2026 President's Medallion Recipient

Teaching, Mentoring, and Building Community

Indigo TenEyck recognized for dedication to students, service, and the Jesuit value of cura personalis

For Indigo TenEyck (they/them), education is about connection—between students, teachers, and their communities. This commitment earned TenEyck the President’s Medallion; a university-wide award given to one student from each school.

A four-year Dean’s List student and Alpha Sigma Nu inductee, TenEyck will graduate in May with a BSEd in middle grades education, with a concentration in social studies and reading and a minor in special education. At Loyola University Chicago, TenEyck combined academic excellence with mentorship, service, and hands-on teaching experience.

Teaching the Whole Person

TenEyck’s path to the classroom reflects cura personalis, a core Jesuit philosophy that means care for the whole person. Through Loyola’s teacher preparation program, they began student teaching in August at Jordan Community School in the Chicago Public Schools, gaining hands-on experience with middle school students.

The experience reinforced their view that education involves more than academics.

“I identify strongly with cura personalis,” TenEyck said. “It means not seeing a student as a number or data point but recognizing the whole person in front of me—with complicated feelings, experiences, and stories that matter. Even when a student’s feelings lead to negative consequences, they remain informative and worth understanding.”

For TenEyck, that philosophy shapes how they think about teaching.

“Students aren’t defined by a single moment. There’s always more context,” TenEyck said. “Understanding that helps you respond with empathy and help students grow.”

Their professors have witnessed that commitment firsthand. Lara Smetana, PhD, professor in the School of Education, noted TenEyck’s compassion and professionalism.

“Indigo consistently communicates care and empathy for the middle grade students in their social studies classroom,” Smetana said. “They have worked thoughtfully to create a classroom environment of trust and belonging.”

TenEyck says Loyola’s School of Education faculty played a major role in shaping their approach to teaching. They describe their professors as brilliant scholars and deeply caring mentors who model how to balance theory with classroom practice.

“The professors in the School of Education are wonderful and incredibly thoughtful people,” TenEyck said. “So many of them make me think, ‘I want to be like you.’ They show how to balance theory and practice while really understanding students and getting to the root of what matters in education.”

 

Building Community at Loyola and Beyond

During their time at Loyola, TenEyck built community in many ways. They served as an orientation leader, engagement intern, and office assistant for Loyola’s First-Year Experience program, helping new students find their place on campus. TenEyck also worked as a peer tutor at the Loyola Tutoring Center and mentored students through STEAM Academy and Teach For America’s Ignite Fellowship.

Their community engagement extended beyond campus. While student teaching, TenEyck organized a candy drive to support an indoor trunk-or-treat event for families concerned about immigration enforcement. They collaborated with Loyola student groups and local partners to make the event possible.

Reflecting on Loyola’s community, TenEyck often recalls a line from environmental writer Edward Abbey:

“This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places.”

“For me, Loyola is one of those places,” TenEyck said. “It’s made up of so many people who care deeply—about their city, about each other, and about serving others.”

TenEyck also credits Loyola’s teacher preparation program and scholarship support for making their path possible. Receiving the Loyola Scholarship for all four years helped make it possible to choose Loyola and ultimately pursue a teaching career in Chicago. They also value the structure of Loyola’s program, which allows students to earn their degree and teaching licensure while gaining meaningful classroom experience within four years.

“In many programs, students don’t get to student teach until later or have to extend their program to a fifth year,” TenEyck said. “Here, you’re in the classroom and really understand what teaching is like before you graduate.”

Looking Ahead to Chicago Classrooms

After graduation, TenEyck hopes to teach social studies in the Chicago Public Schools, ideally at the middle school level, where they found inspiration in both their mentor teachers and students during student teaching.

At the same time, TenEyck says the most important factor in their future career is finding a school environment where students and educators are supported and valued. While they would love to teach in CPS, they emphasize that what matters most is being part of a school community where people genuinely care about their students and about each other.

“That kind of environment makes all the difference,” TenEyck said. “When teachers and staff care deeply about students and support one another, it creates a school community where everyone can grow.”

As a student, they remember how important it was to feel connected at school—something they now strive to create in their own classroom.

“That sense of connection matters so much,” TenEyck said. “I remember how important it was for me as a student, and I want my students to feel that same connection—to their classroom, to their school, and to the people around them.”