus are driven by students. Sometimes it feels like a lot of responsibility, but it is also exciting that we get to build skills in problem-solving and advocating for change. SES students are passionate and driven, and it’s inspiring to see my friends working toward a better world in unique ways. I have loved being pushed and pushing others to get involved and make Loyola better for every student.
Q: Can you describe any highlights of your time at Loyola and in SES?
A: One thing that comes to mind is planning the Student Summit at Loyola’s Climate Change Conference in 2021. I recruited other student leaders to work with SEA on the event, and we often met over Zoom to discuss what we wanted the summit to look like. I was home in Seattle during the pandemic, and it was really fun to get to know my peers better and feel connected to Loyola when I was thousands of miles away. After planning the summit for weeks, the event was a huge success, with student representatives from across the country joining virtually to discuss initiatives on food waste, divestment, renewable energy, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more. We learned what students at other universities were doing, and we were able to give each other advice on what worked on different campuses to reach success.
Another clear highlight was my semester abroad at the John Felice Rome Center. It would be hard to think about my experience at Loyola without this incredible semester diving into my art history minor and my passion for travel. I was forced out of my comfort zone daily, and I discovered things about myself that I never would have if I hadn’t studied in Rome. I learned to embrace cultural differences, to say yes more than no, to be a confident solo traveler, to always say yes to gelato, and that it doesn’t matter where you are if you are surrounded by good friends.
Q: Can you tell us more about your involvement in clubs or activities at Loyola or in the community?
A: As a freshman, I attended the Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) meeting every Thursday night and threw myself into their Plastic Free campaign. I was invited to join the club’s executive board in the spring of my first year and then was elected co-president in the spring of my sophomore year. My experience with SEA has been one of the best parts of my time at Loyola, and I am so grateful for the other students and advisors who have encouraged me to be creative and enthusiastic in this space.
I have also been involved in Loyola’s chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN) and Restoration Club, doing what I can to make more tangible change. I have loved going on Saturday food runs with FRN and removing invasive species at LUREC with Restoration Club. There is something special about hands-on work, and it is wonderful that there are opportunities to get involved in this way at Loyola.
After my leadership in SEA, an internship with the Office of Sustainability in SES, and involvement with other sustainability-oriented clubs, I turned to the Student Government of Loyola Chicago (SGLC) to make an impact in my senior year. I am the current Chief Sustainability Officer of SGLC. I am grateful for this opportunity to connect with more organizations and administrators on campus to work together to make Loyola a better place.
Q: What are you planning to do after graduation? What are your career goals?
A: When I graduate in May, I will leave Loyola armed with leadership experience, critical thinking skills, knowledge of environmental justice issues, and a network of passionate young people to work alongside. I am not sure where my career journey will start, but along the way, I plan on helping businesses and organizations embrace sustainability and make a positive impact in their communities. I am excited by the potential for growth in corporate sustainability, and I want to help advance responsible and ethical environmental practices in business. I am looking forward to learning from and collaborating with others to feed my passions and find new ones along the way. The world after graduation seems a little intimidating now, but I am excited to explore and find a path that works for me.
Congratulations to Cosette Ellis, the SES President’s Medallion Recipient
Cosette Ellis from Seattle, Washington, has been awarded the prestigious President’s Medallion for Loyola’s School of Environmental Sustainability (SES). The President’s Medallion honors one student from each college, school, and institute at Loyola who excels in leadership, scholarship, and service. The recipients exemplify the true meaning of being a Loyola student by empowering their community with integrity. Cosette will complete her environmental studies major and minors in art history and sustainability management in the spring of 2023. Cosette shared the following thoughts about what she has gained during her time at Loyola and how she has given back.
Q: Why did you choose to come to Loyola and SES specifically?
A: I had always loved the idea of going to school in Chicago. My parents met in Chicago, and when I visited in middle school, I fell in love with the city. I grew up hiking in the Cascade Mountains outside of Seattle, and my family loved to travel to different National Parks. Early exposure to nature helped me develop a love for the outdoors and a desire to protect it. When I was looking at colleges, I was looking for a big city near mountains or water with a good program for environmental studies. When I toured Loyola for the first time, I immediately felt a difference between SES and other environmental science colleges at different universities. At its core, SES is student-driven, and students are encouraged to make changes on campus in any way they can. I met the co-president of the Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) when I toured SES, and after speaking with her, I turned to my mom and told her that someday I wanted to have that position. It’s pretty crazy to look back and see that I accomplished that goal.
Q: What do you appreciate most about your experience at Loyola and in SES?
A: I’ve loved how much students are encouraged to create change. Many of the sustainability initiatives on campus are driven by students. Sometimes it feels like a lot of responsibility, but it is also exciting that we get to build skills in problem-solving and advocating for change. SES students are passionate and driven, and it’s inspiring to see my friends working toward a better world in unique ways. I have loved being pushed and pushing others to get involved and make Loyola better for every student.
Q: Can you describe any highlights of your time at Loyola and in SES?
A: One thing that comes to mind is planning the Student Summit at Loyola’s Climate Change Conference in 2021. I recruited other student leaders to work with SEA on the event, and we often met over Zoom to discuss what we wanted the summit to look like. I was home in Seattle during the pandemic, and it was really fun to get to know my peers better and feel connected to Loyola when I was thousands of miles away. After planning the summit for weeks, the event was a huge success, with student representatives from across the country joining virtually to discuss initiatives on food waste, divestment, renewable energy, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more. We learned what students at other universities were doing, and we were able to give each other advice on what worked on different campuses to reach success.
Another clear highlight was my semester abroad at the John Felice Rome Center. It would be hard to think about my experience at Loyola without this incredible semester diving into my art history minor and my passion for travel. I was forced out of my comfort zone daily, and I discovered things about myself that I never would have if I hadn’t studied in Rome. I learned to embrace cultural differences, to say yes more than no, to be a confident solo traveler, to always say yes to gelato, and that it doesn’t matter where you are if you are surrounded by good friends.
Q: Can you tell us more about your involvement in clubs or activities at Loyola or in the community?
A: As a freshman, I attended the Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) meeting every Thursday night and threw myself into their Plastic Free campaign. I was invited to join the club’s executive board in the spring of my first year and then was elected co-president in the spring of my sophomore year. My experience with SEA has been one of the best parts of my time at Loyola, and I am so grateful for the other students and advisors who have encouraged me to be creative and enthusiastic in this space.
I have also been involved in Loyola’s chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN) and Restoration Club, doing what I can to make more tangible change. I have loved going on Saturday food runs with FRN and removing invasive species at LUREC with Restoration Club. There is something special about hands-on work, and it is wonderful that there are opportunities to get involved in this way at Loyola.
After my leadership in SEA, an internship with the Office of Sustainability in SES, and involvement with other sustainability-oriented clubs, I turned to the Student Government of Loyola Chicago (SGLC) to make an impact in my senior year. I am the current Chief Sustainability Officer of SGLC. I am grateful for this opportunity to connect with more organizations and administrators on campus to work together to make Loyola a better place.
Q: What are you planning to do after graduation? What are your career goals?
A: When I graduate in May, I will leave Loyola armed with leadership experience, critical thinking skills, knowledge of environmental justice issues, and a network of passionate young people to work alongside. I am not sure where my career journey will start, but along the way, I plan on helping businesses and organizations embrace sustainability and make a positive impact in their communities. I am excited by the potential for growth in corporate sustainability, and I want to help advance responsible and ethical environmental practices in business. I am looking forward to learning from and collaborating with others to feed my passions and find new ones along the way. The world after graduation seems a little intimidating now, but I am excited to explore and find a path that works for me.