October 3, 2022
Nearly 600 high school juniors and seniors and their families spent a blustery autumn Sunday on St. John’s University’s Queens, NY, campus exploring the possibilities and value of becoming a Johnny at the University’s first Open House of the school year.
“This is such an exciting time to be part of the St. John’s community and we are excited to welcome our prospective students and their families to campus for our first Open House this fall,” said Samantha R. Wright, Assistant Provost For Enrollment Management. “During Open House today, students had the opportunity to engage with our world-class faculty, interact with dynamic employees from departments essential to each student’s personal St. John’s experience, and tour our beautiful campus facilities with current students.”
She continued, “Perhaps more importantly, our prospective students experienced what it means to be part of a large, global institution with state-of-the-art facilities and a steadfast commitment to each student’s personal and professional growth.”
Traveling from all across the East Coast, the hopeful high school students dodged raindrops throughout the day and received a rousing welcome from current St. John’s students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the University community.
The University opened the doors to the entire campus, allowing prospective students to explore each of St. John’s six Schools and Colleges, dining facilities, and residence halls, either on their own or through guided tours led by current St. John’s students.
Highlights of the tours included The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, the Media Arts and Design (MAD) Lab; the Television, Film, and Radio Center; the new LGBTQ+ Center; Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery; Technology Commons, and the Cyber Security and Homeland Security laboratories.
At the Academic and Student Services Fair held inside Taffner Field House, students were greeted by representatives from a wide range of programs, majors, and organizations on campus. Among those students was Mallki Muenala, a senior at Fordham Preparatory School in Bronx, NY, who noted that St. John’s Vincentian mission played an important role in his decision to attend the Open House.
“St. John’s advocates for so many of the same principles as my high school, especially the service aspect,” Mallki said. He explained that this summer he spent 70 hours summer tutoring underprivileged students from his neighborhood.
“I would love to continue service work in college, so it was great to meet with people from Campus Ministry today. They explained to me the work that the Catholic Scholars program does on campus and in the community and I’m very interested.”
As families explored the University’s nearly 102-acre campus, many got a peek at the construction site where the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center is scheduled to open in 2024. The building will be home to the University’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which welcomed its first class earlier this semester. Guests who were interested in the new nursing program, the Doctor of Pharmacy program, and other health sciences fields were invited to attend information sessions held around campus.
“St. John’s is a great school with an excellent reputation, especially in Criminal Justice,” said Yeneliz Romero, a senior at Newfield High School in Selden, NY. “I’ve always been interested in criminal justice, so I wanted to learn about the program, see some of the classrooms, and get a feel for campus life. I eventually want to apply to law school—and St. John’s School of Law is on my short list.”
While the day focused primarily on the next generation of St. John’s students, for many, the day was a homecoming of sorts. Denise Scorcia ’98CBA, ’02G, of Blauvelt, NY, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Psychology at St. John’s and brought her daughter, Autumn, to the open house, to see if the University would be a good fit for her as well.
“I loved the community here—you never felt like you were alone,” Ms. Scorcia explained. “The professors were always incredibly helpful, too. They provided me with so much guidance when I was earning both my degrees here. Ultimately, I want Autumn to be comfortable, and I think she would have a great experience here.”
Autumn noted, “I’m undecided right now as to my major, so I wanted to explore today and learn about some of the possibilities and see what St. John’s has to offer. There are so many different majors here, so the possibilities are endless.
St. John’s next Open House is scheduled for Sunday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.