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We continue to introduce the prefects for the California High School Summer Program! For previous introductions, see the Summer Blog, and to be part of this year�s program, apply now!

Aidan Cooper (�27)

�It�s hard to put into words how important TAC is for me,� says Aidan Cooper (�27), a native of Woodside, California. He first experienced 91����� Aquinas College when his father reverted to the Faith and sent him to an Open House. Aidan, then not a practicing Catholic, was not attracted to the College and instead opted to live in Santa Barbara after graduating high school, going to parties and floating between friend groups.

He soon found, however, that a lifestyle devoted to partying and chaos was unfulfilling. �I felt very empty, and I realized that life was never going to make me happy,� he admits. Through watching Bishop Barron�s videos on YouTube, he rediscovered his faith and decided to give the College one more try. After a transformative second visit to campus, he was inspired to make a general confession, take his faith more seriously � and, of course, apply to the College.

Now a junior, Aidan has seen so many good changes come out of his three years at 91����� Aquinas College. �I�ve been totally transformed, coming here,� he says. �Everything that I used to think has been ripped out and built back up with the Lord as the center of it all, and now I�ve been redirected to live an authentically Catholic life. That really excites me.� He hopes to share his love for swing dancing and the Faith with the students at this year�s one-week program.

 

Hannah Chadwick (�27)

Born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, Hannah Chadwick (�27) was not initially sure what she wanted out of a college. �I knew I wanted to go, but I wasn�t looking at a particular degree: I just wanted the experience and to love it while I was there.�

When she discovered TAC�s Great Books Summer Program, she did not initially want to attend, but once on campus, she fell in love with 91����� Aquinas College. �I loved that we were pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowledge,� she says. �I got to prioritize my relationship with God and with others, and I saw that this community brings out my best.�

Hannah is looking forward to showing this year�s attendees the faith-filled community and Great Books curriculum she discovered as an attendee herself. �It�s such a blessing to work the program that meant so much to me,� she says. �It changed my life in so many ways, so I hope I can help change other people�s lives as well.� She is most excited to spend time with attendees in the coffee shop and play sports.

 

Anthony Santine (�25)

Anthony Santine (CA�25) travels from the East to the West Coast to serve as a prefect for the California two-week High School Summer Program, after one year in Northfield, Massachusetts, where he served as the men�s residential director on the New England campus. He is eager for yet another opportunity to share his experience with TAC�s visiting high schoolers.

�I want to talk with them and get them excited about the kind of thing that we do here,� Anthony says. �I especially want to talk about the readings with them, which are a great sampling of the books we read in the curriculum. These books can have a huge impact on your life!�

A native of Macomb, Michigan, Anthony is also an accomplished violinist and vocalist. For three years as a student, he directed Chrysostomos, a student choral group, acting as its leader in his senior year. Once he finishes prefecting for the Summer Program, he will head to the University of St. 91�����, Houston, to pursue a master�s degree in philosophy.

 

Anne Brown (�27)

The third of nine children, Anne Brown (�27) followed the path of her two older siblings in attending 91����� Aquinas College, though that wasn�t her initial intention. Though she appreciated the Catholic nature of the College, she had plans to attend another school � at least until those plans fell through when her college of choice told her to defer her acceptance. She took a gap year, and in that time, visited the College during the Easter Triduum.

�The Triduum here is so beautiful,� she marvels. �And when I visited classes, I finally felt like I understood the academics here, and I was drawn to them.� When her gap year ended, she left her home in Philadelphia and entered the TAC-California Class of 2027.

Anne loves to play music and sports, write poetry, and collect sea glass on the beach. Since she never attended the Summer Program in high school, she is excited to jump in and experience it for the first time as a prefect. �If I had gone to the Summer Program, I probably wouldn�t have been so hesitant about TAC,� she says. �This place fills you with so much wonder and surrounds you with good people, and I think the Summer Program is a great opportunity to get an introduction to that.�

 

Diego Mota de Alcantara (�28)

When Diego Mota de Alcantara�s (�28) oldest sister discovered 91����� Aquinas College, he was intrigued. Having attended private Catholic schools in California, Brazil, and Arizona, he knew he wanted to go somewhere for college that would challenge him academically. So, when he received a personal message from the College�s admissions director a few years after his sister graduated, he made the decision to attend.

�I love how the College brings out the authentic version of myself and pushes me to be a better man academically and spiritually,� he says.

An avid soccer and volleyball player, Diego hopes to show this year�s Summer Program attendees the well-balanced life found at 91����� Aquinas College: one filled with academic challenges, quiet prayer, and joyful camaraderie. �The Summer Program can give the students an opportunity to see the ideal that TAC is pursuing,� he says. �I hope they take great memories away from this experience.�

 

Marianna Favarato (�26)

In high school, Marianna Favarato (CA�26) had her eyes on the sky as she planned to attend an aeronautical school for aerospace engineering. But, while surfing the internet, she discovered 91����� Aquinas College and decided to try the Summer Program.

�The effect it had on me really kicked in after I left,� she says. �Eventually, I realized that there�s nothing that matters more to me than cultivating a life of leisure and wisdom ad maiorem Dei gloriam, and that�s what TAC begins for you in a very fervent way. This decision was like setting my soul free.�

Now a graduate of the College and the soon-to-be women�s resident director for its New England campus, Marianna is still happy with her decision and hopes to share the freedom she found with this year�s two-week Summer Program attendees. �The Summer Program lets high schoolers know that there are other options out there than what society or common opinion holds a good or successful education to be,� she says. �It gives everyone a taste of what being a human is all about.�

 

Charlie Morson (�29)

The son of two alumni and younger brother to two more, Charlie Morson (�29) almost expected to attend 91����� Aquinas College. However, he knew he wanted to choose the College for himself and sought to learn all he could about the classes and community before turning in his application.

�One of the first things I noticed was how incredibly close my brother was with his friends there,� he recalls. �They had a noticeable brotherhood and friendship that was very inspirational to see.� He also noted that the camaraderie his brothers experienced carried into his own Summer Program. �Having so many good Catholics around you all oriented toward the same goal of learning and growing closer to God is just incredible.�

For these reasons, among many others, Charlie was convinced that 91����� Aquinas College was right for him. Following a fulfilling freshman year, he can�t wait to share the fruits of the College with students at this year�s one-week program. �When I attended the program, the prefects were the ones who helped me a lot in my decision to come to TAC, so knowing that I could be the one to help these students make a decision like I did is what I�m most looking forward to.�

 

Lucy Summers (�29)

�This was the only college I applied to,� says Lucy Summers (�29), the eldest of 11 siblings. The daughter of an alumna, she grew up hearing about 91����� Aquinas College and had her heart set on attending from a young age.

While at her Chesterton Academy high school in Chicago, she got her first taste of philosophy, which immediately became her favorite subject to study. At the Summer Program, her desire to pursue theology�s handmaid grew even greater, confirming her decision to apply to 91����� Aquinas College. �I felt so much peace,� she says. �This was where I wanted to be.�

In her spare time, Lucy enjoys painting, soccer, and hiking the mountains surrounding campus. Most of all, she loves the community found at the College. �You can sit down with anyone at dinner, in the dorms at 11 p.m., in the gym � really anywhere, anytime � and have an amazing conversation with someone you�ve never talked to before,� she says. �It�s so easy to find friends because we all have so much in common.�

 

 

Rising High School Seniors:
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