Seelos Grants

We know that our members are campus leaders, and we look to them to be engaged, contributing members of our Chapters.  We have heard from some Chapter leaders about how inspiring and productive the Ignatian-focused leadership conferences are and how students network with other university leaders at these conferences. However, we also know that our universities can only fund a certain number of students to attend.

When a member donor approached us for a funding idea, we knew we wanted to help our student members attend these conferences.  Thanks to funding from the Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.Ss.R, Fund, Alpha Sigma Nu administers the Seelos Grant, founded to promote Ignatian-inspired student leadership. The Seelos Grants remove financial barriers to student AΣN members who wish to participate in these Ignatian leadership programs. Read more about the application process here.

Specifically, the 2026 grants will fund attendance at the following:

National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference July 13-16, 2026 at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio Hosted by the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators, this conference gathers ​student ​leaders ​from ​various ​Jesuit ​schools ​and ​universities ​together ​to ​examine ​current ​student ​issues ​and ​explore ​ways ​to ​address ​them, ​strengthen ​leadership ​skills, ​and ​discover ​how ​to ​better ​serve ​their ​colleges ​and ​universities ​in ​the ​Jesuit ​tradition. ​* This conference requires you to be a part of your school delegation.

Migration Justice Summit for College Students 2026 Conference date and location TBA. Hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, the Summit brings together students from Jesuit and other Catholic universities who are passionate about driving change for more socially just local and global communities. The program provides formation in the areas of leadership, social justice, and Ignatian spirituality. 

Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice from November 14-16, 2026 at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Washington, D.C.  Hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, this annual gathering is for members of the Ignatian family, Jesuit Institutions and larger church to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together.

31st Annual IAJBS World Forum and 2026 CJBE Annual Meeting from July 12-15, 2026 Los Angeles, California. Disruption as a Catalyst for the Common Good. Join in for the 31st Annual IAJBS World Forum and 2026 CJBE Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California, hosted by Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration!

Alpha Sigma Nu Mentor Program Travel Stipend (separate application process for Mentor Program participants): Mentees participating in the AΣN Mentor Program can apply to receive a grant to visit their mentor to job shadow and network.

Other: Submit the Seelos application for another Jesuit and/or Ignatian-sponsored conference or program that deepens and develops your understanding of leadership in the Ignatian tradition and social justice in the world.

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Past Seelos Grant Recipients

2025 Seelos Grant recipients attended conferences like the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, the Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education Conference, Catholics in Conflict conference in London, and mentor program participants visited their mentors to job shadow and network. Read about Seelos grant recipient, Alie McDougall’s (Loyola Univeristy Chicago ’24) experience at the Ignatian Teach-in for Justice.

I began working as an intern for the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) last year during my semester abroad in Italy. Concepts I had once encountered only in textbooks including global conflict, famine, and persecution suddenly had names, faces, and stories. JRS brought these realities off the page and into my daily life. In witnessing their work, I saw a profound merging of faith and justice, an embodiment of what it truly means to be for and with others in the pursuit of a more just world.

Drawn deeper into the intersection of Jesuit values and social justice, this fall I decided to attend the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ). I was honored to be selected to represent Loyola Chicago at the conference in Washington, D.C. I joined hundreds of students from Jesuit high schools and universities across the country for the 28th annual gathering. It was a community united in prayer, song, learning, and advocacy. The weekend was a powerful reminder that justice work is both urgent and communal. The theme, pressing on, echoed through every keynote and workshop, calling students, faculty, organization leaders, and parish members to persist in demanding change, even when the obstacles feel unending.

One of the most transformative moments of the weekend came during Father Greg Boyle’s keynote. He challenged us not simply to care from a distance, but to stand at the margins with those most impacted. Through the stories of the current and former gang members he accompanies, he revealed how systems of oppression begin to unravel when we recognize the inherent dignity and giftedness of each person. His words have stayed with me: “Systems change when people change, and people change when they are cherished.” It was, to me, both heartbreaking and profoundly hopeful as a reminder that at the root of injustice lies a deficit of love, and that small, consistent gestures of inclusion and uplift can be catalysts for wider transformation.

Through the stories of the current and former gang members he accompanies, he revealed how systems of oppression begin to unravel when we recognize the inherent dignity and giftedness of each person.

Throughout the weekend, I attended breakout sessions on topics ranging from the impact of current narratives surrounding migration to Ignatian formation in the age of AI to changes in SNAP benefits. Each session pushed me to ask harder questions and reminded me that curiosity is not optional in social justice work but it is required.

By learning from one another’s experiences and insights, we maintain perspective, humility, and momentum. This collaborative spirit came alive during the last day of the Teach-In – Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, where our Loyola Chicago delegation met with congressional staffers to discuss migration and environmental legislation. We took turns sharing personal stories, humanizing the issues and grounding each conversation in lived experience.

Yet, I found, the heart of the weekend was in the conversations between sessions, in the simple act of meeting others who are also striving toward justice. I entered the conference with a goal of speaking to ten new people and far surpassed it. As keynote speaker Yunuen Trujillo reminded us, we must challenge the divisions we inherit or internalize. When we look beyond what separates us, we begin to recognize all that we share. The conversations I had, each unique in story but united in purpose, revealed a common thread: a desire to serve, to stand with others, and to dismantle unjust barriers.

The weekend was unforgettable. I, along with the 2,000 other attendees, have returned to our campuses and communities renewed and inspired. Whether through awareness-raising, community organizing, or continued advocacy, we are pressing on; we are sustained by faith, grounded in justice, and committed to walking with others toward a more compassionate world.

 

2024 grant recipients attended the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice (IFTJ) on October 25th-28th, 2024.

ASN students gathered with passionate attendees from across the nation, united by our commitment to faith and justice. This year’s theme, “Steadfast Hope in Precarious Times,” resonated with members, inspiring meaningful conversations and actions for a brighter future.
Grant recipient  Margaret Cotner, presented on “The Inner-City Bus to Emmaus and Imago Dei” inviting participants to explore modern interpretations of the road to Emmaus, fostering hope and understanding for marginalized communities through Ignatian prayer techniques and a call to action.

 

2023 grant recipients attended Magis 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal in July. Read more about their experiences here.  More funding was available to send students to the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice in Washington, D.C. in October. Read more about their experiences here.

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2019 grant recipients attended the Ignatian Justice Summit and the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.  Amanda Judah (Boston College `19) said of her experience at the Summit:

The Ignatian Justice Summit was a powerful mix of reflection upon theories of activism in the Ignatian tradition and brainstorming for action plans.  I feel well-equipped to bring advocacy events to my chapter of ASN.

2018 recipients attended the Ignatian Family Teach-in For Justice November 3-5, 2018. Pictured are Isabel Wallace-Green from Fordham University, Kathleen Hannick from Seattle University, Lucia Presencio-Ortiz from Loyola Andalucia, and Jordan Henderson from Loyola University Chicago. 

One of the most important lessons I learned during the Teach-In was how to use our institution’s Jesuit values and mission to our advantage while advocating for justice. — Kathleen Hannick

I really enjoyed my time! The breakout sessions were extremely well done and had a really diverse group of offerings.  I went to a Men in MeToo breakout, and two involving climate change/sustainable investing. Specifically for the MeToo one, it was extremely inspiring to see how many high school boys, especially those in all-boy schools, that were willing to speak up and participate in the event. I can bring back what I learned about sustainable investing since that is still an ongoing project at the Loyola campus. — Jordan Henderson

I hope to share ideas of active advocating with my Chapter. While at IFTJ, I was inspired by stories of fellow students who passionately advocate on their campuses for issues that are prevalent in their communities. Whereas my voice as an individual may seem insignificant at times, the conference reminded me that every person can make a difference in both small and large ways, which are equally valuable. I hope to discourage complacency on my campus and challenge myself to actively advocate within my own daily life.   — Isabel Wallce Green