"In both athletics and Ignatian education, I learned that ‘the difference’ is not only about the rules of the game, but the spirit in which it’s played."
Tom Gutto, proud double alumnus, serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Enrollment.
There are two defining passions I inherited from my parents: a deep love for sports and athletic competitions—where every pick-up game was an opportunity to test not just skill, but also character—and a steadfast devotion to all things Jesuit. On the field or the court, I learned the value of teamwork, perseverance, and respect for others—lessons that seamlessly paralleled the Ignatian ideals ingrained throughout my education. Both have shaped my outlook, teaching me that whether in a close game or the classroom, true growth comes from striving with and for others, always reaching for “the more” that Jesuit tradition calls us to seek.
From my earliest memories, family life was organized as much around the next game as around the next mass or alumni gathering. My parents, both LMU graduates, coached us not only from the sidelines but in the values they lived and the stories they shared. Athletic competition in our family was never just about the scoreboard—it was about handling victory with humility, defeat with grace, and always, always showing up for your team. That commitment extended beyond the playing field and into the way we approached school, friendships, service, and ultimately, the Jesuit institutions that became our homes.
Attending Jesuit schools from high school all the way through my doctoral program, I found that the values drilled into me on the field and the gym—discipline, self-reflection, and the courage to start again after a loss—resonated deeply with Ignatian spirituality. The Examen, a distinctly Jesuit practice, always reminded me of halftime: a pause to regroup, to assess my choices, and to consider not just what I had done, but who I was becoming.
Now, as I oversee the Undergraduate Admission Office, I see every admissions cycle through the lens of a new season: fresh faces, renewed hopes, intense preparation, and, occasionally, the sting of disappointment. Every application is more than a stat—it’s a student’s story, a set of aspirations, and years of effort. When I speak to prospective students and their families about the Jesuit "difference," I find myself naturally borrowing the language of sports: formation, dedication, playing for something bigger than yourself.
My role, much like that of a coach, is to foster a sense of belonging and possibility, to remind each student that success is measured not just in achievements, but in character, resilience, and their impact on others. The Jesuit commitment to cura personalis—care for the whole person—calls me to meet students where they are, to attend to their academic, personal, and spiritual growth, just as a good coach would nurture both the talent and the spirit of every player.
The most enduring lessons I've learned come from both the gym and the chapel: that practice matters, that leadership is service, and that our greatest victories are shared. Some of my favorite Jesuit mentors were also avid fans—who saw the spiritual dimensions in a good game, who cheered on their students just as fiercely as they challenged them to grow in intellect and faith. They modeled a spirit of magis, urging us not to settle for doing what’s required, but to seek what’s truly meaningful and transformative.
At the end of the day, what anchors me in the Jesuit tradition—beyond my family’s legacy of LMU red and blue—is the lifelong practice of striving for excellence with integrity, supporting others, and always looking for ways to serve the greater good. Like any season well played, it’s not the championship trophies that last, but the relationships built, the growth experienced, and the joy found in the pursuit itself.
In both athletics and Ignatian education, I learned that “the difference” is not only about the rules of the game, but the spirit in which it’s played. As I welcome new students into our community, I hope they, too, discover that in the pursuit of “the more,” we become not just better students or athletes, but better people—ready to play for and with others, on whatever field life sets before us.