Meet the California 2026 Summer Program Prefects, Part II

We now continue to introduce the prefects for the 2026 California High School Summer Programs, which begins July 6! For previous introductions, see the Summer Blog, and to be part of this year’s program, apply now!

Riley Edwards (’28)

After her family converted to Catholicism in 2021, Riley Edwards (’28) began her college search. Intrigued by Thomas Aquinas College, she attended the High School Summer Program on the New England campus. “I had taken some classes at a community college in high school, and I found the discussion classes at TAC far more challenging and engaging,” she says. “I was really struck by the people I met and the quality of the relationships I was able to form in such a short amount of time.” She ended up enrolling as a freshman on the California campus, closer to her home state of Montana. 

With two years at Thomas Aquinas College under her belt, Riley is excited to share her experience with this year’s Summer Program attendees. “I can’t wait to meet the students, engage with them about their interests, and join them as they experience Christ’s presence in daily Mass, read and discuss works from some of the greatest minds, and see the beauty of God’s creation on campus and in the friendships they cultivate here,” she says. “I received so much hospitality when I came to TAC, so I’m hoping to give back what I received.” 

A lover of the outdoors, Riley enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee, paddleboarding on Montana’s mountain lakes — or surfing while in California — teaching gymnastics, gardening, and playing games of all kinds with friends, especially campus trivia nights.

Dominic Monnereau (’28)

“When I wasn’t yet one year old, my parents put me in a bib that said ‘TAC bound!’” jokes Dominic Monnereau (’28) of Camarillo, California. His parents and grandmother all went to Thomas Aquinas College so, when he ended up fulfilling the motif on that baby bib, he became a part of a small but growing group of third-generation TAC students.

“Seeing the incredible friendships of my parents with their college friends and the gift of education they received gave me an immediate impression that there was something great about TAC,” he says. “I love that everyone here puts their sanctity first and realizes that this institution produces good fruit because of that proper ordering.”

Dominic especially loves the wealth of theology present in the curriculum, taking a liking to the works of St. John of Damascus his sophomore year. He is no stranger to the more fun aspects of the Summer Program, though. “I will never forget the times playing basketball, busking on the Santa Barbara pier, and discussing the Great Books with the prefects on my Summer Program,” he says. “I’m looking forward to being able to return the favor this year!”

Katie Colarelli (’27)

The daughter of two alumni and sister to four more, Katie Colarelli (CA’27) grew up hearing stories about Thomas Aquinas College around the dinner table. “My initial impression of TAC was quite positive, especially as I witnessed my siblings grow stronger intellectually and, most importantly, in their faith life,” she says. Inspired by their testimony, she attended the College as well, hoping to seek the truth while growing in the same virtues she saw exemplified in her family.

Katie can’t wait to experience the fun of the Summer Program alongside this year’s attendees, as well as provide an example of how the College can impact a person, just as her parents and siblings did for her. 

“I hope to show attendees how beneficial and inspiring it is to live in such a beautiful Catholic community and be exposed to the fundamental ideas and discoveries that have shaped Western civilization,” she says. “The TAC curriculum is so valuable to anyone who wants to truly grow in his faith and intellectual life.”

Ben Caughron (’29)

Kansas City-born Ben Caughron (’29) grew up on a farm alongside his 13 brothers and sisters, working hard to help support his family and building responsibility. He attended the Summer Program before his senior year of high school but was concerned that he would not be able to speak in the classroom discussions.

“I quickly discovered that I loved talking about what we were reading,” he recalls. “There was a moment in the second week where I realized that this is my dream: lots of friends, access to the sacraments, and talking about great things every day.”

With his freshman year now complete, Ben is excited to serve as a prefect on both Summer Programs for the first time. Thanks to his competitive spirit, he is most looking forward to playing sports with the programmers, especially soccer and basketball, as well as making new friends and sharing the TAC experience. “This is such a good place,” he says, “and I want to help the students this summer understand that.”

Elizabeth van Wijk (’28)

When Elizabeth van Wijk (’28) was seven years old, her family came to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel for Mass while visiting California, not knowing anything about Thomas Aquinas College. “I have a distinct memory of sitting under the tree that used to grow in the middle of the academic quadrangle and getting this strange, serene feeling, that somehow this is what life ought to be,” she remembers.

Many years later, she returned from her home in Auckland, New Zealand, to the Summer Program, where she got her first taste of what it is like to be a TAC student. “I still think about ideas that the Summer Program readings brought to my mind in a particular way,” she says. Many of those questions she would go on to tackle again a few years later, when she enrolled as a member of the Class of 2028.

A creative at heart, Elizabeth loves reading, writing, and theater, and finds particular enjoyment in parsing the many complex texts found in the TAC curriculum. “It’s so easy to be content with reading a commentary or watching a review, ,” she says. “But I’ve learned how to receive an idea straight from the original author, without any subtly imposed opinion of another, or modification to make it more palatable to me — it’s one of the most satisfying things in the world.”
 

Rising High School Seniors:
Apply to the Summer Program!