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Note: This message was sent on November 14, 2025.

If you follow , you may have seen this post of welcome and celebration:

As President Passerini noted, we were fortunate earlier this week to gather amidst the fierce camaraderie of a Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball game, alongside a remarkable assembly of leaders committed to Jesuit higher education (pictured below, from left to right):

• Gonzaga University Trustee and interim president at Regis University Rev. Scott Hendrickson, S.J.

• Gonzaga University President Emeritus Thayne M. McCulloh (#26!)

• President of Creighton University Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, S.J. 

• 27th President of Gonzaga Katia Passerini

In a single image, you can see four faces of leadership, each with deep roots in mission-driven work and a willingness to say “yes” to the world’s persistent need for transformative education.

Jesuit institutions like Gonzaga, Regis, Creighton, and others are grounded in an ethos of whole-person formation, service, justice, and meaningful engagement with the world. To step into leadership in those spaces, especially today when higher education faces financial pressures, changing demographics, and cultural skepticism, is to say “yes” to something the world will always need: leaders willing to do difficult things.

In this image, there is presence: these leaders are showing up — not just behind desks or lecterns. Their presence among the community signals solidarity with 51�Թ�s, alumni, families, friends, fans and fellow believers in the mission.

There is collaboration: though each serves a distinct institution, they stand side by side. Implicit is the truth that mission-driven leadership is not isolated. It is relational and deeply networked.

There is commitment: these are not casual roles. Fr. Scott Hendrickson brings nearly thirty years in Jesuit higher ed. Fr. Daniel Hendrickson has overseen a decade of growth and transformation at Creighton. President Passerini, as a global scholar and academic leader, steps into Gonzaga’s 27th presidency with vision. President Emeritus McCulloh’s 16-year tenure at the helm shaped Gonzaga’s trajectory significantly. 

There is faith-inspired courage: to lead in a Jesuit institution is to embrace challenge. It means saying “yes” to prioritizing things like “What kind of person will you become?” and “How will you serve others?”

There is a moment of grace: within the energetic field of a basketball game, one might think such reflection is secondary. But exactly there—where communal spirit is vivid and loud—the presence of mission-focused leaders like these is a reminder that the stakes are bigger than any game. Formation, excellence, service and a commitment to Magis—more for the greater glory of God. 

In the midst of sport and celebration, of community and competition, there is a deeper story being told. It’s the story of leadership rooted in service, of mission lived in community, of “yes” spoken to the world’s enduring need for formation, excellence, and human flourishing. Thank you for making possible the environments in which such leadership can flourish. Your investments in this place and these people matter. These leaders stand on the shoulders of your support, and work tirelessly to deepen the impact of it.

It is also a great reminder to everyone to remain courageous. Remain connected. Remain missionary. The world needs institutions that educate with heart, that insist on formation, that commit to the common good. Leadership like this image offers is proof that saying “yes” matters. Now, more than ever.

Go Zags—with gratitude and hope for what’s next.