Student Government Honors SES Student

This spring, the Student Government of Loyola Chicago (SGLC) held a year-end banquet to honor members who have shown extraordinary leadership. School of Environmental Sustainability (SES) student Beth Thilges received the Ignatian Leadership Award for her outstanding accomplishments this year as the chair of the SGLC Sustainability Committee.

During her time on the committee, Beth wrote and helped pass student government legislation calling on the University to eliminate all single-use plastic bottles on campus. Instead of plastic, beverages sold at Loyola would come in cans or glass bottles, which are more sustainable options because they can be recycled endlessly and are not made from petroleum. 

As a member of the student government, Beth also helped increase the use of pollinator-friendly plants in campus landscaping, and she advanced efforts to include a sustainability module in new-student orientation activities. She noted that other students also contributed to these accomplishments, including Kathryn Caputo, speaker of the SGLC senate, and Natalia Yarbrough, a member of the SGLC Sustainability Committee.

This May, Beth will graduate from Loyola with a double major in environmental science and environmental policy. After graduation, she plans to stay in the Chicago area and pursue work opportunities in ecological restoration. Congratulations to Beth for her valuable contributions to sustainability at Loyola and beyond.