An Interview with Paul Griffin
(Winter 2006 Newsletter)
Q. What is it that makes Thomas Aquinas College different
from other colleges?
A: I first learned about the College through Tom Dillon when
I joined the Ventura/L.A. North Chapter of Legatus.
Tom was already a member and he would often tell me about
Thomas Aquinas College and how different it was from other
institutions of higher education. I have to admit, he made
it sound too good to be true—it was hard to believe that
there really was a place that was committed to quiet, serious
study of the Great Books and was also committed to the teachings
of the Church.
When I visited Thomas Aquinas College for the first time,
I found it just as Tom had described. I found students who
were not only intellectually strong, but were willing to grapple
with the bigger questions of life as well. In my mind, that
certainly makes Thomas Aquinas College a cut above other colleges.
I’ve been a member of the Board of Governors since 1999,
and being in real estate and construction, it’s a natural
for me to be on the Campus Planning Committee, working closely
with Dr. Dillon, Peter DeLuca, and Chairman of the Board,
Maria Grant. Watching the campus grow before my eyes has been
very gratifying.
Q. Do you have any advice for the students at Thomas
Aquinas College?
A: One thing that has always bothered me is that I see so
many people who may be very engaged in their Christian faith
but aren’t necessarily high achievers in other facets
of life. On the other hand, there are those I have encountered
in the business world who are high achievers but don’t
take their Christian faith very seriously. It makes me think
of Christ’s warning that if we are given talents we’re
expected to do something with them.
The way I see it, Christians are supposed to be the leaders,
the top businessmen and top politicians. I’d like to
encourage the students of Thomas Aquinas College to work hard
in school so as to be prepared to graduate and go into the
world to become those business and political leaders.
Q. Do you think Thomas Aquinas College students are
better-equipped to face such a challenge?
A: Absolutely. The most important thing in a person’s
life is his relationship with the Father. But a lot of young
people who go off to college forget that. They come from good,
Christian homes, but then they find themselves on most college
campuses where the relationship with God is not stressed.
That’s what I love about Thomas Aquinas College. It makes
no bones about what it thinks is the most important thing
in its students’ lives—that our entire existence
is about nurturing that relationship with the Father.
When you combine that strong faith with the intellectual
formation students receive, you have a very powerful formula
for personal and professional success. This goes back to what
I talked about earlier, because our Father wants us to be
top achievers. He wants us to take those talents that Jesus
spoke about in parables and put them to practical, good use
in the world He made for us.
Q. What kind of future do you see for graduates of
Thomas Aquinas College?
A: The reason I’m on the Board, the reason I’m donating
time and effort to the College, is because I fully expect
the students of Thomas Aquinas College to be the next generation
of real estate developers, business owners, lawyers, and so
on. I expect them to become bigger and more successful than
I could ever hope to be. At the same time, I believe this
College will continue to produce the educators, religious,
and priests that will make the Church stronger and more vibrant.
If you were to take all of this education and all of these
resources and go and live in a small community, having nothing
to do with the rest of the world, I don’t think God would
be very pleased at the end of your life when you tried to
give an account for what He had given you. But I think Thomas
Aquinas College graduates will be able to hold their heads
up high because they will be taking the faith and reason they
develop here and making a real difference out in the world.
That’s why I’m on the Board, and that is why I love
Thomas Aquinas College.
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Winter 2006
|
