Buffalo, NY - Canisius University announced today that Rev. Zachariah F. Presutti ’07, SJ, a Jesuit priest leading groundbreaking prison reform work, and Zeneta B. Everhart ’11, Buffalo’s Common Councilwoman representing the city’s Masten District, will deliver the commencement addresses at the university’s 2025 graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 17 at the Koessler Athletic Center.
The undergraduate and graduate ceremonies for the College of Arts & Sciences will begin at 10:00 a.m., with Father Presutti delivering the commencement address. The afternoon ceremony, featuring Everhart as the commencement speaker, will begin at 1:30 p.m. and celebrate undergraduate and graduate students from the Wehle Business School and the School of Education and Human Services.
During both ceremonies, Canisius University President Steve K. Stoute will confer honorary degrees upon the speakers.
Father Zach Presutti is a 2007 alumnus of Canisius and founder of the Thrive for Life Prison Project, a Catholic ministry dedicated to transforming lives behind and beyond prison walls. His vision for Thrive for Life was born during his Jesuit formation when assigned to prison ministry in Syracuse, NY. Through spiritual and educational accompaniment, the organization empowers the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated to “rediscover the loving and generous people they were created to be by God.”
Thrive for Life also manages several houses of studies across the country for formerly incarcerated individuals who want to continue their education and receive holistic support services. These houses of studies operate in partnership with such universities as Columbia, New York University and St. John’s University.
A licensed social worker, Father Presutti also serves as Catholic chaplain at Rikers Island.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Canisius University, a master of social work from Saint Louis University, and a master of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.
Zeneta Everhart is a Buffalo Common Councilwoman representing the Masten District and a 2011 alumna of Canisius University. In 2023, she made history by winning election to this seat, which had not been held by a woman in more than 60 years.
Everhart’s path to public office was shaped by a profound personal experience. Following the Tops massacre on May 4, 2022, which seriously injured her son Zaire Goodman, Everhart testified before Congress about the need for stricter gun laws, which contributed to the passage of the Safer Communities Act, the first piece of federal gun legislation in more than 30 years.
Prior to her election, Everhart built a successful career as a journalist and producer at Spectrum News Buffalo before transitioning to public service as the East Side liaison for New York State Sen. Timothy Kennedy. In this role, she developed programs to support underserved communities in the neighborhood where she was raised.
Everhart holds an associate’s degree in liberal arts and humanities from Villa Maria College and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Canisius University.
To learn more about Canisius University's 2025 commencement ceremonies, click here.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
