Giving With Gratitude

When it comes to giving to Loras College, Teresa Manion (’14) is working to meet a goal.

“As a lifelong Catholic, I grew up watching my parents tithe,” she said. “I learned the importance of why they were doing it.”

As a student, Manion, who attended Loras on a Regent Scholarship, started by giving what she could to Christ the King Chapel. On the first Duhawk Day in 2013, when she was a junior, Manion gave $1. Since then, she has annually given more every year. It is part of her goal to give at least 4 percent of her income to her church in Madison, Wisconsin, 4 percent to the Diocese of Madison and a total of 5 percent to other charities, including Loras.

“The College has given me so much – from the opportunity to attend without the financial burden to have an excellent education to the many great friendships that I still have,” Manion said.

Manion, who grew up in Algonquin, Illinois, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological research. “I thought I would eventually get a Ph.D. in marine biology,” she said.

Then, in her junior year, she took a required ethics class. “Some of the conversations we were having in class were about ethics as they relate to biological topics and I realized I was interested because I could talk the science of it,” Manion said. She continued the conversations with her parents and some priests she knew, including the Rev. Michael Fuller (’89), a priest in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, who is now associate general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C.

Manion said she eventually realized if she wanted to further her studies in ethics, the best career path was to get a law degree.

“I have a lot of appreciation for the Biology Department at Loras,” she said. “Dr. Kate Cooper, my advisor, served me well even when I came into her office at the beginning of my senior year and said, “I think I want to go to law school.’ She adjusted well to that and helped me.” Manion eventually graduated with a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She now works as a clerk for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn.

Her education at Loras, she said, has prepared her for whatever the future holds.

“The beauty of Loras is the friends I made there and the people I got to know. The reason I give is to show my gratitude for the school,” Manion said. “Loras is a worthy place to give back to so that my money can be used to help other students have the experiences I had there.”

To help support student success, contact Chris Steinbach (MBA ’20) at (563) 588-7987 or chris.steinbach@loras.edu.