The 75th annual U-M Congressional Breakfast raised over $147,000 for the Samuel L. Chappell Family Scholarship — the largest amount raised in the event’s seven-decade history — during a Feb. 25 gathering in Washington, D.C.
The annual breakfast serves as both a celebration of the U-M community and an opportunity to strengthen connections between the university and federal policymakers while highlighting U-M’s national impact through education, research, and public service.
Nearly 350 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and policymakers attended the event, which supports the U-M Alumni Club of Washington, D.C.’s need-based scholarship program that assists students from the Washington, D.C. area in attending U-M.
Participants heard remarks from President Domenico Grasso; Ayanna McConnell, president and CEO of the Alumni Association; and U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who gave the keynote address.
McConnell highlighted the global reach and accomplishments of U-M alumni, as well as the current Michigan in Washington Program students in attendance. She also underscored how scholarship support from alumni directly expands access for students from the D.C. region.
The D.C. region is home to more than 21,000 U-M alumni, including over 3,600 Alumni Association members, whose engagement strengthens the university’s presence in the nation’s capital.
Through scholarships, service, and advocacy, alumni in Washington continue to advance the university’s public mission, ensuring that the impact of U-M extends far beyond campus.
