The 5th annual Juneteenth Celebration at Canisius University will be held on Wednesday,June 11, 2025. All faculty, staff, and students are invited to share in a day of solidarity in honor of our African American community. This year’s event begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Science Hall Commons with a welcome by President Stoute and concludes with lunch. All are welcome and encouraged to participate, and we ask that you RSVP by Friday, June 6th.
In collaboration with Juneteenth Inc. of Buffalo, Canisius will host a Sankofa Day for the city-wide recognition. Sankofa means to “go back and get,” it recognizes the past while focusing on the future. Members of the campus and local community will participate in workshops and engage in service projects.
Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of the date when news of emancipation finally reached most enslaved African Americans in Texas, and Canisius is proud to honor this day. It was on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, along with more than 1,800 federal troops, arrived in Galveston, TX, to take control of the state from the Confederate rebellion, nearly two months after the war’s last major battle. Gen. Granger issued an order confirming the freedom promised in President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, freedom which was denied to them by the Confederate government.
Canisius’ Juneteenth celebration hopes to inspire conversation and action in our ongoing work toward anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion.
Members of the university are also invited to attend activities held throughout the month. For more details on events and opportunities to volunteer for the city of Buffalo Juneteenth Celebration, please visit Juneteenth Buffalo.
Women’s basketball is hosting a kids camp this summer!
Camp runs July 14-17 from 9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center. Girls and boys entering grades 1-8 are welcome to join us for a fun-filled week of skill development andgames led by our players and coaching staff.
The cost is $265 for the week. Spots are limited, so sign up soon! Follow the link below to register!
Political Science Professor Shyam Sriram, PhD, and five of his students recently authored an article for the May edition of Best Practices in Jesuit Higher Education about their comprehensive effort to help refugees across Buffalo. The case study discusses their bold initiative aimed at fostering institutional awareness and action regarding the needs of refugees resettled in Buffalo. Their work aligns closely with the university’s Jesuit values of being “men and women in service to others” and “care for the whole person,” and teaches students to view refugees as individuals rather than data points. The article, which can be read here, highlights three key ways in which the university is actively responding to this call for leadership.
The Canisius University Class of 2025 produced nearly 500 graduates who embody the Jesuit mission of academic excellence, service and leadership. This theme that was reinforced by commencement speakers Rev. Zachariah Presutti ’07, HON ’25, SJ, and Zeneta Everhart ’11, HON ’25, both of whom emphasized the institution’s enduring legacy of forming ethically-minded, justice-oriented servant leaders.
While many graduates represent this mission, below are three whose stories showcase the transformative power of a Canisius, Jesuit education:
Courtney Lyons ’25 (above) leveraged faculty mentorship and rigorous academic preparation to earn acceptance to Georgetown University Law School, where she plans to pursue non-profit criminal defense work serving society’s most vulnerable populations. Read her story here.
Katie Castiglia ’25 (above) discovered her calling to serve other through Campus Ministry outreach and leadership in the All-College Honors Program. She will soon begin a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in California. Read her story here.
Kian Porhomayon ’25 (above) transformed from a shy freshman into a confident leader who conducted research on academic motivation and food justice. The experience prepared him for his next chapter: medical school at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine. Click here to read Kian’s story.
