College Hosts First California Alumni & Parent Day in Three Years!

California

October 14, 2022

Last Saturday marked a homecoming of sorts for many alumni — and a reunion between parents and current students — at Thomas Aquinas College, California. Hundreds gathered on the Santa Paula campus for the return of Alumni & Parent Day after a three-year hiatus.

“Due to a regional power outage in 2019, followed by two years of Covid restrictions, this was our first California Alumni & Parent Day since 2018,” said Robert Bagdazian, the College’s director of alumni and parent relations. “Our Alumni and Parents’ associations did a beautiful job of hosting the event, and it was wonderful to have everyone back on campus once again.”

Beginning at 9:00 a.m., guests began checking in outside St. Thomas Hall. Head Chaplain Rev. Robert Marczewski then offered Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel to start the day with prayer:

At the following brunch in St. Joseph Commons, guests heard from Mr. Bagdazian as well as the president of the Parents’ Association, Paula Cummings, and Alumni Association Vice President Peter Lafave (’13). As the meal wrapped up, children headed off to numerous activities arranged by the College’s students, including a bouncy house and slip-n-slide!

Family Activities

Meanwhile, parents and alumni participated in a seminar on the College’s founding and governing document, A Proposal for the Fulfillment of Catholic Liberal Education. For alumni, the seminar would be a fun return to form; for parents who did not attend the College, however, it was a first taste of their children’s everyday experience of the Discussion Method. Afterward, the various groups enjoyed a reception in St. Cecilia’s Hall, complete with refreshments and further discussion.

Seminar and Reception

Once the reception ended, the group took to the Skinner Coffee Shop patio and enjoyed alumni-produced wines, cheese, and crackers at a discussion on wealth management led by the College’s director of gift planning, Paul Blewett (’85), and certified financial planner Tom Ellis (’98).

Wine-Tasting

From there, guests made their way over to the Pope St. John Paul II Athletic Center for a rousing showdown on the basketball court between current students and a team of parents and alumni, headed by Rev. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem. (’94). The game was tight, with parents and alumni holding their own against the students, but as the second half got under way, the students surged ahead and took the victory.

Basketball

At the following reception on the St. Gladys Hall patio, alumni, parents, and their student children enjoyed conversation and refreshments, and Dean John J. Goyette took a moment to address the group and answer questions.

Reception on St. Gladys Patio

As the sun began to drop behind the hills, groups of students, families, and alumni socialized over a barbeque dinner on the campus green …

All-School BBQ

… followed by an ice-cream social outside St. Joseph Commons:

Ice Cream Social

The return of this beloved TAC tradition was a great success! As alumna and parent Caroline (Burnham ’00) King put it, “The best part of the alumni day was seeing my children, who are current students, thriving at my alma mater.”