“Well that’s ironic.”
That’s what my best friend said to me when I told him I would be interning with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) this summer.
My name is Cal Kreuter, and I’m a rising senior at Occidental College studying History and Spanish. I’m a member of the Barack Obama Scholars program, a leadership and service initiative dedicated to improving the public good. While Occidental is not a Jesuit institution, I spent my elementary and middle school years at a small Catholic school, and attended St. Louis University High (SLUH), a Jesuit high school, which shaped many of my commitments to service, justice, and education.
As someone passionate about educational equity, I came to DC hoping to better understand how policy shapes educational access, opportunity, and quality. Since most of my previous professional experience had been in K-12 education through teaching, tutoring, and research, the world of higher education policy was entirely new to me. My experience at AJCU exposed me to the frustrating, challenging, yet deeply impactful role that policy plays in improving educational equity.
Over the course of the summer, I was able to undertake many different responsibilities at AJCU. On the government relations side, I regularly attended virtual and in-person meetings with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Committee for Education Funding (CEF), where I gained firsthand insight into how higher education associations coalesce, collaborate, and respond to quickly-changing national policies. I also had the opportunity to represent AJCU at CEF’s 2026 Hill Day, where we met with members of Congress to advocate for sustained and increased federal investment across the education continuum.
Beyond advocacy, I also contributed to several long-term research initiatives. One of my main projects involved tracking every member of Congress up for reelection in November and identifying Jesuit-educated incumbents and challengers. This tracker will serve as a long-term resource, helping AJCU build and strengthen meaningful relationships with newly elected members of Congress and prioritize advocacy efforts. I also designed AJCU infographics on federal investments and partnerships that highlighted the importance of federal student aid programs for Jesuit colleges and universities, which will be distributed to members of Congress in future Hill meetings.
Finally, I worked closely with AJCU’s communication team to improve social media outreach. Whether compiling and editing the Presidents’ Pilgrimage in Rome video, designing templates for our #JesuitEducated student voices campaign, or creating advocacy materials for policymakers, I came to understand the importance of clear and concise storytelling in amplifying research and policy. Together, these opportunities showed me that advancing Jesuit higher education relies on much more than legislation alone; it depends on research, communication, advocacy, and collaboration.
Looking back, what initially seemed ironic about my internship was only half-true. While my undergraduate institution, Occidental College, may not be a Jesuit institution, many of the values that brought me to AJCU were already pivotal to my education. As a Barack Obama Scholar at Occidental, I have been encouraged to use my education in service of the public good: a commitment reflected in my work researching educational inequality, serving my community, and pursuing internship opportunities like this.
In many ways, AJCU felt like an extension of that same mission that has guided me throughout college. I witnessed how public service can take many different forms. I learned to collaborate across disciplines, beliefs, and ideologies. I saw what it meant to be a “person for others” in practice. Finally, I was reminded of the shared philosophy that continues to drive my own service-oriented worldview: that education is not simply about what we achieve for ourselves, but rather a tool for positive change in this world.
After graduation, Cal plans to pursue a Fulbright ETA in Colombia and eventually graduate studies in educational policy to expand educational access and opportunities in his hometown of St. Louis, MO, and beyond. He can be reached via LinkedIn.