McKeough Family Establishes Endowment for Villanova’s Washington Minimester

Andrew McKeough ‘19 CLAS (second row, far left) and Dean Millard (second row, second from left) pose for a photo with visiting cohorts from the Villanova University Washington Minimester program and the program director Matthew Kerbel, PhD, (first row, fourth from right) during a visit to the White House on May 24, 2024. (Hayden Sudall/AKSM Photography)

Andrew McKeough and the McKeough family have established a permanent endowment to ensure that financial barriers never prevent Villanova students from participating in the university’s prestigious Washington Minimester program.

Article by Maddie Tyler, Chief Senior News Editor

VILLANOVA, Pa. — In a landmark commitment to expanding educational access for future political leaders, Andrew McKeough ’19 CLAS and the McKeough family have announced the establishment of a major endowment to support Villanova University’s prestigious Washington Minimester program.

The announcement, made today, unveils two distinct financial vehicles: The McKeough Family Endowed Fund for the Washington Minimester and The McKeough Family Fund for the Washington Minimester. Together, these funds are designed to permanently remove financial barriers for students wishing to participate in the university’s immersive political science experience in the nation’s capital.

The gift comes at a poignant time for the McKeough family, serving as a living tribute to Andrew’s parents, the late Professor Charles McKeough ’61 COE and Marylou McKeough. Professor McKeough, a long-time member of the Villanova College of Engineering faculty who passed away in January 2024, was a pillar of the university community. By establishing this endowment, the family ensures that their name remains synonymous with student support and academic excellence.

"The Washington Minimester offers students a unique window into the workings of our government and the history of our nation," Andrew McKeough said in a statement. "Our family believes deeply in the value of this immersive educational experience at Villanova. By establishing these funds, we hope to remove financial barriers so that more Villanovans can take advantage of this incredible opportunity, while creating a legacy of support that is designed to last for all time."

The donation is structured to provide both immediate relief and long-term security for the program. The McKeough Family Fund - which will go into effect immediately, offering financial aid to students applying for the upcoming 2026 program - as well as The McKeough Family Endowed Fund - a fund designed as a perpetual investment, this fund will grow over time to ensure that future generations of "Wildcats" have equitable access to the program, regardless of economic shifts.

In a move that highlights the donors' understanding of academic operations, the funds include a flexibility clause. While the primary mandate is student financial aid, the agreement stipulates that if all aid needs are met in a given year, remaining funds may be used to enhance the general operations of the program including funding special seminars, travel for guest speakers, or other enrichment activities.

For more than half a century, the Washington Minimester has been the crown jewel of Villanova’s Department of Political Science. The intensive three-week, three-credit course abandons the traditional classroom for the hallways of power in Washington, D.C.

Instead of textbooks, students learn directly from the people running the country. The curriculum typically consists of 30 to 35 private seminars with high-ranking officials. In recent years, cohorts have met with Congressional leaders, cabinet officials, White House staffers, media Icons, and other key operatives in Washington.

Matthew Kerbel, PhD, the program’s long-time director, has previously described the experience as a "political immersion program with extremely high-level access" that few other universities can match. "For me, the magic of the Minimester is watching my students fall in love with Washington," Kerbel noted in a statement. "For some, it's a defining moment in their career search."

Despite the program's track record of launching careers - by creating a distinct "Minimester network" of alumni in D.C. - the cost has historically been a hurdle. Participants are responsible for summer tuition rates, plus housing costs at The Catholic University of America, and daily living expenses in one of the country's most expensive cities.

Dean Millard, a former cohort who has been serving as the program assistant for the past two years, is a mentee of Andrew and said that “The newly established [funds] to support the Washington Minimester is incredibly exciting news. […] I am grateful for the involvement of Andrew and his family with the Minimester thus far, and I know these funds will help create opportunities for many other Villanova students.”

The McKeough endowment directly addresses this inequity, ensuring that a student's ability to "experience the corridors of power" is based on their potential, not their bank account.

Andrew McKeough, a 2019 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has maintained close ties to the program since his graduation. A trained journalist and political operative, McKeough has a background in photojournalism and has covered the White House extensively as well as holding positions in the federal and Pennsylvania Commonwealth governments as well as working on campaigns ranging from local government to the race for the presidency. He has frequently returned to the program as a speaker and a mentor, offering current students advice on navigating careers in media and politics.

"I have personally been able to present to students who have visited the White House over numerous years of the program, with some of the students going on to become my mentees," McKeough said. "It is the kind of experience that sparks careers and defines futures."

The Department of Political Science and the Office of Financial Assistance will jointly administer the funds, with annual reports provided to the McKeough family to track the endowment's growth and the individual stories of the students it supports.