Amidst the back-to-school fervor, this episode of Ignatian Voices for Justice features Lucy Robb, who graduated from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon, and is starting her first semester of college. Lucy was deeply involved with justice work and advocacy over her time at Jesuit Portland, so much so that she received an award from her alma mater based on her “commitment to advocating for those who are marginalized in our society…and service as a role model and friend to classmates over all four years.” The inspiring conversation with Lucy is preceded by an introduction from Andrea Casey, a great friend of ISN who has taken delegations of students to the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice for many years. Besides the teach-in, where Lucy addressed the thousands gathered from the mainstage, Lucy and Andrea have participated in local Ignatian advocacy with fellow Jesuit institutions, centering the endangered salmon population of the region as they weaved together ecological justice, Indigenous solidarity, and intergenerational advocacy.

Lucy spoke from the mainstage at the 2024 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice: Listen to her 5-minute address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjBYhK-YCqc

Lucy and Andrea both participated in the Northwest Ignatian Advocacy Summit and the local policy engagement that followed. Read more about that summit here: https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2025/03/25/northwest-ignatian-advocacy-summit/

Legislative advocacy has deeply formed Lucy, and all the opportunities to advocate for a more just world at Jesuit Portland accumulated points for the school in their participation in the Ignatian Advocacy Madness, hosted by ISN and spanning across the Jesuit and Catholic educational network. Read about the friendly competition, where justice is the champion: https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2025/05/29/2025-ignatian-advocacy-madness/

Jesuit Portland has been leading the way in sustainability and caring for our common home for over a decade. They were awarded the Oregon Sustainable School award in 2015 and are part of ISN’s Energy Star Pilot program. Learn more about how your institution can join the movement: https://ignatiansolidarity.net/ignatian-energy-star-pilot-program/

Catholic communities across the United States are organizing local pilgrimages as sacred opportunities to pray for the grace to encounter Christ in Creation and renew our relationships with God, the Earth, and one another. We invite you to walk with us by hosting and/or joining a Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation during the Season of Creation—September 1-October 4: https://catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/