Lindsey Rennie, Loyola University Maryland

Lindsey Rennie, a fourth-year Honors student at Loyola University Maryland, is a civically engaged leader and an advocate for many social justice issues, especially prison reform. As a sophomore, Lindsey participated in the Alternatives to Violence Project-Maryland; today she is a valued facilitator for this program, leading workshops in Maryland prisons. Lindsey’s ability to inspire her colleagues to work together for social justice is exceptional, as is her skill at building bridges between organizations on- and off-campus. Her history of service and advocacy is diverse: immersion programs; service while studying abroad; working as a service coordinator in Loyola’s Center for Community Service and Justice (for one-time service opportunities, and for a solidarity network and teach-in); and as a leader in the National Student Leadership Conference. Ms. Rennie is a recipient of numerous awards for leadership and scholarship, and is a member of Loyola’s Green and Grey Society, fourteen leaders selected of the senior class who are committed to service and who demonstrate academic excellence. Lindsey Rennie takes Loyola’s mission of “inspir[ing] students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world” to heart; she lives it out every day through her involvement in, and dedication to, vulnerable populations.
-Rev. Brian Linnane, S.J., President

During my time at Loyola University Maryland, I have had the opportunity to both learn about the causes behind injustices and inequities in society, and to take on roles that have allowed me to work for change and encourage others to do the same. I have been on two Spring Break Outreach trips, leading one focused on prison reform in Baltimore, MD, which led me to my passion of working for reform in the criminal justice system. For the past two years, I have also been a regular facilitator for Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), which holds nonviolence and community-building workshops in prisons. Recently, I traveled to Apopka, FL on a service immersion trip to learn about the reality of immigration in the U.S. And for two years, I have worked as a service coordinator at Loyola’s Center for Community Service and Justice, where I prepare and educate volunteers, lead volunteers in direct service or in advocacy efforts, and guide students in reflection following their service. I believe that service and working for justice start at the community level, but I will be in service and continue to work for justice wherever I am needed.
-Lindsey Rennie