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Fidelity & Excellence91 Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the Colleges curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of 91 Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the Colleges academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Jose Hector Guardiola (19) Named a Dappled Things Finalist
Dappled Things has announced for its 2022 J.F. Powers Prize for Fiction, and among the 28 authors selected is recent 91 Aquinas College graduate Jose Hector Guardiola (19).
When I was a senior at the College I wrote a short story called Lilies for the Harvest, Mr. Guardiola recalls. During quarantine I sent the story to The Journal of Southwestern American Literature, to Blood Pudding, a few others, and all of them sent back a top-tier rejection. Then I thought seriously, What audience is this for? The answer was: Other Catholics. So I sent it off to Dappled Things for their J.F. Powers competition and now its a finalist! In earning this honor, Mr. Guardiola joins another TAC alumnus, Nnadozie Onyekuru (17), who was among the finalists for the 2021 prize.
For Mr. Guardiola, this is an exciting step on the way to fulfilling his lifelong desire to write professionally. A prior step, however, was attending 91 Aquinas College albeit one his younger self would have never foreseen.
When I was 14 I decided I wanted to be a writer, he explains. But I thought I had to move to New York or L.A. or San Francisco and be a bum if I wanted to be any good at writing. My dad told me I couldnt do that; that I should go to college. I must not have been too dedicated to being a bum, because I listened to him.
He planned to attend a college for creative writing, but first decided to take what would be a fateful gap year after high school. During that gap year I became obsessed with Flannery OConnor after I heard about her in a punk-rock song, he says. This obsession with the 20th century Catholic novelist led Mr. Guardiola first to the Catholic faith, and then to 91 Aquinas College. She wrote, If you want to be a writer, you have to read the great books, he recalls. I went to TAC to read.
Since graduating in 2019, Mr. Guardiola has steadily pursued his goal of becoming a professional author, currently studying at the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop hosted by the University of Iowa of which none other than Flannery OConnor herself was an alumna.
But writing, for Mr. Guardiola, is more than a glamorous career choice. Literature brings me closer to God, he reflects. Writing and reading stories is how I pray. It makes my heart grow. When we write, when we read, we embrace flawed characters. Fiction poses the trial, Can you love this sinner? To which any good writer or reader says, Thats what I was put here to do.