Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Scholarship

KIYARA DAHANE (BA ’26, BS ’26) doesn’t let naysayers tell her what to do. It’s a valuable lesson the pre-law student took from Sister Jean. In her time at Loyola, Dahane, a Toronto native, has not just pursued a double major in political science and criminal justice, she also has worked almost every campus job imaginable to help pay for her tuition and pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. Dahane has been an event coordinator, a resident adviser at San Francisco Hall, a liaison for the Student Rights, Responsibilities & Conflict Resolution team, and the assistant director of operations for the Ramblers women’s basketball team. She says the work has been extremely rewarding, particularly her role on the basketball team, which has taken her to cities across the country and given her the opportunity to forge lasting bonds with the players. “I feel like I’m a part of the team,” she says. “Just having that sisterhood and friendship has been really fun.”

In 2025, while Dahane was busy planning events at the Damen Student Center, helping usher fans into their seats at Gentile Arena, and traveling across the country with the basketball team, she also juggled a demanding academic schedule. That September, when she found out she had been awarded a gift of $6,000 from the Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM, Scholarship fund, it came as a welcome boost.  

“Now that the financial part of senior year is covered, I’m more able to focus on my classes, my grades, and just being more involved. I’m able to settle down and just do school for once.”

Focusing more exclusively on her studies will help lay the foundation for Dahane’s plans to attend law school and pursue a career as a human rights or juvenile justice attorney.  

From a young age, when her parents got divorced, she has wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother’s attorney, who helped guide the family through a difficult time. “When I was 6, I sat in the chair in his office and thought, ‘This has to be me one day. I want to help people the way he helped my mother.’”  

Sister Jean’s fighting spirit has also inspired her to forge ahead, even when faced with financial obstacles: “If I want to do something, I’ll do it now. I’ll figure it out,” she said. “The independence Sister Jean always had was very commendable.”

Gannon Scholarship

ALIE MCDOUGALL (BA ’26) plans to work for the U.S. Foreign Service, and she’s already well on her way, thanks to a Gannon Scholarship that supports aspiring women leaders. Selected as one of 40 finalists from among more than 1,100 applicants, the dual global studies and French major was invited to the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership in March 2022, ahead of her first year at Loyola, for a series of interviews.  

After impressing the selection committee, including former director Gabrielle Buckley and several current Gannon Scholars, McDougall secured a scholarship of up to $10,000 per year, which she says has been life changing. As an award recipient, the Tacoma, Washington, native has had the opportunity to attend weekly hour-long leadership meetings, study at the John Felice Rome Center, intern with the Jesuit Refugee Service outside the Vatican, and cowrite a book chapter with international studies professor Molly Melin examining how corporate behavior during election cycles can exacerbate political violence or promote peace.

“I get to walk in the footsteps of all these women who have come before me, who have paved the way for women in education, for women in positions of leadership, and who have pushed the boundaries of what that looks like.”

One of those women is Sister Jean, a role model for McDougall, who shares the late sister’s passion for advising students. Starting her sophomore year, McDougall helped mentor students in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, younger Gannon Scholars, and first-year students in the University 101 course. She’s also worked as a student ambassador for Loyola Orientation, where she heard Sister Jean welcome new students and families with an inspiring, if bittersweet, story of a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.  

“I’ve been lucky to see how the legacy of Sister Jean and her presence at Mundelein has passed on through decades of women leaders and scholars,” McDougall said. “We really deeply shared the love of seeing students realize they have a home here at Loyola; that this is a place where they’ll have the opportunity to grow and to flourish.” 

Worship, Work, Win Fund

ROISIN TREACY (BA ’25, MBA ’26) grew up in a farm-style, brick house in Ashford in Wicklow County, Ireland, about 40 miles south of Dublin. Cows and sheep grazed the countryside, where she began running long distances at the age of 12.  

For the Loyola cross-country athlete, coming to America to compete as a student-athlete was the fulfillment of a longtime dream. “I always wanted to come here on a running scholarship. I was at a college in Colorado previously, and I transferred after one year to Loyola. I’ve been much happier here since.”  

Part of that has to do with the culture. She finds people in the Midwest more friendly and sociable than those in the mountain states. But Loyola’s academic rigor, and the facilities and training equipment she has access to as a student athlete are even more significant.

As a member of the women’s cross-country team, which captured three consecutive Atlantic 10 conference titles (2022-2024), Treacy competed in team and individual events, including the 6k, 3k, 1500 meter, and 3k steeplechase. In 2024, at George Mason University, she won the Atlantic 10 conference title for the 3k steeplechase. She also contributed to the team’s 2024 conference win.  

“Since coming to Loyola, coaches Gavin Kennedy, Pat Murray, and Gabby Gaudreault have all contributed to me growing immensely.” she said.

“When I first came to Loyola, I was fearful of failure and fearful of not meeting expectations, whereas now I enjoy seeing what I can do with other people and seeing what my max capabilities are, and how far I can go in the sport. That’s my new goal for each race.”  

The Worship, Work, Win Fund has supported several aspects of Treacy’s success, allowing her to travel with the team by plane to some of the country’s most competitive Division 1 meets and train on state-of-the art stationary bikes and treadmills. The fund has also enabled the athletics department to purchase high-performing Nike running shoes and spikes, support a team dietician, and provide a “fueling station,” where athletes can grab protein shakes, granola bars, and other nutritious snacks.  

Treacy says even after Sister Jean’s passing, her passion for sports and “contagious positivity” continues to inspire the team. “Every time we put on the Loyola uniform, we’re extremely grateful for everything she’s done.”