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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.
Suzie Jackson (15) Starts Housing Nonprofit for Steubenvilles Homeless
Many homeless people fall through the cracks in the system, so I decided to do something about it, says Suzie Jackson (15), physician assistant and founder of , a new nonprofit organization in Steubenville, Ohio, which will provide transitional housing and assistance to the citys homeless community.
Miss Jackson always knew she wanted to help people, specifically as a physician assistant. My mom was a PA in the 80s for open-heart surgery, and I loved hearing all her crazy stories, she says. After graduating from 91 Aquinas College in 2015, she tried a career in business for a year, but decided it was not for her. For me, I think a bad day in medicine would still be better than a good day in business, she jokes. Returning to her love of the medical field and her mothers stories, she attended James Madison University and received her physician assistant certification.
In 2023, Miss Jackson moved to Steubenville to begin work as an internal medicine PA at Trinity West Hospital, where she began treating patients, many of whom were from the citys largely underserved poor and homeless community. Six months into the job, she saw a patient with a broken bone in her eye socket and no home where she could recover safely. The patient fell through the cracks in the system, Miss Jackson says. I tried to find a place to discharge her to, but I couldnt find anything available, and the hospital didnt have the resources to place her somewhere quickly.
Left with no other option, Miss Jackson ended up reserving a hotel room for the patient. As she drove to pay for the room, she had a moment of clarity. Over the past six months, I had been seeing this very sick population with high rates of homelessness, she recalls. I realized the system was failing our local citizens. Thats when I had the idea to start a nonprofit that could provide these people with places to stay without having to activate the system, provide extensive documentation, or pay a rental fee.
With this idea brewing in her mind, Miss Jackson traveled to Calcutta, India, a month later to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. She spent her days serving the Home of the Dying, meeting other volunteers, and spending time with Christ in Adoration. I kept hearing the words Serve my poor in adoration, she says. I asked Him to make me more organized and send people to help me, if He wanted me to start this organization.
Well pull these people out of their unhealthy existing networks, where theres a lot of drug use, alcoholism, and abuse, and surround them with stable people and neighborhoods.
Soon after she returned from India, she found help in the form of Dr. Joseph Almeida (81), director of both the Great Books Honors and Legal Studies programs at Franciscan University and the father of one of Miss Jacksons classmates at the College. I had been trying to figure out how to start this thing on my own, and he helped me walk me through the logistics and legal steps of starting a nonprofit, she says. After establishing a board of directors and filing the paperwork, Miss Jackson officially launched Homeward Bound on January 1, 2025.
The vision for Homeward Bound is to provide low-barrier transitional housing to the homeless community here, explains Miss Jackson. The nonprofit plans to buy inexpensive, rundown local houses, fix them up, and offer them to members of the homeless community. Well also be working on a case-by-case basis to get those living in our housing back on their feet, helping them find and prepare for job interviews, offering rides to and from counseling, and integrating them into the local community, she continues. Well pull these people out of their unhealthy existing networks, where theres a lot of drug use, alcoholism, and abuse, and surround them with stable people and neighborhoods.
Currently, Homeward Bound is in its fundraising stage, as it prepares to buy and renovate its first home. The cost of living here is quite low, so well be moving forward with that soon, Miss Jackson says. Homelessness will never be ended in any place Jesus told us that but we hope to serve the poor and homeless very well here.