Introducing the Head Prefects for California’s 2026 High School Summer Programs!

Rising high school seniors are invited to experience Thomas Aquinas College this summer at the Great Books Programs for High School Students, with one- and two-week offerings on both the California and New England campuses. Throughout the programs, students will get to partake in the College’s unique classroom experience, its rich spiritual life, and the deep friendships forged within this community of faith and fellowship. 

Leading the way are the prefects, a team of current students and recent graduates who share their love of the College with the visiting “programmers.” In the weeks ahead, the Summer Program blog will introduce all of this summer’s prefects for both campuses. For today, though, we begin with the head prefects for this summer’s California programs, set for July 5-18 and July 26-August 2.

A few spots remain for all programs in California and New England, so it’s not too late to apply!

Monica Weinkopf (CA’25)

Serving as the head women’s prefect for the two-week Summer Program is Monica Weinkopf (CA’25). The oldest of seven children from nearby Santa Paula, Monica often visited the College growing up, and in 2020 she attended the Summer Program for herself. “Once I sat around those tables for the first time, there was no going back for me,” she says.

Monica especially loves how classroom discussions often overflow into daily life. “To get to seek out truth around a table of friends your own age, who were grappling with the same big questions, was both eye-opening and delightful,” she reflects. “Over the next four years, tucked away in the mountains and into small seminar discussions, I found my world bursting open, so much bigger and richer than I had ever believed.” For the last year, she has served as a FOCUS missionary at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Monica has worked as a prefect on three Summer Programs and finds the experience richer every time. “There is always a joy and unity in working with the other prefects, and I know this is nothing but a fruit of the shared formation and curriculum of TAC,” she says. A great part of that joy derives from introducing the College to newcomers. “I absolutely love the chance to welcome the Summer Program students into these friendships and to make our home theirs — whether for two weeks or for four years!”

Patrick Daly (CA’26)

The son of the College’s California Admissions Director, Patrick Daly (CA’26) thought he had a good idea what Thomas Aquinas College was all about … and he wasn’t interested. “It came up as an option for college, but as a young teenager wanting to get away, it wasn’t appealing to me,” he says.

Nevertheless, Patrick attended the 2021 Summer Program. “Almost immediately, I felt like there was this whole world around me I didn’t understand at all, and the two weeks I was there were very fruitful and exciting in the best and most pure way possible. The way I was thinking about college completely changed.” His view of the College flipped, too, and he knew it was the school for him. 

Patrick especially loves the small size of the student body, which allows for lots of close friendships and a unified community. “As a student, it’s really beneficial to have a close-knit community, because you know everyone is having the same experience as you,” he says. “You can really see how dedicated and happy everyone is, and the Summer Program gives you a chance to be a part of that.” He looks forward to serving as the head men’s prefect for the two-week program and, later, as the male resident director on the New England campus for the 2026-27 academic year.

Elena Walz (CA’26)

Lifelong Californian Elena Walz (CA’26) will serve as the head women’s prefect at the one-week Summer Program. Having had no prior connection to the College, she now regards learning about the Summer Program — just days before it commenced in 2021 — as an act of Providence. Her sudden encounter with the Great Books was as transformative as it was unexpected. “I pushed myself in high school, but I wasn’t fulfilled by that,” she says. “There was this shared goal of learning at TAC that I found, and I loved the type of people I found here. Their authenticity was lifechanging.”

Elena has been honored to serve as a prefect since 2023, as well as head women’s prefect for the two-week programs in 2024 and 2025, paying forward the gift she received in 2021. “Next year, I’ll be teaching high school math at the St. Jerome Institute in Washington, D.C., and working with the St. Thomas More Teaching Fellowship,” she shares. “My experience of helping with Euclid on the Summer Program has been really formative in my desire to teach. I’m so excited to go through Euclid with the students one more time!” In addition to sharing the curriculum, Elena looks forward to the long afternoons of recreation under the sun, ready to go head-to-head on the volleyball court.

Basil Gutch (CA’28)

Heading the one-week program for the men is Basil Gutch (CA’28), who took a gap year after finishing high school to travel the United States. During his journey on the West Coast, he stayed on the California campus with a friend for a week. While there, he decided to sit in on some classes and was blown away by the questions brought to the table. “I was on the edge about going until I opened an admissions pamphlet, and it said on the top, ‘The truth will set you free,’” he recalls. “I had been traveling to find freedom, and there was the real recipe: I need to be free. Then and there, I decided to send in an application so that I could learn the truth to be free.” 

A second-time Summer Program prefecting veteran, Basil looks forward to his first year serving as one of its leaders. “I’ve never heard a single person say they regret going to the Summer Program, even if they didn’t end up going to TAC,” he says. “I hope to show all the high schoolers a glimpse of the paradise we live in, both physically, but also mentally and spiritually.” 

Rising High School Seniors:
Apply to the Summer Program!