Parent’s Corner: A Pandemic Postscript

By Patrick Egan

Although we live in New York City, where we experienced much of the worst of Covid-19 and the lockdowns, the pandemic ended up bringing unexpected blessings to the Egan family. Even amidst tragedy, God still works His wonders — as He did for us in the spring of 2020.

Our eldest child, Georgiana, had enjoyed the Thomas Aquinas College High School Summer Program, but this 17-year-old, soon-to-be high-school graduate had her heart set on a larger school in an urban setting. My wife and I were unsure about Georgie starting college so young, and we did not want to throw our lamb to the wolves at a secular school. So we decided to defer matriculation for a year. Our plan was for her to learn a new language while traveling in Europe. Our prayer was that we could convince her to go to TAC.

“I will never forget how my wife, after receiving a phone call from Georgiana in late October, hung up the phone and smiled. Georgie had asked if we would agree to let her stay at TAC for all four years!”

Then Covid arrived. Georgie had a virtual high-school graduation via Zoom, and travel was now impossible. We were left with a sulking teenager trapped at home.

In August, though, my wife had an inspired idea: Might TAC have room for Georgiana in the incoming class?

A side effect of the pandemic’s travel restrictions was that they prevented a few members of that year’s freshman class from entering the country. Their loss was our gain. Georgiana started at TAC-New England three weeks later. She was eager to escape the lockdowns and our apartment, but TAC, for her, was temporary. She looked at the next year as a fifth year of high school — a welcome detour en route to her big-city, secular education.

Within a month, Georgiana had settled into life at TAC. She had made friends and was enjoying her classes, her classmates, and her tutors. She had always loved reading, and she was a good writer, so she thrived in an environment where she could join “The Great Conversation.” We could see the graces at work.

I will never forget how my wife, after receiving a phone call from Georgiana in late October, hung up the phone and smiled. Georgie had asked if we would agree to let her stay at TAC for all four years! We laughed and then thanked Our Lady, who had brought this all to fruition. Our daughter would now attend a college steeped in the Catholic faith, while also receiving an incredible education. We were ecstatic.

Yet the blessings were even greater than we realized. Georgiana flowered as she was able to excel in a small-class environment with intense discussions. I was amazed at her confidence and knowledge when we would discuss her classes or current topics during her visits home, and her spiritual life advanced.

All of this crystallized for me during a tutor’s welcoming talk at our son Sebastiano’s Summer Program in 2022. The tutor told us how, after visiting TAC for a week, a faculty member from St. John’s College had identified the major difference between the two schools. Both colleges teach the Great Books in a discussion format, this tutor explained, but TAC orients all of its teaching toward truth — the Truth, Jesus Christ.

There it is. How can that be surpassed? My wife and I have spent our married lives trying our best to educate our children and instill in them the Catholic faith. The College continues this mission and then returns them to us as educated, faithful adults who know how to think critically.

So, here we are, a few years from Covid. Georgiana has flourished during her time at TAC and will be graduating this year. Sebastiano followed in her footsteps and is now a freshman. Maddalena, who attended the Summer Program this past summer, has decided to apply early. We hope that Agnese, our eighth grader, will follow the same path.

For us and, I pray, for many others, Covid came with a silver lining. It began our family’s affiliation with Thomas Aquinas College. May that relationship continue for many years to come.