Loyola welcomes the Class of 2024
Loyola University Maryland welcomed the Class of 2024 at the New Student Convocation on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Parents, faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the campus community celebrated the Class of 2024 during a virtual ceremony.
When Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., addressed the students, the president of Loyola shared his excitement for students to join the community and begin an experience of a lifetime.
“It is my hope that you will commit yourself to being intentional about your education at Loyola and to taking the fullest advantage of these opportunities,” said Fr. Linnane. “If engaged fully and maturely, an education at a Jesuit university should help you discern what is truly good, valuable, and enduring so you can make every year that you live the best that it can possibly be. We want you to have a fulfilling, rewarding, enjoyable experience not just while you are a Loyola student, but also for all the years that will follow.”
Loyola’s 2020 Distinguished Teacher of the Year, Marianna Carlucci, Ph.D., associate
professor of psychology, inspired students to trust themselves and tasked them with
engaging in new opportunities at the University.
“Being yourself means acknowledging that we are not perfect. We’re just ourselves, and that’s perfect,” said Carlucci. “Loyola isn’t perfect either. And we need you to help us grow. So, join me. I’m here. I want you to be yourself. I accept you exactly as you are right now. We are all with you.”
This year’s first-year students read as the class’s common text, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas, as part of their participation in Messina. Messina is a living and learning experience designed to help first-year students adjust quickly to college-level work and forge a clear path to success at Loyola and in the life and career that will follow.
New students have the opportunity to make connections and get acclimated to college life during the virtual Fall Welcome Weekend, which continues through Sunday, Aug. 30. The virtual program will consist of live stream sessions, pre-recorded videos, and small group meetings.
Class of 2024 by the numbers:
- 1,028 total students
- 3.63 Average High School GPA
- 18% are first in their family to attend college
- 35% self-identify as students of color
- 70% of the students are from outside Maryland
The Class of 2024 is also the most racially and socioeconomically diverse class on record at Loyola.