Andrew Mallon, '21

Sophomore Andrew Mallon was looking for somewhere he could be a part of something bigger than himself. His senior year of high school, he was considering applying to seminary. In January, he discerned out of it but realized he still had to make a decision about college. Thinking he was wanting to work with the Jesuits, he began looking at Jesuit schools.

“I obviously looked at Saint Louis University being from St. Louis. I had heard about Rockhurst before,” Mallon said. “I went to Christian Brothers College High School and some people from there came to Rockhurst. I knew a friend or two who was talking about Rockhurst, applied and got accepted. I actually didn’t visit until I came down to audition for choir and theater scholarships. I decided I was coming here before I came to see the campus.”

Coming to Rockhurst as a business major, Mallon quickly discovered that was not the path he wanted to take. He then decided on an English and secondary education major with minors in both Catholic studies and theatre arts. In addition to several majors and minors, Mallon is extensively involved with organizations on campus.

“It feels like I’m involved with everything sometimes. I think I counted last week that I’m actively involved in about seven or eight clubs and organizations, and I have e-board positions in three or four of them,” Mallon said.

Executive board, or e-board, positions are the leadership positions in any campus organization. Some of the clubs he’s involved with include the Rockhurst Love Your Melon campus crew, Joyful Noise and Rockhurst Theater Players, among others. Being involved in so many organizations along with being in several academic programs has forced Mallon to become an expert in managing his time.

“I have a crazy awesome planner. Everything is scheduled down to the minute,” Mallon said. “I take usually an hour or two to plan all the details in my week and the little things that I’m doing.”

One of the organizations Mallon is involved in is the Rockhurst college council of Knights of Columbus. This organization has challenged Mallon to become better with time management and has helped him realize what it means to grow as a leader.

“It takes up a lot of time. It challenged me to manage my time better. There are more people relying on me than just myself.”

Reactivating just in the past year, the council is working to make itself more visible on campus. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s fraternal organization with a focus on service, brotherhood and prayer. Mallon serves as the deputy grand knight for the college council.

“We’re big on service, big on prayer and big on brotherhood with each other and with all of the other guys on campus,” Mallon said.

An important part of being a part of the organization for Mallon is that he is able to be a part of something bigger.

“The Knights is a pretty big organization. There’s more than 2 million members worldwide,” Mallon said. “It’s one of those organizations where the core values are my everyday life. The main requirement of being a Knight is being a practical Catholic. Someone who practices his faith and lives by his Catholicism. It kind of reemphasizes what I live for.”

The council, which currently includes around 30 students, is always looking for ways to grow, and is open to anyone who is interested.

“We’re a fun group of guys,” Mallon said. “You’re welcome to come pray with us whenever. The majority of our stuff is open to the community. Come to our events and if you’re a Catholic man, reach out. Join.”