President’s Dinner Raises a Record $5.5 Million for Student Scholarships

St. John’s University’s commitment to student opportunity was on full display at the 29th annual President’s Dinner, which generated more than $5.5 million—a record—to support student scholarships.

The annual gala—held October 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, NY—was a spirited celebration of the things that make St. John’s unique, including the generosity of its alumni and benefactors. More than 700 preregistered guests attended, mingling with members of the President’s Society, the University’s most prestigious undergraduate honor society, in an atmosphere of hope, joy, and enthusiasm. 

Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President of St. John’s, thanked all donors, reminding them that their generosity has an enduring impact on the University’s most cherished constituency—its students. 

“A St. John’s education has a deeply transformative effect on the lives of people,” Fr. Shanley said. “And students will pay it forward, as we have seen tonight and as you have demonstrated. That generosity, that giving back, is what this dinner celebrates.”

“That is part of the DNA of St. John’s,” Fr. Shanley added. “People care, people notice, and people want to encourage. We continue to work at educating students in a way that moves them on in their lives.” 

The $5.5 million raised shattered the $4 million record set in 2024 and matched in 2025. With its 2026 total, the President’s Dinner has now raised more than $60 million since 1998 for students whose economic circumstances might prevent them from attending the University.

Christian P. Vaupel, Ed.D., Senior Vice President for Advancement, said that in supporting the President’s Dinner and the University’s scholarship program, “donors make meaningful investments in students’ lives, in the lives of their families, and in the lives of those they will encounter in the future when they graduate and become part of the broader community.” 

“We are so appreciative of the funds that our donors entrust to us,” Dr. Vaupel added. 

The President’s Dinner is also an opportunity for the University to celebrate its Catholic and Vincentian mission. Five members of the St. John’s community were honored with distinguished Spirit of Service awards for their commitment to Vincentian ideals. The 2026 honorees came from a variety of backgrounds.

• Salvatore M. Barcia, R.Ph. ’79CPHS, ’86M.S., is founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Meta Healthcare IT Solutions, LLC, and a member of the Board of Governors and the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board.
• Margaret M. Keane ’81SJC, ’87M.B.A.,’19HON, is Chief Executive Officer of the human resources firm Cisive and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.
• Arthur J. Raymond, Ph.D. ’52SJC was a former executive at Sun Company who shaped environmental policy and compliance efforts across the energy sector and government. He was honored posthumously.
• Chin Ling Wang ’06HON was a former tenured professor and librarian for nearly 30 years at St. John’s; Sallie Wang was a programmer in the financial services industry. Together they donated $1 million to establish the Chin Ying Asian Library at the University in 2006. In 2024, the University received a $15 million gift from the Sallie Wang Revocable Trust. They also were honored posthumously.

In accepting his award, Mr. Barcia said St. John’s culture of service makes it unique among institutions in the New York metropolitan area and beyond. It has remained a part of his life as a pharmacist, entrepreneur, husband, and father.

“What this University gave me, I spend my life repaying,” Mr. Barcia said. “As my brother says, ‘Service is not just something we do, it is who we must be.’ Tonight, we ensure that promise endures for tomorrow’s students. Scholarships change trajectories.”

Ms. Keane agreed, adding that St. John’s enabled her to believe in what is possible for those who embrace the University’s mission. “St. Vincent de Paul asked us to serve others, especially those with the fewest advantages,” Ms. Keane said. “St. John’s lives that mission every day, opening doors for students who might otherwise never see them opened. “    

Dr. Raymond’s daughter, Mary Jane Raymond, said that of all the blessings her father received in life, among the most cherished was his St. John’s education. “Vincentian values permeated our father’s life, especially service,” Ms. Raymond said. “Nothing replaces the force and influence of a fine undergraduate degree, and he was very proud of his from St. John’s.”     

The Wangs both came to the United States as immigrants from China. Their gifts continue to create educational opportunities for future generations of Johnnies. “They believed education opened doors for them and changed their lives,” said Carol Wang, Chin Ling and Sallie Wang’s grandniece, who accepted their award. “They wanted to give others the same opportunity to build a better future.” 

Bruce Beck ’09HON, lead sports anchor for NBC4 New York, served as master of ceremonies.  Mr. Beck noted St. John’s continuing rise in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of top universities nationwide. In rankings released in September, St. John’s placed 71st among private national institutions and 137th among all national universities.

“St. John’s is also cited as a top performer on social mobility,” Mr. Beck noted. “That measures how well colleges enroll and graduate low-income students, which is exceeded by only one Catholic institution in New York and two other Catholic institutions in the US.” 

“Catholic, Vincentian, Metropolitan, Global; St. John’s is all that and more tonight,” Mr. Beck added.

Mr. Beck brought a thrill to the room when he congratulated the St. John’s Men’s Basketball program for back-to-back BIG EAST Conference championships and its first appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament’s Sweet 16 since 1999. “The renaissance of the St. John’s basketball program under Head Coach Rick Pitino has been nothing short of remarkable,” Mr. Beck said. “The Johnnies preseason ranking is 13—my lucky number—and it could be just the start of a season that includes some serious dancing in March Madness.”      

Mr. Beck then introduced student speaker Taraja Brown, a senior studying criminal justice at The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies. Taraja, a member of the President’s Society, said that without the generosity of the St. John’s community, a college education might not have been in her future.

“Finding your way is not always easy,” said Taraja, who was born in Trinidad. “During my second year at St. John’s, I faced some unexpected financial challenges. But what stands out to me about that time is not the struggle—it is the people who showed up for me.”

“I am especially grateful to all of you here,” Taraja continued. “Your support helps make it possible for me, and others, to stay at St. John’s, grow as leaders, and focus on building futures.”

Dignitaries in attendance included the Rev. Joseph G. Fitzgerald, C.M., Ph.D., S.T.D. ’01SJC, ’09M.A., Provincial of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission; James J. Shannon ’87CBA, ’26HON, Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees; and Joseph A. Tarantino ’80CBA, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

All guests agreed that St. John’s students were the stars of the show. In supporting them with scholarships, the University remains “faithful to the mission” as it has since 1870.  

“Tonight is about understanding what it means to give a Catholic and Vincentian education to students who might otherwise not have that opportunity,” Fr. Fitzgerald said. “An education rooted in service. And the students, they understand what it means to have received the gift of this education and what it means to give that gift to others through service, regardless of what their individual vocations might be.”

Students in attendance said the value of a St. John’s education extends beyond classroom knowledge. Senior Loreal Cruz, an international management student at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and a member of the President’s Society, said her St. John’s experience has made her a better person.

Loreal spent a semester at St. John’s Rome, Italy, location, something she never could have imagined growing up in the Bronx, NY. “The experience St. John’s provides is very transformative,” Loreal said. “Many St. John’s students come from low-income backgrounds, and to be able to pursue our dreams of higher education means so much.”   

“The generosity of our benefactors enables more people to live the St. John’s experience,” added Dylan Conry, a senior studying risk management and insurance at The Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science. “That opportunity is what St. John’s is founded on—the Vincentian mission—and it is great to see.”   

John Antonio Capozzoli, a senior accounting major at Tobin, said it was inspiring to see so many St. John’s alumni invested in his academic success. He looks forward to one day assisting future Johnnies on their journey.

“I am the first generation of my family to attend college,” John Antonio said. “There are people in this ballroom who made that possible in part. The best way to pay their generosity back is to do it for the next generation of students.”