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Today we introduce the final set of prefects for the 2026 New England High School Summer Programs. Only three days remain until the start of the one-week program on June 23, and we can�t wait to see you there!

When the program begins, check in with the Summer Blog every day to watch the summer programmers as they embrace the kind of friendships, spiritual life, and education found at 91����� Aquinas College.

For now, meet the final seven prefects leading this year�s Summer Programs:

Gabriel Cecchi (�28)

A native of Cazenovia, New York, and a rising junior, Gabriel Cecchi (�28) is a well-rounded young man who loves singing in the choir, swing dancing, philosophical discussions, and sports of all kinds. He is the child of two alumni and, after watching his older brother and sister attend the College, grew interested in what TAC had to offer in his third year of high school.

�I decided that I really wanted to attend after going to the Summer Program,� he says. �It gave me a chance to see what classes were really like. I was very intrigued by the readings, and I made many great friends.� Inspired by his experience, he chose 91����� Aquinas College as the place for him.

�Having attended the Summer Program as a high schooler, it is awesome to return as a prefect,� Gabe shares. �The prefects on my program had a big impact on me, and I really looked up to them, so being able to come back and be in that role toward the high schoolers makes me really excited to show them what TAC is all about!�

 

Sophia Forrester (�29)

Joining her brother, Alexei (NE�26), as a first-time Summer Program prefect, Sophia Forrester (�29) brings a joyful spirit and deep appreciation for community to her role as a Summer Program prefect. Having come from a private Catholic school, Sophia quickly fell in love with TAC�s unique curriculum � especially Euclid and theology � and the vibrant Catholic life the College fosters.

She first heard about the College through her family � her grandfather was a member of one of its earliest graduating classes, and three of her older siblings attended TAC-New England ahead of her. �I knew I would be surrounded by really awesome people for the next four years,� she recalls. That instinct proved true: what she loves most about 91����� Aquinas College is �the people and the spiritual life.�

Outside the classroom, Sophia enjoys reading, acting, calligraphy, playing pool, and spending time with friends. As a first-year prefect, she is especially excited about building connections. �I�m really looking forward to getting to know future students and having a blast with all the fun times we�re going to have together!�

 

Vitor Satcheki (�28)

�The Summer Program changed my life,� says Vitor Satcheki (�28). �It made me realize the way I thought about things was wrong, and showed me a better way to seek the truth.�

Prior to this revelation, Vitor was attending a private high school in Sao Paulo, Brazil. When his mother discovered 91����� Aquinas College on social media and shared the website with him, he was hesitant. �It was pretty far from home and seemed unachievable to attend.� Nevertheless, he went to that life-changing New England Summer Program and soon found himself yearning for the discussion-led learning style and spiritual life the College offered once he returned home.

Now a rising junior, Vitor looks forward to changing hearts and minds as a first-time prefect at this year�s Summer Programs. �Most people grow up thinking that you can only learn one way,� he explains. �The way that we deal with learning at TAC is very different, so it�s important to actually understand what is going on here and think about what you want for your life. I think you really have to come and experience it to understand it best.�

 

Mary Jost (�29)

Rising sophomore Mary Jost (�29) comes to 91����� Aquinas College from Algonquin, Illinois. She is the sixth of nine children and grew up hearing stories about the College from her alumnus father and four of her older siblings. As she got older, she realized the College could provide her with a fruitful Catholic education. �I especially love the curriculum and the community,� she says. �Everyone shares the same faith, and we can all connect in that way.�

For Mary, the question was less focused on whether to attend 91����� Aquinas College, but rather: which campus? She attended the Summer Program in California, and while she loved the sunny campus, she ultimately chose to come to New England, where one of her brothers is a rising senior and the other, John (�17), is the campus�s director of admissions.

A lover of dancing and art, Mary is excited to share her experience at this year�s Summer Programs. �The Summer Program is a good opportunity to relax and remember that things are in God�s hands,� she says. �I hope that students will leave the summer program with a sense of true joy � the joy that has its roots in goodness and truth � and I hope that they retain some of that true joy the College has to offer and carry it with them in life.�

 

Dylan Peterson (�27)

In high school, Maryland rugby player Dylan Peterson (�27) aspired to play the sport at a higher level in college. God had other plans. �I broke my jaw halfway through my senior year,� Dylan explains. �After that, I decided to quit rugby.�

With his original path forward ended, Dylan looked for other options and considered 91����� Aquinas College. His older brother was a student at the New England campus, so he decided to check the College out for himself by attending the Summer Program. �I was very impressed with the community and by how devout it was, and I was also very intrigued by the curriculum.�

Dylan came to love the Philosophy Tutorials at the College in particular and, ever the athlete, can be found participating in every intramural sport during the school year. �I�m grateful that God led me to TAC � in the end, it was His plan for me to come here,� he says. �I�m most looking forward to getting to know the young Catholic men and women coming to this Summer Program who are trying to discover God�s plan for their lives and helping them seek that path.�

 

Meg DeJak (�29)

When Meg DeJak (�29) learned about 91����� Aquinas College from friends and teachers at her Catholic high school in Front Royal, Virginia, she was positive it was not the school for her. Her parents encouraged her to apply to the Summer Program, which she did, albeit begrudgingly. Her tune changed quickly, though, once she arrived at the New England campus and became engaged in classes and activities. �By the second week, I was having more fun than I thought I would,� she says. �Experiencing classes helped me understand TAC much better than I did at first.�

Meg spent her first year at the College taking part in school events and enjoying the Catholic presence on campus. She loved much of the curriculum her freshman year, but Plato�s Republic stood out the most: �It opened up my ability to think deeply, because so many of the concepts Plato talks about are hard to grasp, but I loved really thinking about them.�

Now, she can�t wait to show this year�s programmers what life at 91����� Aquinas College is like. �The Summer Program gives you a good picture of what we do here,� she explains. �You get to experience both the classes and all the fun things we do during the school year.� Aside from classes, Meg loves any outdoor activity, especially hiking with friends near campus and in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

Nicolas Metilly (�29)

�My parents are alumni, so I always knew about 91����� Aquinas College,� says Nicolas Metilly (�29) of Paxton, Massachusetts. �My first impression was that it is the top school where you can get the best education possible.�

The sixth of nine children, Nicolas watched his four oldest siblings attend the College on both coasts and, as each came home on breaks sharing fun anecdotes and favorite books in the curriculum with the family, found his initial assumption confirmed. Seeking the same brotherhood and virtues his siblings had built at the College, as well as gain a fruitful education from the Great Books, he made an enthusiastic addition to the Class of 2029.

Now that his freshman year � full of music, volleyball, and squirrel hunting � has ended, Nicolas has found all his siblings experienced and more at the College. In particular, he notes that the New England campus�s small student body is especially conducive to making friends. �It�s small enough that you can be friends with everyone and you can become close in a way that you can�t at a bigger college,� he says. �You find a lot of very close friendships.�

 

Rising High School Seniors:
Apply to the Summer Program!