Hearts On Fire

“So, our vocation is to go, not just to one parish, not just to one diocese, but all over the world, and do what? To set people’s HEARTS ON FIRE, to do what the Son of God did. "  
–St. Vincent de Paul

HEARTS ON FIRE unites our community in a transformative, $400-million campaign to elevate this transformative education—through access and opportunity, academic excellence, and strategic campus investments. This campaign is not about prestige or positioning. Grounded in our Vincentian and Catholic values, it’s about people and purpose. 

This campaign begins with you

Together, we will write the next chapter in St. John’s history and in our students’ stories. Whether you’re a proud graduate, faculty member, parent, or friend, show your heart is on fire by

• Giving: Make an annual or special gift to open doors and change lives.
• Sharing: Inspire others with your St. John’s story.
• Participating: Join us at future campaign events near you.
• Volunteering: Be an ambassador for HEARTS ON FIRE in your community.
• Reaching out: Contact us to start a conversation today.

Voices of Impact

Read the latest about the generosity and commitment powering HEARTS ON FIRE.

Realizing the American Dream

PASCAL DESROCHES ’86CBA, ’23HON
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, AT&T

I sit here as the chief financial officer of one of the largest companies in the world—one that traces its roots back to Alexander Graham Bell—because St. John’s gave me an opportunity. A quality education at an affordable price. A great job after graduation.

My brother went to St. John’s first. He’s now a nephrologist, practicing in the neighborhood we grew up in. My sister went next. She studied accounting, went to Tulane for law, and now she is Deputy Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction.

We all worked part time. We all received scholarships and financial aid. My parents helped where they could, and we all chipped in.

That’s how we made it work. We were immigrants. My parents came from Haiti when I was five years old. It was always their dream for us to go to a Catholic university.

This was the American dream—and St. John’s made it real. I’m so proud of what my parents sacrificed. I’m proud of what we’ve become.

My heart is on fire for St. John’s because I know what it gave me—and what it gave my family. I give back because I want that same door to stay open for every student who’s ready to walk through it.

Innovation Is Our Currency 

ANNA D. MARTIN, Ph.D.
Alois J. Theis Endowed Chair in Global Finance at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business

My husband and I are both first-generation college graduates. My parents were blue-collar factory workers. His family fled Castro’s Cuba. So when I say I understand our students, I mean it. I’ve lived it. That’s what brought me to St. John’s nearly 20 years ago.

There was an endowed chair open—the Alois J. Theis Endowed Chair in Global Finance—and that was a big part of why I came. Endowed chairs give faculty the time and space to build something. And that’s what I wanted to do here. Finance doesn’t stand still, and neither can we.

I spearheaded the creation of the Applied Finance Institute and the Applied Finance Fellows program. It’s cocurricular—certifications, speaker series, conferences, competitions. Included is a recently created course in crypto assets where students make real investment pitches using actual money. Our students graduate with more than a degree—they graduate with experience and confidence.

That’s also why I made a major philanthropic commitment to HEARTS ON FIRE. I’m a finance professor—I believe in putting your money where your mouth is. I also believe in the students and in the work we’re doing.

We’ve been good stewards. We’ve done a lot with a little. But it’s time to take the next step. We’re ready for our community to come together so we can better prepare our students for a future that doesn’t wait.