Title:Alumni brothers invest in Georgetown’s growing community

In 2020, as the Black Lives Matter movement accelerated and the COVID-19 pandemic accentuated disparity across the country, Matt Rizzo (C’97) began to look for ways to make an impact through Georgetown and set an example for his daughters. He decided to create the Rizzo Family CMEA Endowed Fund to support programming at the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access (CMEA).

Later, in 2022, Matt and his wife Melissa Hutson, along with Matt’s brother Rob Rizzo (C’99) and his wife Tracey Zaccone, made an equally significant gift to support the existing endowment. In 2024, both families committed significantly larger gifts to bolster their support of CMEA.

The Rizzo Family CMEA Endowed Fund is the first exclusive endowment for general operating support for CMEA.

The gifts from the two families help CMEA provide more opportunities for students who have historically experienced barriers to access and success in higher education due to factors outside of their control.

‘Walking with the excluded’

CMEA’s mission, as stated on their website, is to “walk with the excluded toward a hope-filled future.” They do this by providing academic support and advising, professional development resources, and opportunities to prospective students, current students, and alumni.

Recently, the CMEA moved to newly renovated space in New South, together with other programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. CMEA’s presence on campus is now more crucial than ever, as Georgetown’s Class of 2028 saw the highest rate of Pell-eligible students in more than a decade.

Resources offered by CMEA include:

• Hoya Saxa Weekend, in partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, which invites admitted students to explore the Hilltop each spring and covers travel expenses for students with financial barriers
• Pre-college programs, including the Institute for College Preparation, which provides academic enrichment programming to middle and high school students in the Washington, DC, area
• The Community Scholars Program, which offers first-generation college students a five-week summer bridge to help them transition to and through college
  Workshops, developed with campus partners and key stakeholders, to supplement learning outside of the classroom with topics chosen by students
• Personal advising for students
• A book co-op for academic textbook resources
• Multicultural graduation ceremonies, which were attended by 1,100 students, families, and friends in 2024.

Supporting future Hoyas as a family

Matt says that Georgetown’s academic excellence made it his first choice, though he was also a big fan of the basketball team.

“There are a lot of great universities that have great academics, but the most valuable experiences I got out of Georgetown were the life lessons and social aspects. I learned to connect with people of different backgrounds and embrace different points of view,” says Matt.

Rob followed his brother to Georgetown, compelled by its location, Jesuit tradition, and overall heritage. He liked that Georgetown was at the forefront of education and developing scholars.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the Rizzo brothers felt a moral obligation to do something about social injustices and racial inequalities. They chose to focus their giving on Georgetown students.

“I firmly believe that students of color should be supported in every way, shape, or form,” Rob says. “For me personally, it’s critically important that every student who goes to Georgetown has the right support.”

“It’s challenging to be a person of color in this world. I’ve never experienced it personally, but I see it every day,” continues Rob. “This was one way in which my brother and I, along with our wives, could make a difference at a university that is deeply important to us.”

Called to provide guidance

Charlene Brown-McKenzie (C’95, G’23), senior associate dean of students, who serves as executive director of student access and success, and executive director for the Institute for College Preparation, met with Matt in 2020 and connected over their shared goals. Brown-McKenzie talked about her experience arriving in Connecticut—the Rizzos’ home state—as an immigrant during high school.

Brown-McKenzie credits a college access program that helped guide her toward academic progress.

“I connected with Matt and his brother because they understood my neighborhood, my community,” Brown-McKenzie says. “They responded to a moment with a gift that has allowed us to have access to students who wouldn’t normally consider Georgetown.”

Now in her 10th year as CMEA Director, Brown-McKenzie says she gets to see potential students tour campus, support them through their education, and stay connected to them throughout their careers.

“The heart of CMEA’s work is to promote access to educational attainment for diverse populations, especially communities at the margins,” Brown-McKenzie says. “Even though we’re operating in volatile, polarizing times, CMEA along with its partners maintain critical hope.”