Twenty-Ninth Annual President's Dinner
Save the Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
New York Hilton Midtown
1335 Avenue of the Americas | Directions
6 p.m. Cocktail Reception | 7 p.m. Dinner
Black Tie Optional
About The President's Dinner
Since its inception in 1998, the Annual President’s Dinner has been a celebration of what makes St. John’s University unique – the vibrant combination of scholarship and service. For more than 150 years, the University has been “faithful to the mission,” committed to extending the opportunity for a superior academic education to deserving students regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. Just as St. Vincent de Paul served those most in need, St. John’s makes it our mission to transform the lives of students who come to the University seeking opportunity. Funds raised from the President’s Dinner are used to support scholarship assistance for students who, because of economic burdens, might otherwise be unable to realize their dream of a St. John’s education. In the past 27 years, the President’s Dinner has raised more than $59 million in scholarship support for St. John’s students.
View student speaker, Sarah Rao, at the 28th Annual President's Dinner and learn how scholarships impacted her education at St. John's University.
The Annual President’s Dinner has grown to be a major source of scholarship funding for our University and is an event directly aligned with the goals of the Hearts on Fire Campaign. Hearts on Fire strives to elevate the St. John’s experience through visionary investments in our students, faculty, academics, and campus life.
Contact Information
James Hogan '14CPS, '16MBA
St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439
Tel 718-990-3352 | Fax 718-990-2008
[email protected]
2025 Spirit of Service Honorees
- Doherty Enterprises, Inc.
- Steven J. Gartner, Esq. ’84L
- Thomas K. Rudzewick
- Pamela G. Shea-Byrnes, D.Min. ’86SVC, ’90G (posthumously)
Your Impact, Their College Success
A College Utopia in the Heart of the City: How St. John’s Became Home for Hailey Brizuela
St. John’s University is “a small utopia within a big city,” according to senior Hailey Brizuela.
Highlight
“St. John’s also has an amazing reputation. I knew that if I came here, I could reach the potential I wanted to in my college career. Three years after making my decision, I can confidently say that I made the right choice.”
Study Abroad Program Helps St. John’s Student Achieve a Global Education
Steiner Williams '25 The Peter J. Tobin College of BusinessHighlight
Steiner said he remains grateful for the St. Vincent de Paul Scholarship that St. John’s awarded him. “If I did not receive this scholarship, it would not have been possible for me to attend St. John’s and receive an incredible education and countless opportunities.”
of St. John’s students come from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds
Fall 2023
ranked among all national universities in the U.S. News and World Report's 2025 list of Top Performers on Social Mobility
exceeded by only one other private institution in New York and one other Catholic institution in the United States in this measure.
of the more than 15,000 degree-seeking undergraduates attending St. John's are Pell Grant recipients
Fall 2023
Twenty-Seventh Annual President’s Dinner
The 27th Annual President’s Dinner, St. John’s University’s premier fundraising event, raised a staggering four million dollars in aid for student scholarships—an increase of over $500,000 more than any prior year’s total.
