Le Moyne’s Loyola Institute Continues Catholic Education with Credits, Tuition Dollars

By Caroline K. Reff

Last year, Le Moyne College announced the creation of The Loyola Institute, a unique program offering qualified students from Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School, Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School and Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse the benefits of a Jesuit education and the opportunity to earn 12 college credits and up to $58,000 in college savings.

“The Loyola Institute is designed for students to recognize the real value of a Catholic, Jesuit education,” said Dr. Dennis DePerro, Le Moyne’s vice president for enrollment management. “We have seen a lot of students from Catholic high schools leave Syracuse to go to Catholic institutions elsewhere that are very similar to Le Moyne. Our hope is that our partnership will showcase the excellence of the Le Moyne academic programs and also help students get a head start on their college studies while still in high school.”

The first group of students entered the program last summer, and the Catholic Schools Office is eager to monitor their progress. “From our perspective, it’s a wonderful opportunity and promotes a larger vision to educate our students in the Catholic tradition, not only from Pre-K through Grade 12, but well beyond into their college years,” said Christopher Mominey, superintendent of schools for the Syracuse Diocese. “We are blessed to be on the receiving end of Le Moyne’s commitment and generosity. A few years from now, I expect to see many of the students currently participating in the program walk on to the Le Moyne campus as incoming freshman thanks to The Loyola Institute.”

Christian Freeman, ’12

Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School

Christian Freeman thought about spending last summer simply hanging out with friends or playing video games and sports. So, when the opportunity arose to attend an intensive three-week class at Le Moyne College’s Loyola Institute, he wasn’t immediately enthusiastic.

“I didn’t want to sacrifice my summer for school,” said Freeman, a sophomore at Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School. “But, then I figured I’d probably be sleeping in until about the time the class got out anyway, so it wouldn’t really take away from my summer.”

Missing a few hours of sleep proved to be a good choice, as what Freeman got in return was an invaluable glimpse at college life on the Le Moyne campus. He enrolled in Success Skills for Critical Reading and Writing and soon plunged into the works of one of his favorite authors, Mark Twain. During the three-week course, he read both Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, while taking a critical view of Twain’s work. In the end, Freeman was required to write a five-page research paper.

“That was the toughest part,” said Freeman. “There is a lot more freedom at the college level. We weren’t told exactly what to write about, but we had to choose our own topic on Twain and work through it. I definitely developed some skills I didn’t have before, and it gave me a sense of how much responsibility college is going to be.”

A straight-A student and three-sport athlete, Freeman said his experience has led him to consider majoring in English in college, and he might want to be a writer. “I know this will be something to put on a college application, and when I complete The Loyola Institute, I’ll have college credits,” said Freeman. “This has definitely given me a jump start.”

Emily Morrell, ’12

Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School

Bishop Ludden Junior/Senior High School sophomore Emily Morrell enrolled in The Loyola Institute’s Success in Mathematics course last summer. And, while she admits it was her mother’s idea, Emily is glad she made the commitment. “I learned a lot of stuff I wouldn’t have learned in my regular math class,” she said. “And, there was a lot of trigonometry, too, which has already helped me a lot this year.”

Morrell found the work at Le Moyne challenging at first, but the straight-A student caught on quickly. “It helped me perfect my note taking skills,” she said. “In high school, the teachers tell you what to write and when to write it. In college, you have to make those decisions for yourself.”

While attending The Loyola Institute, Morrell had the chance to see more of the Le Moyne campus, and she is considering attending the college after high school graduation. “Both my dad and my grandfather graduated from Le Moyne,” she said. “My grandfather, William McCarthy, was a member of Le Moyne’s first graduating class, so he’s always encouraging me to go there. I don’t want to go far away from home anyway, so Le Moyne might be a great fit.”

For more information on The Loyola Institute at Le Moyne College, contact the Center for Continuing Education at 315-445-4141 or visit www.lemoyne.edu.

Caroline K. Reff is a free-lance writer and public relations consultant in Syracuse, NY.