SSOM to receive Moral Courage award from Faith in Public Life in recognition to accept qualified DACA

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) will receive the Moral Courage award from Faith in Public Life, a non-profit organization devoted to lifting up the voices of progressive faith leaders. The event will be held on February 22, 2014, and will be part of a summit that includes students from Catholic universities including DePaul, Dominican, Notre Dame and Marquette.

SSOM will receive the award in recognition of its decision to accept qualified Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students into its medical school class this coming fall. Stritch is the first medical school in the nation to openly accept qualified DACA students.

"This is just a small token of our gratitude and appreciation. We wish to honor the extraordinary leadership Loyola University Chicago has shown on this important issue," said Myles Duffy, vice president, Faith in Public Life. "Your courage and moral leadership has encouraged many other institutions to follow suit, and in our view cannot be properly acknowledged enough."

On behalf of the University, the award will be received by Mark Kuczewski, PhD, director of Loyola's Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy.

"This award recognizes Loyola University Chicago as a welcoming community that lives out its faith commitment to regard all our neighbors with dignity and respect. By welcoming qualified DREAMers to our medical school, they become partners in our mission to serve those most in need," Kuczewski said.