Xavier Grad On the Ballot — On a Mission

Xavier University forms students who change the world for the better.  Katie Brennan is one of them.  

The Jesuit university is rooted in the liberal arts tradition with a mission to educate each student intellectually, morally and spiritually, and a purpose to mold change leaders.

Next month, the 2009 graduate will be on the ballot for the New Jersey General Assembly.  After winning the Democratic primary, Katie is the favored candidate on the November ballot.

The longtime New Jersey City resident is quick to credit her Jesuit education for instilling the idea of service above self.

“I had no grand plan when I enrolled at Xavier,” she said, “but I liked the Jesuit and liberal arts education, and even more so the commitment to social justice."

As part of Xavier’s academic service-learning program, Katie spent a semester working directly in the community — an experience that deepened her understanding of how education and service can work hand in hand.  

The personable student was also instrumental in founding The Women’s Center, which evolved into The Center for Women in Business and Leadership, “providing the opportunity for women to grow, follow their passion, and increase the economic stability of our communities.”

The English major immersed herself in the full Xavier experience. 

“She was driven and always busy,” remembers classmate Ben Rife.  

 Katie served as editor of the Athenaeum literary magazine, joined the Xavier Players theater group, served as a television reporter for The Xavier News, and even starred in Adorn, a student film produced by students in the Digital Innovation, Film and Television (DIFT) program. 

Click to watch Katie in the role of Grace Pettit in Adorn.

Katie went on to earn a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and just this year was recognized by Rutgers as a “Rising Star” for her exemplary contributions to the profession and communities. 

While at the then-Big East school, Katie also met an oceanography student pursuing his PhD.  Travis Miles, now an Assistant Research Professor in the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, and Katie married in 2014. 

By then, Katie  had rolled up her sleeves in government and community work, finding ways to make life fairer for families who too often get left out of the conversation. Whether it was defending rent control in Hoboken, pushing for inclusionary zoning in Jersey City, or helping launch a first-of-its-kind partnership that built homes for families with serious medical needs, Katie has been a fighter for housing that people can actually afford.

She’s not shy about her motivation to run for office. 

“New Jersey families deserve safe homes, good jobs, and a government that works for them, not special interests,” she says. “That’s why I’m running. Because we can fix this—if we have the courage to try.”

Next month, voters in New Jersey District 32 will decide whether Katie Brennan takes her fight to Trenton.  If her track record is any clue, she won’t be going there quietly.