April 28, 2026<\/p>\n
For nearly six decades, membership in the President\u2019s Society<\/a>\u2014St. John\u2019s University\u2019s highest undergraduate student honor society\u2014has represented a wonderful reciprocal relationship between the University\u2019s present and its future. Members directly engage with some of the University\u2019s most influential and generous alumni<\/a>. In those key moments, alumni bear witness to the tangible fruits of their philanthropy.<\/p>\n On April 25, the President\u2019s Society welcomed 21 new members during its 59th annual induction ceremony in the\u00a0D\u2019Angelo Center<\/a>\u00a0Ballroom on the\u00a0Queens<\/a>, NY, campus. Outgoing members were also celebrated for their distinguished service.<\/p>\n \u201cA critical role of the President\u2019s Society is to help donors and alumni see themselves in our students,\u201d noted University President\u00a0Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.<\/a>, during his welcoming remarks.\u00a0<\/p>\n He stressed, \u201cYou\u2019re the people at the events I attend. I need all of you to be good at interacting with people who help the future of our University.\u201d<\/p>\n Equally important, Fr. Shanley observed, is that members find their \u2018why\u2019 in life\u2014the purpose that drives them beyond making money and advancing in their career. College, he said, is a time to begin to try to answer that often-elusive question, \u201cHow am I going to find that unique thing that God created me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cWhat you learn here contributes to that. Pass that on to the folks that come behind you. This is an hour for us to celebrate the beginning of the making of meaning in your lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Incoming and outgoing members spoke about the desire to push beyond their comfort zone, make important connections, and serve the institution that has given so much to them.<\/p>\n Biomedical sciences<\/a> major Ava Mabry-Spencer, a member of the Women\u2019s Track and Field<\/a> team, said, \u201cI want people to see I am so much more than an athlete. You can also embody the spirit of your University and fulfill its mission<\/a>. Being in a room with people who look different than me as I navigate this new chapter in life was very important.\u201d<\/p>\n John Antonio Capozzoli, an accounting<\/a> major, wasn\u2019t optimistic he would be selected for this honor. \u201cI remember when my sister graduated, and I was an incoming freshman, my first exposure to the society was when they were honored at Commencement<\/a>. I thought if I could get a miniscule taste of that in college\u2014to stand out, strive, and excel\u2014I would love the opportunity.\u201d He added, \u201cIf I could inspire someone else like that, I couldn\u2019t ask for anything more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDuring my time at St. John\u2019s, I\u2019ve thrown myself into every possible opportunity,\u201d recalled Jacqueline Noel Ghorra, a childhood education<\/a> major. \u201cI wanted to be a part of something bigger than me, something that stands for excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cBeing personable is a skill that will serve you well throughout your life. I want to meet new people, make connections, and create relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n Outgoing member Harrison Noel, a business<\/a> major and member of the Men\u2019s Lacrosse<\/a> team, shared, \u201cBeing part of a team helped me realize that leadership is the best way to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that interfacing with alumni and donors and listening to their journeys was revelatory. \u201cWhat they\u2019ve given to us is priceless.\u201d<\/p>\n Outgoing member Brianna Cristello, also a childhood education major and member of the St. John\u2019s Dance<\/a> team, said, \u201cWe\u2019re all from different majors, and I never would have met most of these people. I made so many great connections.\u201d<\/p>\n Journalism<\/a> major Katherine Garlisi called membership a \u201cgame changer.\u201d Her parents are both St. John\u2019s alumni and her mother was a member. \u201cThis gave me so many skills that you can\u2019t get inside a classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n Alumni speaker Sarah Cullivan \u201922TCB, \u201924M.B.A.<\/a>, a Customer Relationship Management Analyst at Madison Square Garden<\/a>, and Cochair, President\u2019s Society Alumni Association<\/a>, told students that being inducted into the President\u2019s Society is not just about academic achievement. \u201cIt\u2019s about how you treat people when no one is watching; how you show up when it\u2019s not required; and how you carry the essential values of service, humility, and community into every space you step into next. That\u2019s what lasts. That sense of community doesn\u2019t end here.\u201d<\/p>\n Criminal justice<\/a> major and incoming member Jack Collins spoke to the deeper meaning of the induction. \u201cI love St. John\u2019s and its Catholic and Vincentian<\/a> mission. The President\u2019s Society brings those values into sharper focus. I\u2019m just excited to give back to the University in any way I can.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"April 28, 2026 For nearly six decades, membership in the President\u2019s Society\u2014St. John\u2019s University\u2019s highest undergraduate student honor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[84555,70399,84553,9,24,63,84551,122,124,123,8732,84558,84552,84554,84556,84557],"class_list":["post-214150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-alumni-engagement-programs","tag-college-leadership-development","tag-honor-society-college","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-presidents-society-st-johns","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-st-johns-university-queens-ny","tag-student-achievement-recognition","tag-student-leadership-awards","tag-student-recognition-ceremony","tag-top-student-leaders-university","tag-undergraduate-honors-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}