Meet Joe
"[My mentees] go in for a fist bump, and it makes me feel really good about the help I can give."
A shining example of what it means to be a well-rounded student, Joe and his involvement have positively impacted the Swim Team, Jazz Ensemble, Service and Justice, Dons for Dons Tutoring, and the SAFE Center. He entered Loyola as a 6th grader, and after just one year in the concert band, he knew he wanted to play in the jazz ensemble.
Mrs. Thielen, picking up on his interest, agreed that he could join this upper school ensemble. Now a veteran band member, Joe has paved the way for the younger students behind him and is now a leader and mentor to his fellow musicians. According to Joe, Loyola’s teachers “don’t let us be study robots: they challenge us in all sorts of ways instead.” For him, this gives students “that extra boost to be worldly and well-rounded.” Joe takes pride in his work with middle schoolers through the Dons for Dons tutoring program. He explained that middle school students may initially be assigned by teachers to come for extra help, but the relationships that the boys make with their student mentors keep them coming back day after day. When Joe sees these students around campus, “they go in for a fist bump, and it makes me feel really good about the help I can give.” Asked what being a Don means to him, he replied, “it feels like a brotherhood.”
Joe will be studying aerospace engineering at The University of Notre Dame in the fall, and his excitement is evident. Because of Joe’s strong work ethic, motivation, and enthusiasm, the sky’s the limit!
Our Summer Student Spotlight Series highlights eight students, each of whom has taken their own path here at Loyola Blakefield. Find your own way at loyolablakefield.org/admissions.
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A shining example of what it means to be a well-rounded student, Joe and his involvement have positively impacted the Swim Team, Jazz Ensemble, Service and Justice, Dons for Dons Tutoring, and the SAFE Center. He entered Loyola as a 6th grader, and after just one year in the concert band, he knew he wanted to play in the jazz ensemble.
Mrs. Thielen, picking up on his interest, agreed that he could join this upper school ensemble. Now a veteran band member, Joe has paved the way for the younger students behind him and is now a leader and mentor to his fellow musicians. According to Joe, Loyola’s teachers “don’t let us be study robots: they challenge us in all sorts of ways instead.” For him, this gives students “that extra boost to be worldly and well-rounded.” Joe takes pride in his work with middle schoolers through the Dons for Dons tutoring program. He explained that middle school students may initially be assigned by teachers to come for extra help, but the relationships that the boys make with their student mentors keep them coming back day after day. When Joe sees these students around campus, “they go in for a fist bump, and it makes me feel really good about the help I can give.” Asked what being a Don means to him, he replied, “it feels like a brotherhood.”
Joe will be studying aerospace engineering at The University of Notre Dame in the fall, and his excitement is evident. Because of Joe’s strong work ethic, motivation, and enthusiasm, the sky’s the limit!
Our Summer Student Spotlight Series highlights eight students, each of whom has taken their own path here at Loyola Blakefield. Find your own way at loyolablakefield.org/admissions.
