Gwendolyn Loop is ND Law’s 2022 Polking Family Fellow
Gwendolyn Loop is the recipient of the 2022 Polking Family Fellowship, which aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders who understand that law and public policy are essential elements in building a sustainable culture of life.
The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis each year to one incoming Notre Dame Law School student with a proven track record of academic excellence and enthusiasm for the unique mission of the University of Notre Dame.
Named in honor of Paul ’59, ’66 J.D. and Joan Polking, Polking Fellows receive a top-up scholarship for three years of study at Notre Dame Law School and opportunities to work closely with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture’s affiliated faculty and fellows, interact with speakers and guests of the de Nicola Center, conduct scholarly research, and receive special career mentoring and summer internship opportunities. Loop joins the 2020 Polking Fellow, third-year law student Veronica “Ronnie” Webb, and the 2021 Polking Fellow, John Paul “Jack” Ferguson, who is now a second-year student.
Loop graduated from the University of Dallas in 2021; completed a summer research internship with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Immigrant Justice Clinic; and worked at Casa Juan Diego in Houston, a Catholic Worker community serving immigrants, refugees, and the poor. She remains the outreach director for New Wave Feminists, a pro-life and pro-woman organization promoting the consistent life ethic.
“My work with New Wave Feminists convinced me that the law is one of the best ways to provide relief and assistance, to reshape our national attitude towards the vulnerable,” Loop said. “And my short time working with immigrants and refugees at Casa Juan Diego also had a huge impact on my career hopes. We can only achieve a culture of life through a recognition of human dignity at all stages, from the womb to the tomb, in our own homes and around the world. The Polking Family Fellowship will connect me with like-minded scholars and advocates, helping me make a lasting impact for the defense of life.”
For more information about the Polking Family Fellowship, visit the de Nicola Center’s Mission Fellowships webpage.
Originally published by Kenneth Hallenius at ethicscenter.nd.edu on October 05, 2022.