Tinley Park's Sarlas Named Student Laureate For Exemplary Service

TINLEY PARK, IL —Tinley Park native Angela Sarlas has always made it her mission to make her world better by caring that a cause that is bigger than her.

The senior nursing student at St. Xavier University was recently honored for her commitment to service by being named a Student Laureate, an award handed out to students at Illinois’ four-year colleges and universities.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois hands out the honors each year, recognizing college students who are intent on serving their community through a selfless attitude. Sarlas was among this year’s collection of recipients of the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement, which celebrates students and the diversity that exists at the state’s colleges and universities.

"Becoming a student laureate and joining the prestigious group of individuals that are named Lincoln Laureates is an immeasurable honor,” Sarlas said in a news release. “I'm unable to describe the feeling of gratitude I have. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his persistence, unwavering optimism, and natural ability to lead others. Being recognized in the spirit of Lincoln is a privilege and shows that my efforts to make a positive impact are steps in the right direction.”

Sarlas credits her education at St. Xavier for preparing her for the world she will soon step into as a working professional. To her, civic engagement and the betterment of humanity are two concepts that encompass everything she hopes to do in her lifetime.

She points to the Greek word “filotimo”, which she said fuels us to work each day for a better tomorrow not only on an individual basis but more importantly, she said, to serve others.

“There is no word in the English language that blends this sense of individual purpose with the idea that each individual's mission is to work towards a greater, common good - the betterment of humanity,” Sarlas said in the release. “Filotimo is a word that cannot be reproduced by the system, yet it is the word upon which the system relies in its darkest hour. It is my hope that through my service to others, I can help to restore this sense of filotimo in humanity again.”

Sarlas says she plans to attend law school, where she will study public policy and foreign affairs. While at St. Xavier, Sarlas has served as the vice president of communication for the Student Government Association and a member of the Student Nurses Association.

The Tinley Park native hopes to combine her medical and legal backgrounds to pursue a career with the United Nations, where she plans to make it her life's work to advocate for positive change in education, health care, and equality to eliminate injustices.

"I believe that the solution to the world's problems is out there, and once we become a society that recognizes that, we can discover and use those solutions,” Sarlas said.