Leanne Kelly '12

Kelly along with the special events team at Old St. Pat's are busy preparing for the 34th annual Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23. Activities are set to include live music by local bands, family activities and games, face painters and more. “All funds raised support the mission of Old St. Patrick's Church, which includes social justice initiatives and outreach programs,” says Kelly.   

When she’s not doing full-time media work for Old St. Pat’s or graduate work for her master’s degree from National-Louis University, Kelly is whipping up quick and easy vegan recipes and dishing out fitness advice on her blog Plenty of Plants: Simple and Satisfying Plant Based Meals.

We caught up with Kelly in this month’s alumni spotlight to learn more about her current work and what’s on the horizon.    

After graduating, I attended Columbia College Chicago where I studied acting for my first two years. I ended up realizing that my interests ultimately lie behind the camera, and I switched to studying television and graduated with a degree in television writing and production. I took a year off before pursuing my master’s in written communications with a focus on screenwriting at National-Louis University.

While I was at Columbia and for about two years afterward, I worked for The Frye Company in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood before accepting my current position as the director of marketing and communications at Old St. Patrick’s Church in the West Loop. In this position, I have the opportunity to apply my production skills and do a great deal of design and general media work.

I ultimately want to write for television. I do a lot of writing, rewriting and a great deal of television watching—for academic purposes, of course. I live on the lakefront in Edgewater with my fiancé, Tony, and our two cats. I also enjoy working on a vegan food and fitness blog as these are two things I am also passionate about!

I would say that, first and foremost, the incredible work ethic that my four years at Loyola provided me has been unbelievably formative in my path. Even during my early undergrad years when I was unsure about what I wanted to do (and even now when I’m still sometimes unsure!), I had a desire to continue learning and striving to do my best. Whether it was taking an upper level Philosophy of Religion course as a freshman when I could have easily taken something less rigorous, or challenging myself to see the best in my retail job even when it felt like I was at an impasse. I truly believe that the courses I took and the incredible teachers I had at Loyola helped prime me for the challenge and stress that college life and beyond demand from you. Even beyond the academic priming, the friendships I made and the community I was a part of at Loyola set me up to receive friendship and community in other areas of my life with grace and gratitude.

Loyola’s motto resonates in my life daily. It has reminded me, most importantly, to be compassionate and to meet people where they are. In today’s world, it’s easy to feel constantly surrounded by conflict, and it’s difficult to resist falling into a pattern where we keep our heads down and feed into that cycle. I truly understand why we sometimes cannot help it. Personally, I try to listen as much as possible and practice radical kindness at all turns. I think being a person for others can, at times, be as simple as making conversation in the elevator with that neighbor you always see but never talk to. Or, in my work as a writer, making sure that my characters are always complex and diverse. I have close friends and colleagues who consistently stand up for social justice in their professional work, as well as on the streets and even online. I look to them continually for inspiration in what it looks like to truly live the motto of being a person for others.

I was heavily involved in theater and choir during my time at Loyola. My teachers and directors in these activities really gave me a space to be myself and to make mistakes. Chris Nakielski, our choir director, always said in the context of singing that, “It’s better to be vulgar than to be nonexistent,” and I think about this all the time. I tend to be somewhat shy and afraid to make mistakes, but it is often more important to speak up and to make your presence known than to worry about saying the wrong thing. Especially in learning environments, and even in work environments. You have to remember that you are where you are for a reason. Be there. Be a part of the process.

 

I also have to mention my theater teachers Faye Ryan and Amelia Kmiec, who gave us the opportunity to have fun, express ourselves and step out of our comfort zones. To this day I know how to use a power drill and a wrench all because of theater tech crew.

 

Finally, all of my theology professors, most notably Mark Chang, set me up to wrestle with big questions, to be comfortable with the unknown, but to never stop contemplating and examining. The level of thinking that these courses asked of us are invaluable to me as writer today.

As for right now, I’m continuing to settle into my work at Old St. Pat’s. This is such a fast-paced place to be, and we are constantly evolving and expanding in our ministries, events, outreach and social justice initiatives. I grew up in this church so it’s exciting to be a part of its continual growth. I’m also looking forward to finishing graduate school this winter and seeing where my degree takes me. I have the opportunity to teach at the college level, pick up more freelance writing and work on collaborative writing projects I have on the horizon. I am grateful to live in this beautiful city where there is a lot to think about, write about and get involved with.