Scranton Students Attend National Conference on Jesuit Student Leadership

           Eleven University of Scranton students participated in the National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference held at Georgetown University in Georgetown, Washington D.C., this summer.

The national conference, held at a different Jesuit University each summer, entails group discussions, a day of service and various workshops focused on furthering the development of students’ leadership from a Jesuit perspective.

            At this year’s conference the group participated in Advocacy Day, meeting with congresspersons and their staffers to advocate for issues important to them including financial aid and the DREAM Act. The group heard from many speakers, most notably Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, Father David Hollanbach, an associate to Jesuit Relief Services, and Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House, a homeless youth shelter organization.

Michael Ritterbeck, assistant director of the Center for Student Engagement, and Lauren Rivera, J.D., associate vice provost and dean of students, served as chaperones to the conference. They also presented to students at two conference sessions about ways to develop and employ resilience strategies.

            Scranton students who participated in the leadership conference with representatives from 26 other Jesuit colleges were:

Katherine Allen of New Milford, Connecticut;

Margaret Dodgson of Olyphant;

Mary Virginia Farrell of Scranton;                                       

Lindsay Fitchett of Yardley;

Robert McGowan of Scranton;

Luis Melgar of Simpson;

Monica O'Malley of Scranton;

Jacob Ratowski of Hunlock Creek;

Jennifer Riccardi of Little Ferry, New Jersey;

Madalyne Sunday of South Abington Township;

Mackenzie Wilson of Mount Pocono.

Eleven students from The University of Scranton participated in the National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference, which took place this summer at Georgetown University. First row, from left:  Robert McGowan, Virginia Farrell, Madalyne Sunday, Monica O’Malley and Lauren Rivera, J.D., associate vice provost and dean of students. Second row: Katherine Allen, Lindsay Fitchett, Mackenzie Wilson, Jennifer Riccardi, Jacob Ratowski, Michael Ritterbeck, assistant director of the Center for Student Engagement, Luis Melgaar and Margaret Dodgson.