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About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas 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 College’s 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 Thomas 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 College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Uniting Catholics in Business: Karen Walker (’76)
"I would say I am more of an entrepreneur than anything else,” says Karen Walker (’76), seasoned journalist, PR professional, and founder of the Catholic Business Journal and “The Mentors Radio” show. Since graduating from the College in 1976, Ms. Walker has built a career around bringing together Catholics in the business world.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she first heard about Thomas Aquinas College while in high school through a fellow parishioner. “He eagerly approached me after Mass one Sunday to ask where I was going to college, and painted a vivid picture of the Great Books, their authors, and their depth of wisdom,” she recalls. Intrigued, she visited the College, and, struck by how different it was from any other school she had visited, made the decision to apply. “Upon attending, I felt truly free to ask and wonder about any question, confident that there would be an answer and that I could learn it, whether or not I knew the answer yet.”
In the summer after her junior year, Ms. Walker took a job with an architectural firm. When she attended daily Mass during her lunch break, she assumed she would be the only businessperson present. “To my shock, I noticed a lot of ‘suits’ in attendance: well-dressed, clearly high-level executives,” she says. “Other than my father, I had never experienced working with an ethical, Catholic business professional, so seeing all these people at Mass really made an impression on me. I wanted to know where these Catholics worked, and work for them.”
After her graduation, she earned a master’s degree in philosophy at Laval University in Quebec. From there, she soon found her niche in the world of communications, public relations, and marketing. “I love and am curious about God and the richness of our Catholic faith, people, ideas, and innovative solutions to problems,” she says. “This field was a natural fit. It was, for me, a way to connect individuals with something greater than themselves, and thereby fuel a little more hope, charity, and love in the world.”
Over the years, she worked with a variety of businesses, including a California state legislator’s office, the C.S. Lewis Foundation, the Catholic Textbook Project, LaserMonks, Inc., the Catholic Marketing Network, and her alma mater. She has also written for the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, trade journals, the National Catholic Register and other publications, and ghost-authored four books.
On the Feast of the Assumption — August 15, 2007 — Ms. Walker founded the Catholic Business Journal, LLC, which for 17 years has served Catholic business professionals with premiere, curated Catholic and business content. “I saw opportunities for faith growth at the parish level and opportunities for business growth in different industries, but I yearned for a more concrete connection between business and faith,” she explains.
“Other than my father, I had never experienced working with an ethical, Catholic business professional, so seeing all these people at Mass really made an impression on me.”
As a way to market the Catholic Business Journal as it started to grow in popularity, Ms. Walker launched “The Catholic Business Hour” radio show on EWTN. She found her host in Dick Lyles, a Catholic businessman, who interviewed guests and answered live listener questions twice weekly for eight years.
After “The Catholic Business Hour” ended its run in 2016, Ms. Walker created a new but similar program, catered to a wider audience. “The Mentors Radio,” hosted by two highly acclaimed CEOs, both Catholic, Tom Loarie and Dan Hesse, airs on San Francisco’s Salem Radio Network affiliate, iHeart Radio, and Spotify, featuring guests from all walks of life who mentor listeners by sharing their experiences, motivations, and purpose. “Listeners learn by their example: how they overcame phenomenal obstacles, built a thriving business or led a winning team, handled growth challenges, let-downs, and catastrophe, and what drives them to keep going.”
Despite not having a conventional background in entrepreneurship or communications, Ms. Walker has flourished in both fields and attributes her success to the foundation she received at Thomas Aquinas College. “My TAC education has been my rock and guide throughout my life in multiple ways,” she says. “At the College, I learned how to think and accurately evaluate ideas, that wonder is the beginning of knowledge, how to entrust to God the myriad of things I do not understand. Nothing is easy. But I try to do all for the glory of God!”