On Saturday, March 21, 2026, Saint Peter’s University welcomed 300+ prospective students and their families from the Class of 2030 to the first of two Accepted Students Days for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year. This jam-packed day consisted of welcome speeches, campus tours, an academic showcase of programs offered by the University, and individualized financial aid appointments.
Camille Braker-Balkum, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management opened the festivities by welcoming all guests to the Mac Mahon Student Center. Vice President for Mission Integration and Ministry Fr. James Miracky, S.J. then offered a prayer and blessing. He noted the importance of the pillars of a Jesuit education, focusing on the notion of cura personalis (care for the whole person) and asked all those in attendance to pray for discernment.
University President Hubert Benitez, D.D.S., Ph.D. then addressed the crowd, stressing that an education at Saint Peter’s is not only about what goes on in the classroom, but is also strongly focused on how faculty and staff care for their students. Recounting his own experience as a father, Dr. Benitez stressed the importance of incoming students truly feeling that they belong at whatever institution they choose to attend. Dr. Benitez then relished the opportunity to “work the room”, walking among the crowd and engaging in conversation with the families in attendance. He went on to stress that choosing the right college is a two-way investment to a better future, one that Saint Peter’s is ready to fully support with a strong Jesuit academic foundation, top-tier on-campus living accommodations and facilities, and generous financial aid packages.
Before embarking on campus tours and a glimpse into the academic offerings at Saint Peter’s, guests were treated to an informative student panel. Current Saint Peter’s students Tindi Awinyo (transfer student from Kenya, Nursing major), James Aziz (Sophomore, Nursing major), Oluwadarasimi (Jide) Ajisafe (Junior, Health Sciences major) and Tiffany Verastegui (Freshman, Forensic Psychology major) addressed the Class of 2030 with details about their decision to attend Saint Peter’s and what they found most important during their college search.
They enthusiastically noted that Saint Peter’s offered them smaller class sizes with better individualized attention than most other schools they considered. Stressing the affordability of a Saint Peter’s education, some members of the student panel mentioned that they were first generation college students who chose the University because of their diversity in both population and academic offerings, all while coming at an affordable price that made a college education attainable to them. They summed up their Saint Peter’s experience with four simple words: community, family, opportunity and support.
The day was bookended with campus tours and a review of academic, student support services and financial aid offerings, and of course, a carnival-like experience at the Student Center complete with food trucks and socializing!
All students considering attending Saint Peter’s in the Fall should register for our next Accepted Students Days on Saturday, April 11.
Photo highlights of the ribbon cutting ceremony; click a photo to view larger size.
