Armeen Sayani

April 7, 2016
Engaged Learning Assessment
We are Chicago's Jesuit Catholic university- a diverse
community seeking God in all things and working to expand
knowledge in the service of humanity through learning,
justice, and faith.
How did your Engaged Learning experience help you to connect to the
mission?
When I first heard Loyolas mission statement as a freshman, all I
could really think about was how it was a long sentence composed of
big and powerful words. I couldnt really relate to those words. Because
of my engaged learning experience this year, my relationship with
Loyolas mission has drastically changed. Being a Social Justice Intern
at Misericordias Personal Effectiveness Program (PEP) has helped me
understand and connect to Loyolas mission in a whole new way.
At Misericordia, I was able to seek God in all things. I saw God
in the pure and sincere relationships that I built with the residents. I
saw God in the fascinating talents and unique personalities that every
resident had. I saw God in every accomplishment that each resident
made, despite the numerous challenges they had to overcome every
day. Individuals with disabilities are a blessing and they teach us so
many life lessons, and being able to interact with them through this
internship allowed me to recognize the presence of Gods grace and
love in the every person around me.
My engaged learning experience also allowed me to expand

knowledge in the service of humanity throughjustice. Although I am

a special education major, I never consciously made the connection
between social justice and people with disabilities. After my experience
at Misericordia and in EXPL 390, however, I realized that individuals
with disabilities are an extremely marginalized population in society.
They are often pushed to the side, ignored, looked down upon, and
underestimated. PEP is a program at Misericordia that does the exact
opposite. PEP does not give up on residents just because they have
significant behavior challenges. Instead, PEP finds ways to help them
be productive, manage their behaviors, and reach their highest
potential. Through PEP, I was able to help adults with disabilities
develop the social skills and vocational skills that they need in order to
integrate within mainstream society. I was able to serve the residents
by engaging in PEPS mission, offering the residents my friendship and
support, and helping the residents overcome their behavioral
challenges in order to succeed.
How did the Engaged Learning experience in this course impact your
personal, intellectual, civic and/or professional development?
After my engaged learning experience as a Social Justice Intern
at Misericordia, I have grown tremendously as a person. I met residents
that have changed the way that I see the world. I made valuable
friendships with the residents and the PEP staff that I will always
cherish. I stepped out of my comfort zone that was at Loyola and

immersed myself within the Rogers Park community. I learned the

importance of engaging with community organizations, especially
those that work to lift up marginalized populations. I learned more
about the mission of Misericordia and the remarkable opportunities
that it provides for the residents. Through this internship, I also
developed important personal qualities, such as patience and
resilience. I learned how to adapt to different situations, to accept
change, to not be scared by some really challenging behaviors, and to
work with co-workers who have very different views, lifestyles, and
personalities than me.
Additionally, the EXPL 390 course significantly contributed to my
intellectual development. Through articles, videos, poems, projects,
and long discussions with the other Social Justice Interns, this course
helped me expand my knowledge on the definition of social justice and
the wide variety of social justice issues that I did not know too much
about before. For example, some of these issues include the obstacles
that refugees face in America or the importance of social services for
individuals with disabilities. This course taught me to think critically
about the institutions that are built in society and how they benefit or
oppress certain populations. I also learned about what it means to be
an organizational leader and change-maker, the different components
that play a role in the development of a community, and what it means
to be a leader in a community. These are all lessons that I will continue

to think about during my next two years at Loyola and beyond.

Finally, my engaged learning experience also impacted my
professional development. As a future special education teacher, I will
use all of the experiences that I had with the residents at Misericordia
in my own classroom. All of the residents had different disabilities and
unique needs, and after seeing how PEP supported those needs, I will
be able to use that knowledge to teach my future students who may
have some of the same disabilities or needs. I also witnessed the PEP
staff use various strategies and techniques to decrease residents
behaviors, and I can use those strategies with my future students who
may have similar behavioral challenges. Moreover, my internship
taught me the importance of acting appropriately in a professional
setting, effectively communicating with coworkers, and taking initiative
to implement projects. These are all lessons that I will use when I
become a special education teacher.