Like any good investigator, Tiara Morgan checked the scene a few times, until she was sure of what she knew. On several visits to Loyola, she discovered something that would be invaluable to her college experience—diversity. “The diversity was really important to me since I haven’t really had that in my past.”

Loyola truly celebrates diverse perspectives as a means to help students grow their own broad-minded views, better understand society, and prepare for a role in today’s global marketplace. Nearly one-third of our students celebrate an ethnic heritage. In Loyola’s freshman class alone, students come from all walks of life, and hail from 46 states and 26 nations. Forty-two percent of them explore their spirituality through faith traditions other than Catholicism. Add all that to our campus locations in downtown Chicago and the Rogers Park neighborhood—both richly multicultural—and it’s clear, Loyola is a slice of the real world.

Another thing Tiara uncovered in her Loyola visits didn’t hurt, either: Loyola is one of the only schools to have a forensic science major. While the TV show CSI was her inspiration to study it, “Loyola made sure we realized it was a big production,” she says. Tiara learns— more realistically—from an instructor who also works in a crime lab. “We were actually able to work with cases he solved before.” Her real draw to the subject, though, is something else. “I’m really interested in social justice. I feel like anything with criminal justice or forensic science has to do with that.”

Social justice and serving others are important aspects of a Loyola education. Getting involved on campus and in the community is key to developing those sensitivities. “I love helping people,” Tiara says. “It’s kind of changed who I am,” she says of her experiences serving others. “I came here not really understanding the differences that people have. Being able to be involved has opened my eyes. I’m a lot more open-minded now.”