California Tutors Visit New England for Formation, Fellowship

After the success of last year’s curriculum meeting, which brought the bicoastal faculty of Thomas Aquinas College together on the California campus, College Governor Mark Montgomery made a generous offer: He would cover the expenses for any interested California tutors and their spouses to venture to New England for a weekend of fellowship this June.

“We got to see old friends again, people who had been longtime tutors with us whom we miss,” said Brian Dragoo, a member of the California teaching faculty. Of course, they made some new friends, too. “Most of us had never met a half dozen or so of the tutors out there,” said Dr. Christopher Decaen, also of California. Added Mr. Dragoo, “We’ve heard their names, but we don’t know who they are, where they are from, what they like to talk about.” The tutors remedied that deficiency last weekend, both in classroom discussions and over cocktails, sharing life with their colleagues across the country.

The visit to Northfield, Massachusetts, was a first for many of the California tutors, who returned west with “increased excitement over the progress and potential of the New England campus,” said Dr. Decaen. “Despite rumors of long winters, I imagine that many of us wondered whether we might enjoy teaching out there — for a year.”

As an attempt to foster friendship between the faculty of the two campuses, the trip was a tremendous success. “It was great,” concluded Mr. Dragoo. “We were able to solidify connections that we already had, but make them stronger, and make our friendships a little tighter.”