On Wednesday, March 5, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) hosted a Congressional Breakfast at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. This bipartisan event celebrated Jesuit-educated college and university alumni currently serving in the 119th U.S. Congress, as well as those who represent AJCU schools. Thirteen Members from both the House and the Senate attended the event, along with eleven presidents of AJCU schools. Other guests included members of the AJCU Government Relations Network; AJCU Financial Aid Directors; and staff from the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, University of Central America (El Salvador), Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and Marquette University’s Les Aspin Center for Government.
AJCU’s president, Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., said, “This event was our attempt to say to Congress, ‘We are here. We represent more than 200,000 students, 92% of whom receive federal, state, local or institutional grant aid. We send students into the world well-prepared to be ethical, conscientious leaders. Let’s work together to do our jobs.’”
The breakfast was preceded by a meeting for members of the AJCU Government Relations Network and AJCU Financial Aid Directors. Sharonda R. Williams, Vice President, General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Loyola University New Orleans, said, “This meeting provided a much needed space for leaders of Jesuit colleges and universities to share ideas and information about how we can effectively engage with government. Input from members of Congress [during the Congressional breakfast] was critical to understanding the current political issues that demand our collective focus so that our students can achieve their full potential.”
To learn more about AJCU’s Government Relations Network, please click here. Below: Photos from the 2025 AJCU Congressional Breakfast taken by Rafael Suanes.
