Meet the California 2026 Summer Program Prefects, Part I

Now that readers have met the head prefects for the initial Summer Programs in both California and New England, we would like to introduce the rest of this year’s teams. Over the next several weeks, the Summer Blog will publish weekly posts — one from each coast — about the young men and women who will lead this summer’s programs. 

It’s an amazing group, and a TAC High School Summer Program is an amazing experience. If you haven’t already, submit an application while there’s still time!

 

Jeremiah King (’27)

Jeremiah King’s (’27) first impression of Thomas Aquinas College was one of wonder. “I was struck by how beautiful it was,” he says. “By gazing on the Chapel, walking through the grounds, and seeing all the students with smiles on their faces, pursuing truth and love of God as a common goal, it was clear this was no ordinary college.” His older brother attended TAC, and after hearing his stories and determining that he wanted to pursue a Catholic liberal education, he decided to go himself. 

“What I love most about the College is that it provides an education that is not solely geared toward a career, but rather to perfecting the whole person,” Jeremiah says. On this year's two-week program, he is excited to share with attendees the readings and propositions that endeared him to a life of seeking knowledge for its own sake, as well as the sense of brotherhood he found while attending the High School Summer Program. 

 

Riley Seeley (’28)

“I never thought of TAC as an option for college,” says Riley Seeley (’28), who learned about Thomas Aquinas College through some family friends. She attended a Summer Program, anyway, and found herself enjoying it much more than she thought she would. “It brought the curriculum to my attention, specifically the emphasis on the Great Books,” she says. “I realized I had completely misjudged TAC and began my application.” 

Among her many revelations on her Summer Program, Riley was especially interested in the unified nature of life at the College. “What struck me most is the intricate interconnectedness at TAC: the curriculum, Socratic learning, the Faith, and the student body were like parts of a puzzle, with each piece enhancing the others in a way that was captivating to me.” This is her second time serving as a Summer Program prefect, so she is looking forward to making new friends and having deep conversations about the truth with this year’s attendees at both California programs.

 

Xavier Grimm (’27)

Xavier Grimm (’27) is no stranger to Thomas Aquinas College. As a California native and son of alumni, he had always seen the College as a good option for further education. It was a visit to classes, however, that convinced him to attend. “Hearing the intriguing discussions and seeing the community of exceptional, authentically Catholic individuals really made an impression on me.” In particular, he was also attracted to the lifestyle centered around the Catholic faith. “I love the high availability of the sacraments,” he says. “There is an inherent focus on the Faith, even in the architecture, with the steeple of the Chapel rising well above the rest of the campus.”

A Summer Program alumnus himself, Xavier believes it offers a great opportunity for personal development, from playing soccer to living in the residence halls. “It is a unique experience to be surrounded by 50 or more like-minded men and women in everyday life, whether you are brushing your teeth or in an impromptu jam session with two guys on guitar and a handful more on vocals.” Xavier loves sports of all kinds and can't wait to experience all of the one-week program’s activities with this year’s attendees!

 

Adeline Fellona (’28)

Growing up in a military family, Adeline Fellona (’28) has called many different countries and states home over the years, from Germany, Spain, and Italy to Texas, South Carolina, and, as a rising junior at Thomas Aquinas College, now California. Amidst her globetrotting, Adeline had time to explore her love for music and theater, and, at the College, she enjoys playing the saxophone and performing in plays and musicals. 

After her own experience as a student on the Summer Program, she joyfully looks forward to serving as a prefect once again. “When I came, I totally fell in love with the school,” she remembers. “I felt really at peace when I was on campus. You really feel like you're doing something important here in the pursuit of truth.” This summer, she hopes others will experience “a new peace and a new way of looking at the world through the questions that we ask.” She is excited to make new friends and explore the Getty Center with attendees from both programs on their day trip into Los Angeles. 

 

Luke Connelly (’27)

“This is exactly where I need to be,” rising senior Luke Connelly (’27) remembers thinking on his first Great Books Summer Program. Growing up in Tacoma, Washington, Luke decided that he wanted to attend a college that would strengthen his faith, not just earn him a prestigious degree. At the Summer Program, he found what he was looking for: a community that challenged him to grow both in his faith and as a whole person. “I’d never felt so fulfilled in every aspect of my life,” he says. “I felt like I was trying myself and testing myself rigorously and intellectually, but also spiritually, and in every aspect. I have found seriously pursuing the intellectual life to be the most fulfilling and most fully alive experience of my life.”

Luke enjoys researching American history, teaching and training in jiujitsu, and finding adventures in the great outdoors. A talented cook, he is well known on campus as the mastermind behind the Meat Club, which brings students together for a barbecue dinner once a week. “The Summer Program is a really great time just to be able to share all the goods of the community that TAC has to offer,” he says. Look for Luke at the two-week California Summer Program!

 

Sofía O’Reilly (’27)

The first time Sofía O’Reilly (’27) visited Thomas Aquinas College, she was nine years old, unable to speak English, and very far from her home country of Argentina. Many years later, she returned as a Summer Program attendee, giving the College a try, but sure she would attend veterinary school in the fall. “I had imagined college as just a place to study — read, discuss, repeat — but when I came to the Summer Program, I realized it was so much more,” she says. “I decided to come to TAC because I saw that seeking truth is possible, that God was showing me this was where I could find it.” One month later, she entered her first seminar as a member of the Class of 2027. 

Now, Sofía is excited to welcome both groups of this year's programmers and share her love of the College with them. “I hope that all the attendees leave campus with a love for truth, new friends to help each other get to Heaven, and renewed hope that, no matter how ugly things get in the world, Christ is always with us and the gates of Hades will not prevail against His church.” 

 

Rising High School Seniors:
Apply to the Summer Program!