Aimee Wagner of Mahwah, N.J., a scholar athlete at Fairfield University who devoted her time to various volunteer programs, was awarded the St. Ignatius Loyola medal during commencement ceremonies in may. The Loyola medal is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association and is given to a senior committed to the "service of faith" and "promotion of justice."

During her senior year, Aimee was leader of the university's chapter of Best Buddies, an organization that pairs college students with the mentally challenged. She cultivated new members and established an Internet friendship system called "E-Buddies." Over the course of four years, she fostered a special friendship with her "Best Buddy" Lisa. The women had lunch together and went bowling and hiking.

As a mission volunteer in Tijuana, Mexico, Aimee helped build schools for the poor. She repaired homes in a rural Appalachian town in Kentucky as part of a North American Mission Experience. And she worked with AIDS children as a camp counselor for AmericaKids. The experiences, she said, "challenged me to become personally responsible for the well-being of others, whether they live five minutes or 5,000 miles away."

In addition to her service work, Aimee was a lector for Campus Ministry and captain of the women's varsity crew team. Her academic achievements include: Dean's List; several scholastic awards from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association; and membership in Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society, and Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most highly respected academic honor society.

In accepting the Loyola Medal, Aimee said: "The ultimate challenge that my classmates and I face... is taking all that we have learned in the classroom, in the lab, in the chapel, on the water, in Mexico or Kentucky, from our 'best buddies' and from the many relationships that we have established over the years, and simply living out the ideals of a Jesuit education wherever we might be."

Aimee plans to spend a year working with a service program before pursuing a graduate degree in biological developmental research.

Posted On: 05-13-2002 09:05 AM

Volume: 34 Number: 235