Examen - Thrive in a Global Community
Thrive in a Global Community
LUC students and alumni work collaboratively and imaginatively to understand and address complex societal issues in an ever-changing technological and interconnected world.
Narrated by Elena Martinez, BS ‘25
Elena Martinez graduated from Loyola in May of 2025 with a major in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. She was heavily involved in Campus Ministry with my main involvements being in Labre and CLC. She was also a yoga instructor, through which she enjoyed the aspect of bringing health and wellness to her community. She hope to pursue a career in healthcare while also doing advocacy work. At Loyola, Martinez was able to dive into her Catholic faith and be well acquainted with the Jesuit mission. This mission has now been instilled within her, and she will forever carry it in her heart wherever she goes.
Examen Transcript
Welcome to the Engage Loyola Examen Series. Today, we invite you to reflect upon the milestones, memories, and experiences you’ve had at Loyola and to consider where you might be called in the next steps of your journey. A gift of the spiritual practice of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Examen is a structured meditation that encourages self-reflection and intentionality in our living. We hope that these few minutes affirm and bolster your Loyola journey.
After each set of questions I pose, you’ll have a moment of quiet to reflect. Pause the audio at any time if you need more time for your thoughts to develop or if you wish to remain focused on a particular reflection. Wherever you are as you begin the Examen, take a minute to become aware of the space around you and to take
a few deep breaths before you start.
We invite the presence of goodness into this space.
Begin to imagine the beginning of your semester. Perhaps you were facing a particular challenge. Perhaps you were ready and excited for a fresh start. Perhaps you felt the heaviness of a broken world. Contemplate on how you can make a small difference in the world. Imagine looking at yourself through a mirror and the reflection that looks back at you is you at the beginning of the semester. Give this self a hug and a smile and tell yourself, “you are enough."
We then make our way to the middle of the semester. Notice the people that surround you. The activities and communities that have found you and have uplifted you. Think about the faces and the memories. Notice your path slowly starting to unfold. The yellow brick road ahead starts to clear for you. Think about a passion of yours. Think about how this passion can unfold in goodness for the rest of the world and your surrounding community. Imagine seeing yourself through a mirror at this stage, and notice how much you have changed in just a few weeks. Notice the twinkle in your eye and your heart that is on fire for love and justice in this world. What kind of social justice comes to your mind? Think about the ways in which you have grown to love and think more deeply. We bring gratitude into our hearts for these experiences that have begun to shape us.
Now, we let ourselves begin to unfold as we get to the end of the semester. Like a butterfly finally bursting out of its chrysalis. Imagine staring at yourself through that same mirror as you make your way to the end of one journey but the beginning of the next. As you come to this crossroad, notice the way goodness has formed you into the perfectly imperfect person that you are. Begin to feel love enter into your heart, giving thanks for
the communities and the people that have mentored you, shaped you into who you are and who you will someday be. Think about the knowledge you have acquired from the semester that will only help you have a more well rounded perception of the world. Bring gratitude into your heart for these valuable lessons that you will carry with you forever.
Think about the memories that will come to us as whispers in the night that will remind us of where we came from and what we have learned to understand more fully each of our unique purposes in life.
Begin to view yourself as a puzzle piece in creation. You are on the path, trust in the timing, for you will do wonders and set the world ablaze.
Begin to take one last deep breath in through your nose, and then out through the mouth, give thanks for this moment and for this time shared together. Slowly make your way back into this present moment.
Thank you for spending time with this Engage Loyola reflection. Return to this Examen anytime you want to reflect on this part of your Loyola journey. Or, try another of the Engage Loyola Examens available where you found this reflection.
Thrive in a Global Community
LUC students and alumni work collaboratively and imaginatively to understand and address complex societal issues in an ever-changing technological and interconnected world.
Narrated by Elena Martinez, BS ‘25
Elena Martinez graduated from Loyola in May of 2025 with a major in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. She was heavily involved in Campus Ministry with my main involvements being in Labre and CLC. She was also a yoga instructor, through which she enjoyed the aspect of bringing health and wellness to her community. She hope to pursue a career in healthcare while also doing advocacy work. At Loyola, Martinez was able to dive into her Catholic faith and be well acquainted with the Jesuit mission. This mission has now been instilled within her, and she will forever carry it in her heart wherever she goes.
Examen Transcript
Welcome to the Engage Loyola Examen Series. Today, we invite you to reflect upon the milestones, memories, and experiences you’ve had at Loyola and to consider where you might be called in the next steps of your journey. A gift of the spiritual practice of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Examen is a structured meditation that encourages self-reflection and intentionality in our living. We hope that these few minutes affirm and bolster your Loyola journey.
After each set of questions I pose, you’ll have a moment of quiet to reflect. Pause the audio at any time if you need more time for your thoughts to develop or if you wish to remain focused on a particular reflection. Wherever you are as you begin the Examen, take a minute to become aware of the space around you and to take
a few deep breaths before you start.
We invite the presence of goodness into this space.
Begin to imagine the beginning of your semester. Perhaps you were facing a particular challenge. Perhaps you were ready and excited for a fresh start. Perhaps you felt the heaviness of a broken world. Contemplate on how you can make a small difference in the world. Imagine looking at yourself through a mirror and the reflection that looks back at you is you at the beginning of the semester. Give this self a hug and a smile and tell yourself, “you are enough."
We then make our way to the middle of the semester. Notice the people that surround you. The activities and communities that have found you and have uplifted you. Think about the faces and the memories. Notice your path slowly starting to unfold. The yellow brick road ahead starts to clear for you. Think about a passion of yours. Think about how this passion can unfold in goodness for the rest of the world and your surrounding community. Imagine seeing yourself through a mirror at this stage, and notice how much you have changed in just a few weeks. Notice the twinkle in your eye and your heart that is on fire for love and justice in this world. What kind of social justice comes to your mind? Think about the ways in which you have grown to love and think more deeply. We bring gratitude into our hearts for these experiences that have begun to shape us.
Now, we let ourselves begin to unfold as we get to the end of the semester. Like a butterfly finally bursting out of its chrysalis. Imagine staring at yourself through that same mirror as you make your way to the end of one journey but the beginning of the next. As you come to this crossroad, notice the way goodness has formed you into the perfectly imperfect person that you are. Begin to feel love enter into your heart, giving thanks for
the communities and the people that have mentored you, shaped you into who you are and who you will someday be. Think about the knowledge you have acquired from the semester that will only help you have a more well rounded perception of the world. Bring gratitude into your heart for these valuable lessons that you will carry with you forever.
Think about the memories that will come to us as whispers in the night that will remind us of where we came from and what we have learned to understand more fully each of our unique purposes in life.
Begin to view yourself as a puzzle piece in creation. You are on the path, trust in the timing, for you will do wonders and set the world ablaze.
Begin to take one last deep breath in through your nose, and then out through the mouth, give thanks for this moment and for this time shared together. Slowly make your way back into this present moment.
Thank you for spending time with this Engage Loyola reflection. Return to this Examen anytime you want to reflect on this part of your Loyola journey. Or, try another of the Engage Loyola Examens available where you found this reflection.