Greetings, parents! We are thankful, both to God and to you, for your prayers, your trust, and your wonderfully formed and prepared students. By God’s grace and through your support, the College is thriving, with new graduates each year going on to serve the Church and society, and with a new campus set to open this fall — with some 35 freshmen and 35 sophomores — in Northfield, Massachusetts! Please keep up your prayers, especially during this exciting time of growth and expansion.

Admissions Director Jon Daly (’99) and his team are busily filling the remaining spots for next year’s Freshman Class on both campuses. Jon will be on the New England campus until March 23, where he is meeting with and offering tours to prospective students and their families. He is also arranging a New England Open House on April 7 and a New England High School Program for this summer. For more information, please send him an email.

Although the date is not yet set, the College’s supervisor of student and career services, Scott Benigar (’02), will soon present the annual Career Strategies Workshop on job discernment, résumé and cover-letter writing, and interview preparation. Please encourage your students to look out for this event and to attend it when it is announced.

You may also wish to encourage your children — whether they are students or alumni — to check out the following career resources: The Thomas Aquinas College Alumni Association Website, which hosts networking pages for a wide range of professions, and the Thomas Aquinas College Alumni Group on LinkedIn.

If you would like to offer your services as a career resource to our students and alumni, please contact Scott Benigar.

The Class of 2019 is raising money for its Senior Class gift by selling Easter baskets, to be delivered directly to the students of your choice on Easter morning! It is offering a $15 small basket (includes a chocolate rabbit, jellybeans, small candy animals, and various other candies) as well as a $25 large basket, which will include all that is in the small basket plus Lindt truffles, fresh-baked meringues, and other goodies. Orders must be placed online by Sunday, April 14!

The Parents’ and Alumni Associations will host their annual Taco Dinner for members of the Senior Class and their families on Friday, May 10, the eve of Commencement, immediately following the President’s Reception for Seniors and Parents. Each Senior can receive up to four free tickets in advance, and additional tickets must be purchased online ($10 each). To reserve your free tickets, or to purchase any supplemental tickets, please visit our online form. Note: All diners must present a ticket to enter the dinner, and tickets cannot be purchased at the door.

Now boasting some 50 members, the TAC Business Club has hosted several fruitful events this year, including talks from the College’s vice president for finance, Dennis McCarthy, and software entrepreneur Michael Ortner. Next up, TAC parent Ray Walshe, father of Elaine (’19) and Nicole (’22), will speak about how to manage money and investments. Club President Ayla Rice (’21) says the students would like to host future talks about entrepreneurship, IT & software,  private equity, and responsibly handling student loans, credit, and personal finance. If you are interest in giving such a talk, or would like to advise students personally through the Club’s mentor program, please contact Ayla.

Last year an anonymous donor gave a $75,000 matching gift for the College’s first annual Parents’ Day of Giving — and parents responded by helping to raise $176,910 in all! Thank you to all of you who participated for your generous support! We will have another Parents’ Day of Giving this year on May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to raise money for our student scholarship fund. We will have a larger matching-gift challenge this year, and we hope you can help us reach an even greater overall gift total. More information will soon come your way; please consider participating as you are able.

The Healthcare Careers Club recently hosted a pre-med talk by Dr. Samuel Caughron (’96), president and CEO of MAWD Pathology Group, in which he stressed to some 20 students that the world needs more TAC graduates in healthcare. Bella Ayala (’19) is planning events for the club for the remainder of the year. If you are a healthcare professional and would like to give a career talk to the club, please contact Bella.

On Saturday, March 16, at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Sohrab Ahmari and Dr. Matthew Peterson (’01) led a career panel discussion about the fields of journalism, public policy, and media. Mr. Ahmari is the op-ed editor of the New York Post and a contributing editor of the Catholic Herald. He previously served as a columnist and editor for the Wall Street Journal opinion pages in New York and London and as a senior writer at Commentary magazine. Dr. Peterson is the vice president of education at the Claremont Institute and editor of The American Mind.

There are now two Endow women’s groups on the California campus! They meet weekly and are run by Monica Konizeski (’20) and Erica Johnson (’21). Endow will hold a weekend-long campus retreat, open to all female students, beginning on March 30. Serving as retreat leaders will be Emily (Barry ’11) Sullivan and Sarah Dufresne (’14).

A number of religious orders have visited campus and given presentations this semester: the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist (Ann Arbor, Michigan); the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa; the Western Dominicans; the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey; and the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. The vocations director for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles also visited the campus, accompanied by five alumni seminarians. Please pray for our students as they discern their vocations!

A good number of men on campus are enriching their faith this year by way of the Exodus 90 Challenge. Others have also benefited from recent talks in the men’s residence halls, including “How To Be A Good TAC Student,” by Ben Trull (’19) and “The Virtue of Purity,” by John Dickman (’13).

Upcoming talks for the women are: “The Virtue and Practice of Hospitality,” by Director of College Relations Anne Forsyth (’81) and “Living a Healthy Lifestyle,” by Jen Dunlap (’03).

Two women who will be headed to the College’s New England campus this fall — tutor Dr. Margaret Hughes and Amy Augros, a TAC mom and the wife of tutor Dr. Michael Augros —recently hosted a brunch for the 15 freshman women who will be transferring there for their Sophomore years. Attendees report that that they had a grand time getting to know one another and talking about the move East.

… members of the Class of 2019 and their families — for perseverance and trust in God during thesis defenses and finals, and as they make their post-graduation plans.

… parent and grandparent John Hidley, who is battling cancer.

… parent and grandparent Joann Seeley, who has advanced cancer.

… grandparent Marilyn Toland, who is sick and dying.

… parent and grandparent Sue Van Hecke, who has various health problems.

… the repose of the soul of the following TAC parents and grandparents who have recently passed away: Phil Wilmeth, Charlie Kratz, Norm Goyette, Joe Kern, and Rachel Bacik.

… all the College’s generous benefactors, and that the College will secure the funds needed for both campuses to support the annual student financial aid fund for this academic year.

All of you remain in our prayers. God bless you!

Send prayer requests, parent news, and comments to Parents’ Association Coordinator Robert Bagdazian.