Meet High School Summer Program Prefects! (1 of 2)

The 2023 New England High School Summer Program is less than three weeks away! The program’s prefects — all students and recent graduates of Thomas Aquinas College — cannot wait to meet this year’s attendees. We have already introduced the head prefects, and now you can begin to “meet” the others, in this first of three installments.

There are still a few spots remaining for this year’s expanded New England program, so if you are interested, apply today!

“I wasn’t considering Catholic colleges, because I had gone to a Catholic high school, and it seemed like all people did was complain about the rules,” says Teresa Bingham (’26). With an interest in entering the field of neuroscience, she considered attending a secular college while nurturing her faith at a reliable Newman Center. When she heard about Thomas Aquinas College, however, she was impressed by its treatment of her converging fascinations with science and mathematics. “Learning math from the beginning and working your way forward was such a genius concept,” she says. Teresa hopes to pursue a career in neuroscience, but after a year at the College, she is grateful she opted for a liberal education, as opposed to specializing right out of the gate: “What I want to know about is the connection between the brain and rationality, which is a very TAC-type question!” Between her interests in math and science and her background in competitive swimming, Teresa will be an enthusiastic prefect this summer.

Matthew Bohrer (’26) hails from Geneva, New York, along the shores of Seneca Lake. He heard about Thomas Aquinas College as a sophomore in high school but did not seriously consider coming to the College until he attended the Summer Program in 2021. In addition to delighting in the academic life of the College, Matthew has enjoyed the theatrical and musical opportunities available, as well. “I am very interested in attending musical theater school after TAC, so it was exciting when I performed as the lead role in the College's production of Twelfth Night,” he says. Recognizing his own debt to the Summer Program, he adds, “I am very excited to be serving as a prefect this year.” He is thrilled to share his creative and intellectual enthusiasm with attendees.

“Sometime in high school, I became enamored with philosophy and theology, and knew that I wanted to study more of it,” says Samuel Peterson (’25). Alongside that desire, however, Samuel found himself hoping to study law. Fortunately, he could follow both interests at Thomas Aquinas College. “A couple lawyers who were family friends told me that a liberal education was actually the best option in terms of properly preparing my mind to analyze and synthesize courtroom arguments,” says Samuel. “While I wasn’t completely convinced, I ended up giving it a shot — and it has surpassed my expectations in almost every way.” In addition to his academic interests, Samuel is an avid athlete. “My sports of choice are football, rugby, soccer, and basketball, but I will play anything. My favorite sport is MMA, and I practice jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and boxing,” he says, adding with a laugh, “So don’t mess with me!”

Tyler Getlik (’24) attended a public high school, which, he says, soured his attitude toward education. “I hated it so much that I thought I would not go to college, because I thought it would be a repeat of high school,” he explains. “I had no experience with liberal education but was trying to study philosophy on my own.” Tyler’s suspicion of higher education might have extended even to the College but for the recommendation of Rev. John Berg, F.S.S.P. “I was willing to try TAC, since it seemed like a place where I could be guided by Catholic teachers to a proper understanding of philosophy,” he says. He is glad he relented. “I have greatly enjoyed the program! My understanding of the importance of education has totally changed,” he says. In addition to philosophy, Tyler loves mountain climbing and open-water swimming, and he hopes to experience the great outdoors with many of this year’s attendees.

Growing up on a farm in Massachusetts, Margaret Scheurer (’26) never expected to study at Thomas Aquinas College, not even when her older sister ventured down that unlikely path. It was only when she was persuaded to visit the College for an open house weekend in February 2022 that her resolve began to waver. “I had a chance to meet and interact with the students and faculty,” she says. They were so kind and welcoming that I immediately felt like they were family, unlike the other colleges I had been considering.” Now as a rising sophomore, Margaret has enjoyed her forays into philosophy and theology, as well as into the warm community, and looks forward to sharing all that it best about the College with attendees.

Lifelong Connecticuter that she is, Emily Peter (’25) had her heart set on attending the University of Connecticut. But midway through the spring of 2021, Emily’s mother discovered that the College had opened a new campus less than 100 miles away and suggested that Emily visit. “It wasn’t a life-changing experience, but I decided to apply as soon as I got back!” says Emily. Applying somewhat late, she expected to land on a waitlist — and was pleasantly surprised when she was accepted soon after. “It seemed like a sign,” she laughs. If any Summer Program attendees are apprehensive about the College, they are in good company: “When I got to school on my first day, I didn’t know what to expect,” she laughs. “It was very unlike myself to jump into something so unknown.” Her nerve, however, has been amply rewarded. “I have come to love the classes and the community!”

When Pedro Kair Medeiros da Silva (’25) converted to Catholicism, he knew he wanted to dive into as much theology as he could. “But as St. Thomas says, one doesn’t go directly to the sea,” he remarks. “You have to start in the rivers.” Searching out the rivers led Pedro first to the Institute of Hugh of St. Victor, an online learning initiative in his native Brazil, which ferried him toward Thomas Aquinas College. “They told me that one of their former students was studying in probably the only place in the world that could give me the education that I wanted,” he laughs. Now a rising junior, Pedro’s interest in education has only increased, and he has begun to give back. “In early April, I gave a talk to the first national conference of homeschoolers of Brazil,” he says. Alongside all things relating to classical education, Pedro is serious soccer player, “as a good Brazilian should be!”