Some Loyola alumni said they think they are prepared to handle the challenge of “real life” after they leave the university.

Paula Rodriguez, A’06, is a graduate of both Loyola’s undergraduate program and law school.

She has worked as an attorney for two years and said she is grateful for her Loyola education.

“Critical thinking is key in what I do. I create legal arguments based on my critique of the law or the opposition’s arguments. Thanks to my political science and sociology classes, I now evaluate the judicial system and proposed laws based on how they affect race, immigration and politics, among many other issues,” Rodriguez said.

Other alumni have also found that Loyola has given them a healthy framework for their future.

“I’m not shocked by the real world,” said Ross McIntire, A’09. “Loyola doesn’t cave you in and on graduation set you to lose.”

McIntire said that he felt Loyola had given him a strong framework to begin his career.

“I also felt like I had a lot of responsibility to make something big happen immediately after finishing college at Loyola. After the shock wore off, I got into a routine that helped me get to where I am now. I have Loyola to thank for teaching me how to do that,” he said.

McIntire transitioned smoothly into the real world as a musician, but other recent graduates feel the change from student to independent in a greater way.

Melanie Ziems, a former Maroon editorial board member who graduated this past May as a mass communication major, started to work in her field before graduation when she landed a job as a freelance reporter at the Houston Chronicle.

Despite having a job secured before leaving Loyola, she found that journalism was not the track that she needed to take in her life.

“My heart just wasn’t in it,” Ziems said.

Through another Loyola alumna, Susan Brady, she found a new job as a legal assistant for FosterQuan, an immigration firm located in Houston.

Ziems said she remembers how it felt to be a senior contemplating life after Loyola.

“What does stir some emotion in me is when I hear my friends who are now seniors talking about how intimidating it is to think of how close they are to graduation because I remember that feeling very, very well,” Ziems said. “What they should know though is that yes, it is a rough transition, but Loyola does a good job of making sure you have what it takes to not crash and burn in the real world, so stop worrying and do your best to enjoy your last year there.”

Even though the alumni are no longer on campus, they said they still miss things about Loyola.

“I am surprised to miss having new classes and new professors. There is nothing like the first day of class with a new professor. You will form an impression, correct or not, and soon learn about what they want to teach you. This simple novelty in the learning process is very missed,” McIntire said.

McIntire said he also misses the synergy provided by working alongside his fellow students.

“I miss most having a large amount of peers that share the same interests with you. When you’re at Loyola, you can’t avoid it. When you’re not there, it gives you the drive you need to work on your own,” he said.

Rodriguez said she mostly misses her professors such as Peter Burns, Robert Bell, Alice Kornovich and the Rev. Peter Rogers, S.J. She said she also misses the days when the Girl Scouts would come to Loyola and sell cookies.

Ziems says that she misses everything about Loyola since graduating.

“I could make dinner and pay for it, but now I wish I had nasty O.R. and didn’t have to pay for it,” Ziems said.

She said she also misses her friends and campus events such as Sneaux Day, but it seems like she misses the actual class part of school the most.

“I was surprised at how much I miss the actual class part of college,” she said.

Ziems explained that she has to do one-hour training seminars at her job now every now and then, and she is always the first one to get to the room. She sits in the front row with her notebook and other materials because she says she misses learning something new every day.

“I definitely think I took that for granted all those days I skipped class to go to the Fly,” she said.

Leslie Gamboni can be reached at [email protected]