IT Tech Executive of the Year - Carina Ecclefield

It takes an incredibly well rounded and motivated individual to climb to the top of a company such as Johnson and Johnson and Mrs. LaVerne Council very clearly illustrates. On September 23, I attended the IT Executive of the Year lecture which was incredibly inspirational and Mrs. Council was very well spoken and educated. She embodies several characteristics that are described by Jesuit education. These include working for the good of others, being curious, doing service and helping others and working for the greater good of yourself and others.

Mrs. Council explained a lot about her life as a child and how it’s not always easy. She was raised by a single mother with several siblings so she didn’t have much of a childhood as she had to help care for the family. This is directly how she illustrates the idea of service and education for others. All the work that she did as a young adult she was doing for the greater good of her family. She did not have very many opportunities, but she knew how important education was. She said she always told herself that if she wanted it she could do it.

The lecture made me realize a lot of things about myself and about the opportunities available to me. Being here at Loyola which is an incredible opportunity all on its own there are so many various things for me to do with my life and make a difference for me and for other people. Sitting at the lecture inspired me to get more involved and more serious about service. With the countless community service programs available, I see that there is no reason I shouldn’t do everything I can to help others. Also I was motivated to get my work done as soon as I got home from the lecture. After hearing how successful she was due to her hard work, I wanted to get home and get all of my work done and possibly even ahead on the next day’s work. Mrs. Council seemed so grateful for every chance she had been giving and she took full advantage of every opportunity that she had. Her speech made me realize how lucky I am to be here at Loyola and how much I can get out of my education and experience here.

A lot of what Mrs. Council had to say was very relatable to our previous reading, “When I Consider How my Light is Spent.” This piece of writing very clearly illustrated the feeling of incompleteness and desire to complete their service. Mrs. Council has done so much for herself and her family, she said that your always have to work hard but life isn’t about getting things it’s abut what you have and who you help. Her ideas of curiosity, belief, change, and hard work, all show that it doesn’t matter who you are, you can make a difference. This is just like the speaker of the poem, who realizes that he may not be able to take part in and do service for h is maker and others in the same ways that other people can, but he certainly can still do it.

Mrs. Council pointed out how important it is to set goals for yourself and stay focused. She alluded to loads of other characteristics related to Jesuit education as well; such as being attentive. Jesuits believe that “conscious learning begins by choosing to pay attention to our experiences,” (Jesuit Education, 27). She told us to truly live and experience everything we take part in and have fun doing it. Reflecting on this event has reminded me how inspirational the lecture was and how important it really is to get involved and stay motivated. I am very excited to be at a Jesuit school and have all these opportunities.