Making the Right Call

When he calls, John Mulcrone (’22) hopes you will answer the phone.

“I am really excited to connect with Duhawks to hear their stories and share with them all of the exciting ways to support the College,” said Mulcrone, an English literature major who is working as an intern this semester for the annual giving campaign in the Bob Holtz Advancement Office.

When he connects with people by phone, Mulcrone tells them how much their support for Loras impacts students. Alumni who give to the Loras Fund are helping address nearly every need on campus. More importantly, they are helping make an education rooted in Catholic Social Teaching affordable and accessible to current and future students.

“I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go to college,” Mulcrone said, even though his parents — Thomas (’93) and Molly (Siepman) Mulcrone (’95) — are both Duhawks. “I attended the scholarship day competition at Loras and received one of three full-tuition scholarships. That made it possible for me to come to Loras and made it the best option for me.”

To be awarded the scholarship, he went through an interview process and wrote an essay about a community that had made him feel at home. “I wrote about my high school, St. Patrick’s, and the impact it had on me growing up,” Mulcrone said. St. Patrick’s is one of the boys’ high schools on Chicago’s northwest side.

His growth has continued at Loras. “I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Mulcrone said. “Loras is definitely a place where I’ve grown to be comfortable. I’ve made a lot of great friends from different places, many even new to me. The faculty, especially my professors in the English department, have been nothing but incredibly nice and helpful.”

Away from his studies, Mulcrone has been active in intramurals, worked on the staff of The Lorian and published an essay in The Limestone Review. In addition to the Advancement Office, he has worked as a basketball referee at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque.

What has stood out to Mulcrone is the passion everyone has for Loras.

 “When I would talk to them on the phone, while not everyone was able to give at that time, many told stories about their time at Loras,” he said. “It was really fun to talk with them and hear about their Loras experiences, just like mine.”