Tonight, I joined the Saint Peter's University Class of 2025 for a celebration at the annual Delaney Dinner. This event is a moment to congratulate our students, celebrate their achievements, and welcome them to Saint Peter's family of alumni.
I spoke to our newest alumni tonight about my Saint Peter's story, and I was honored to accept their class donation on behalf of the Board of Trustees. I challenged them to stay connected to Saint Peter's throughout their lives and to help the next generation of Peacocks write their own Saint Peter’s stories.
My prepared remarks are included below.
Congratulations, Class of 2025!!!
Bill Price '91
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Good evening, everyone.
Let me begin by offering my warmest
congratulations to our graduates—and to the families and friends
who’ve supported them every step of the way. This is a moment to savor. Enjoy
it!
I’m speaking with you tonight not just as a member of the Board of Trustees, but as a fellow Saint Peter’s graduate—someone who shares an unbreakable bond with each of you. And I'd like to share a few minutes of my Saint Peter’s story.
I grew up just a couple of
miles from here, in the Greenville section of Jersey City. I went to
Our Lady of Mercy grammar school and then Saint Peter’s Prep, where I
had an academic scholarship that covered some of my tuition and my parents
scraped together the rest.
My parents, both Snyder High grads, lived in the same two-family house on McAdoo Avenue for nearly 50 years. My mom worked as a secretary and office manager—including 17 years at Saint Peter’s—when she wasn’t home raising me and my sister. My dad served in the Air Force and worked more than 30 years at AT&T Bell Labs, supervising the mailroom and operations. Like many of your parents, they were hardworking people who wanted a better life for their kids.
When it came time for college,
I had scholarship offers and choices to make. I wanted a high-quality Jesuit
education—but it also needed to be affordable, personal and challenging.
Saint Peter’s checked every box.
Like many of you, scholarships and financial aid played a major role in my decision. And today, I’m proud to say that 100% of our undergraduates receive scholarships or aid—thanks to donors, alumni, and trustees who believe in you.
At Saint Peter’s, I majored in English
and minored in Marketing—what would probably be Communications today. I
was editor of the school newspaper, played intramurals and pickup
basketball in Yanitelli Center, and worked all four years in the Registrar’s
Office. Everyone knew my name.
Through the Cooperative Education
program—what you now know as CEEL—I gained career-shaping experience and
advice that stayed with me.
My first job in PR came
from a Saint Peter’s alumna, Kathy Fitzgerald, who mentored me for over
a decade. I just toasted her at her birthday party a few weeks ago.
Another alum, Frank D’Amelio, a former executive at Lucent and Pfizer, has always helped guide me through major career changes—not because he had to, but
because that’s the kind of people Saint Peter’s produces.
One of my closest friends, Robb
Santos, is flying in from the Philippines next week. We met here and have
remained close for decades—through weddings, kids, moves across continents. His
son is now a student at Saint Peter’s.
That’s what Saint Peter’s does: it
builds relationships that endure.
Over the years, I’ve served on the Alumni Board, the Board of Regents, and now the Board of Trustees with amazing graduates and friends of Saint Peter’s. Giving back—through service, donations, mentoring—is how I honor the foundation this university gave me.
I share my Saint Peter’s story not
because it’s unique—but because it’s familiar. Many of us have stories
like it. And you’re about to begin writing your own.
Your graduation on Monday may
mark the end of your time as a student, but Saint Peter’s will always be
part of your life. If you’re lucky, it will keep weaving through your life—in
friendships, reunions, careers, and community.
So let me leave you with one
question:
What will your Saint Peter’s story
be?
You won’t answer that fully
today—or even on Monday. You’ll answer it over years and decades, in the
big and small ways Saint Peter’s continues to shape your life—and in how you
choose to stay connected.
Come back for games and reunions.
Mentor a student. Support a scholarship. However you choose, stay involved.
Help the next generation of Peacocks write their own Saint Peter’s stories.
That is a legacy – and lasting
bond -- we can all be proud of.
Thank you. Congratulations. And
God bless!
