Governor’s Award for Civic Leadership

Sydney Loria, ’27, is an inspiring and civically engaged multitasker.

Recently named a recipient of the Washington Campus Coalition (WACC) Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award, Loria is a student in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and a student employee at the Sundborg Center for Community Engagement’s (CCE) early learning community program RISE.

The governor’s award recognizes outstanding student leaders at Washington Campus Coalition member campuses for their work in civic engagement and social entrepreneurship.

Sydney Loria accepting the award alongside interim SU President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., and Governor Bob Ferguson.

Loria’s pathway to Seattle University has been an international one, by way of Colombia, Indonesia, Qatar and most recently in Senegal, where she lived between the ages of 11 to 17.

“Senegal is so lively and vibrant,” says Loria. "The people are so welcoming. Feeling welcomed there has helped me to know that’s what I want people to say about me: ‘Oh I met her and she was so welcoming and so kind.’” 

That welcoming kindness was the spark for her first community-engaged partnership in high school, where she led fundraising efforts to provide infant supplies at a nearby orphanage. “We partnered with a local boutique that made cloth diapers and set them up so they could keep having this partnership after we left because we wanted to make sure that it was something that was going to be sustainable in the long run.” 

Leaving Senegal and ultimately arriving in Seattle—and Seattle University—was an experience of firsts and a mix of the unfamiliar and the intimidating.  It was also an opportunity for self-discovery.

“I think my largest area of growth since coming to SU has been my ability to try unfamiliar things,” she recalls. “Do the things that scare you because they are often the most rewarding. My future hopes (are) that more timid first-year students like me feel as though they have found their place on campus.”

Helping Loria find her place can also be credited to her work with the CCE and the support of her RISE program supervisor, Sarah Hernandez-Torres. “She has really given me the ability to be a leader …,” Loria recalls. “My fellow team leads have made an impression on me as I was able to get to know people who were very different than me and in very different stages of their time at SU. As the only first-year team lead, I felt as they were always there to help me find my place at SU.” 

Says Hernandez-Torres, who nominated Loria for the governor’s award: “I have had the privilege of witnessing Sydney’s exceptional commitment to civic engagement, community service and empathetic leadership.”

In RISE, which stands for Read, Inspire, Support and Educate, Loria works with children onsite at Bailey Gatzert Elementary. “Teacher Sydney was always dependable in the classroom. She was here regardless of what her nursing schedule was,” says Lori Walsh, a local pre-K instructor and community partner at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School.

“Sydney has been one of our integral leaders through our RISE program,” says CCE Executive Director Kent Koth. “We’re so delighted that she’s being recognized for her skills and her commitment and how she lives out her values every day.” 

“To me, it means a lot to have been given this recognition from Governor Ferguson because it has meant that I am able to showcase how my lived experience and nursing education have made me a person who works hard to lead and support my community,” shares Loria.

As a nursing student, Loria is not only gaining skills in a field she is passionate about but also making an impact on her professors, staffers and community partners alike.

“You can learn how to start an IV. You can learn how to give injections. There are all these skills. But the things that students have a harder time with? ‘How can we help you, how can I support you, what can I do to make this the best experience? How can this be better?’” says CNHS faculty member Margot Sprague. “I had the opportunity to have Sydney in my class. Those are the skills that she really has, which is ‘How do I connect with this person? What is your story? What do you need today?’” 

Loria, who is currently doing a clinical rotation, has made time for a population health internship with the Hunger Intervention Program, working to address food insecurity in the community by helping prepare and distribute daily meals to shelters serving seniors and women. She also assembled weekly take-home meal packs for young scholars receiving free and reduced lunch, a program created to ensure children have access to nutritious food beyond the school day. This experience and her commitment to the work reflect a strong understanding of population health, equity and the systemic challenges faced by local families.  

During a psychiatric clinical rotation at Western State Hospital during fall 2025, Loria was placed on a ward serving men transferred from jail due to serious mental health conditions. She navigated a challenging and intimidating environment with maturity and resilience, demonstrating remarkable courage and professionalism, learning to engage safely and respectfully with patients while continuing to prioritize learning and clinical growth. This experience strengthened her skills, empathy and commitment to ethical care.  

In addition to the WACC Governor’s Award, Loria was recently selected for the SU President’s & Chancellor’s Student Civic Leadership Awards.

Check out a video for more on Sydney and her achievements.