At just 20 years old, Lou Ladoire Bayonas never stops moving. She loves to learn something new every day, and takes part in a huge range of activities as well as helping others. Any time there’s an event going on at IE University, you’ll find Lou, front-and-center. She is constantly active, because she realizes that stopping means putting progress on hold. And so this Dual Degree student in Law and International Relations is both President of Green Club and captain of the women’s basketball team. She also teaches English, works as an interpreter at major events, and organizes charitable activities to help those less fortunate.
Photo by: Roberto Arribas
Lou Ladoire belongs to Generation Z, which follows the millennials. This generation is made up of entrepreneurs who speak several languages, learn quickly, are self-taught, and know that a combination of talent and drive is what will ultimately open up a range of opportunities.
With so many students from hundreds of different nationalities living together at IE University, Lou feels at home. “I study at one of the best universities in Europe, where there are lots of facilities where we can develop our own projects. In addition, in class I work with people from all over the world, and that gives me a unique, global, and diverse outlook,” says Lou.
Lou considers herself “100%” Segovian,” despite being born in Madrid. She spent much of her time growing up in towns like Torre Val de San Pedro, Torrecaballeros, and the Real Sitio de San Ildefonso. She is bilingual (Spanish and English), and studies French, Russian, and Arabic. “Whenever someone hears me speak and asks where I’m from, I say Segovia, not even Spain, because I’ve always lived here and I love it,” she adds.
IE Green Club
Lou loves to get involved in everything at IE University, and participates in most of the activities that take place all over the Santa Cruz la Real campus.
She is the President of the IE Green Club, a group of 60 students united with the aim of making improvements in order to protect nature. The club organizes exhibitions, conferences, debates, and documentary screenings (among other activities) with the noble intention of promoting a “green philosophy” among the IE University student body. For this reason, last year IE Green Club organized a “Green Week” with considerable participation. They welcomed participants such as Dr. Will Tuttle. He is the author of “The World Peace Diet,” the highest selling book on Amazon in 2010 which aims to raise awareness of the spiritual, social, psychological, environmental, and health implications of the food we eat. “We want to educate people on the importance of respecting the environment, and to show them that it is possible to live a more sustainable lifestyle,” she says.
Lou’s club recently contributed to the exhibition “Escombrarte” (Clean Up), which is available for viewing at the Casa de la Moneda until June 16th. The exhibit includes a selection of pieces from the international sculpture competition organized every year at the “AR Los Huertos” recycling center, where sculptures are made from recycled materials.
Along with her concern for the environment, Lou is also committed to charitable causes. This year she organized an activity called “Brunch N Help” along with her fellow IE Green Club members. They sold a variety of food items on campus in order to fundraise for an NGO that supports rural schools in Turkey. The money raised from the event went towards buying school supplies and clothing for children, among other causes.
ADISIL
Lou’s latest charitable project is a charity run for ADISIL, the association for people with disabilities in San Ildefonso, which will take place on Saturday, May 5th at the Alameda del Parral and is open to the public. It is organized by the Segovia Rotaract Club in collaboration with students Timothé Rigaudeau, Niklas Hess, Elena Ballesteros, and Lou herself. “Runners should find a sponsor—it could be your friend, family member, a company, or even yourself. With each lap you run, your sponsor will donate money to ADISIL,” says Lou, who notes that “the money will go towards a new building at the association.”
One of the ways Lou channels her energy is through sports. “When I arrived at university I really wanted to start a club.” Now she’s captain of the women’s basketball team at IE University. “At the beginning it was just me, but we were able to put together a team. I’m really proud of the club because we started from zero.” Currently, the IE University women’s basketball players train with their UVA counterparts. It’s an excellent example of camaraderie at the university. “We get along really well,” she adds. The IE basketball team is currently made up of 11 players from all over the world. There are students from Italy, Spain, Israel, Egypt, USA, Lebanon, Ukraine, Croatia, and Tanzania.
Her future projects? Lou thinks for a moment before answering with determination: “I don’t know what I want to do when I graduate, and that doesn’t worry me. I want to do something that is not only important to me, but also enables me to change the way others see life,” she says with a smile. For the time being, Lou has plans to travel this summer to Namibia to work with the NGO ONE Economy Foundation, led by Namibian President Monica Geingos. One thing about the future is certain: Lou won’t stop; it’s who she is and she doesn’t want to change. She loves to learn something new every day.