On Wednesday, November 5th, attendees of the 36th triennial conference of Alpha Sigma Nu arrived in Jersey City and Saint Peter’s University for a jam-packed three days of discussions, presentations and learnings. Alpha Sigma Nu is the honor society of Jesuit institutions of higher education and recognizes those students who distinguish themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service. This year marks the 110th anniversary of Alpha Sigma Nu and the 100th anniversary of their first national convention. While socialization and connecting were vital parts of the conference, attendees also took part in a number of events and panels on topics such as continuous chapter improvement, best practices and alumni membership relations.
Clara Dwyer, executive director of Alpha Sigma Nu, shared what she hoped attendees took away from the three-day conference: “Being in person is incomparable for learning and making connections. The day spent with the chapter advisers, along with members of the Board of Directors, was an invaluable experience to commit ourselves both to our respective roles with Alpha Sigma Nu and also to the Jesuit, Catholic mission. The Alpha Sigma Nu Board of Directors thanks Fr. James Miracky, S.J. (vice president for mission integration and ministry at Saint Peter’s), Edgar Valdez, Ph.D. (Saint Peter’s ASN chapter adviser), Lauren Squillante (Saint Peter’s ASN chapter coordinator) and the Saint Peter’s staff for their diligent work in making the conference possible.”
The conference also marked a new chapter for the Alpha Sigma Nu Board of Directors as several members were outgoing and new ones inducted. Deanna Howes Spiro, AJCU vice president of communications and an outgoing member of the Alpha Sigma Nu board of directors shared her thanks for a well run conference. “I began my service on ASN’s board in Fall 2018 and always appreciated the added connection that it gave me to all of our Jesuit colleges and universities. I am so grateful to Clara Dwyer and Fr. Jim Miracky for the work that they put into making our time together at the Triennial (and the Mission Officers’ Conference) so meaningful.”
For the first time, this conference was combined with the Chief Mission Officers conference of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). Fr. Jim Miracky explains why combining these two events proved significant and the reason Saint Peter’s was the choice to serve as host. “For years, my colleagues in mission work have wanted to gather at Saint Peter’s and learn more about its special status among the AJCU colleges and universities. To my mind, and that of many others, Saint Peter’s mission and spirit remain the closest to the founding vision of Jesuit schools in the U.S. We continue to serve in large part an immigrant and first-generation college-going population who might not have access to quality higher education, and we offer them a formational Jesuit education that prepares them for career success, fosters their social mobility, and calls them to be servant leaders of compassion and conscience in our world. Our collaboration at the joint meetings gave both groups an opportunity to create stronger connections and discuss how we might be better partners on our campuses in supporting our shared Jesuit mission. On both sides, the meetings were very fruitful and, from all I was told, the participants were inspired by Saint Peter’s welcome and commitment to mission. I am grateful to Clara Dwyer, Sarah Craine, the Alpha Sigma Board and my AJCU colleagues for their gracious support.”
As part of the evening dinner event on Thursday, November 6th in The Duncan Family Sky Room at the Mac Mahon Student Center, three Saint Peter’s University students received the inaugural Alpha Sigma Nu Sargent Scholarship, established in 2025 as an endowed gift by members of the Sargent family to honor the academic performance and scholarship of ten first-generation student members who have at least one year of undergraduate studies remaining at their college or university. The Saint Peter’s recipients are Jesús Morales ’26, Julio Santos ’26 and Joshua Tenesaca ’26.