Grace Murphy

Hometown: Niles, Illinois
Major: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Expected date of graduation: 2020

Grace has made the Dean’s List every semester at Loyola and has established herself as a classroom leader, helping fellow classmates understand the material and taking a prominent position in group projects.

She is also active in service activities, including volunteering as a facilitator for One Love, a nonprofit devoted to teaching young people the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Since 2017 she has led group discussions on domestic and dating violence for a variety of groups on campus. She is also a part of the student organization CHANGE (Challenging Antiquated Norms for Gender Equality), which organizes workshops and events related to gender-based violence.

Here, she talks about why the concept of cura personalis means so much to her and how work has been so meaningful.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your Jesuit education?
What’s been the most valuable lesson for me, especially in regards to nursing, has been Loyola’s emphasis on cura personalis, or care for the whole person. I’m reminded every day about how a patient is not just a laundry list of various diagnoses, but a person with a family, friends, spiritual life, struggles, triumphs, and a favorite sports team. In order to treat someone, we have to treat and care for every single part of them, not just their high blood pressure or heart failure. It can be really easy to get bogged down in lab values and medications, but Loyola has ensured that I see through that and focus on exactly what a patient is: a person.

What was the most meaningful volunteer, service, or student organization activity you’ve been involved in? How has it influenced you or shaped you as a person?
I’m involved in a student organization called CHANGE that does a lot of programming related to dating and domestic violence. Over the years that I’ve been involved, CHANGE has given me a space to develop myself and my voice. I feel that I’ve gained a lot of confidence and leadership skills in that organization that I am going to carry with me for the rest of my life. Not only that, but CHANGE has shown me how important the work that our organization does and how I want to continue to do my part, even after I leave Loyola.

What do you hope to achieve after college, and how has Loyola prepared you?
After I graduate, I’m planning on working on a post-surgical floor in a hospital for a few years and then going back to school to pursue higher education. Loyola has prepared me for this, not only by providing me with the skills and education to be a nurse, but by showing me that I have the strength, perseverance, and confidence to achieve my goals in life. I’m not really sure what the next 10 years of my life are going to look like, but I know that I will find meaning and purpose in whatever I do, in part because of the education Loyola has provided me.