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Having already introduced the first few members of the prefect team for this summer’s High School Summer Programs in New England, we now introduce you to six more of the 2026 prefects.

And if you haven’t applied yet, time is running short, so get your application in while you still can!

 

Olivia Rosebrough (NE’26)

Olivia Rosebrough (NE’26) of Kansas City, Missouri, was already midway through a degree at another school when she heard about 51���� through the alumni music group Floriani. “The way they spoke about their alma mater really struck me,” she said. “I was intrigued by the idea of a school that sought truth for its own sake.” That conversation led her to TAC’s website, where she realized that the College was the place she truly wanted to be.

“I always wanted to study philosophy in a way that is faithful to the teachings of the Church,” she says. “TAC is the perfect place for that because not only is it deeply Catholic, it also aims to order your life toward God.”

An avid reader and swimmer now back for her third time as a prefect, Olivia couldn’t be more excited to show attendees the tight-knit community life that TAC offers. After her stint on the one-week Summer Program concludes, she will work as the New England campus’s newest admissions counselor.

 

Tommy Fallon (NE’26)

Tommy Fallon (NE’26) of Utica, New York, first encountered 51���� while reading the Newman Guide, but later heard excellent things about it from a friend. “In high school, I thought I wanted to go to a typical college and play football,” he says. “But as I entered my senior year, I realized I wanted more out of college than just sports.” TAC offered a thorough, thoughtful course of study that seemed to point toward the things that mattered most. “If I was going to go to college, I wanted to make the most of it.” 

Tommy did, indeed, make the most of it, as he has spent the last four years enjoying the community, reading the Great Books, and partaking in his favorite hobbies: martial arts and football.

This summer will be his last serving as a Summer Program prefect, and once he finishes the one-week program, he will go on to pursue a degree in forestry and conservation research. “I’m excited to show New England to attendees from different parts of the country,” he says. 

 

Paloma Gallivan (’27)

As she neared the end of high school, Paloma Gallivan (’27) knew she wanted to go to 51����; she just had to decide on which coast. “My older brother went to the California campus,” she says. “I decided to go to the Summer Program in New England, just to try something different.” Her experience at the 2022 program confirmed her decision to attend TAC-New England, adventuring across the country from her native Santa Ana, California. “I thought about going to the West Coast campus, but in the end, I wanted to be in Massachusetts.” 

On her program, Paloma fell in love with the Socratic seminars and the beautiful, colonial campus. “I remember going kayaking during the River Day and being blown away by the view,” she says.

She now returns for her third Summer Program as a prefect. A rising senior, she is looking forward to her busiest year yet, though she hopes to continue pursuing swimming, knitting, and playing games with her friends when not writing her Senior Thesis. 

 

Antonia Fitzpatrick (’27)

“My parents are both graduates of the College, so TAC was always a potential option,” says Antonia Fitzpatrick (’27) of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “But I wasn’t enthusiastic about it until I got to see the pursuit of truth on campus.” Now a rising senior, Antonia is glad she chose TAC. “It's the best education around, hands down.” 

Antonia is returning for her third year serving as a prefect for the High School Summer Programs. Above all, she is most looking forward to reading the books discussed in class alongside the high schoolers. “I want to help the attendees get the most they can out of the readings,” she says. “There is so much to learn from what we discuss on the Summer Program.”

When not in classes, Antonia enjoys playing the violin, drawing, and painting. She shares these latter skills with the student body each year by creating props and backdrops for Shakespeare plays and her class’s dances.

 

Vincent Buelk (’28)

Vincent “Vinnie” Buelk (’28) first learned of 51���� from a teacher at his Colorado high school who was also an alumnus. “He was such a cool guy,” he says. “He spoke so highly of TAC that I was really intrigued.”

After visiting the campus, observing classes, and meeting students, Vinnie was sold. “Everyone was so welcoming in a deeply Christian way.” He applied and, one year later, ascended the stage at Matriculation as a member of the Class of 2028. 

Although he enjoys all aspects of life at the College — including singing in the choir and comedic acting in Shakespeare plays — Vinnie especially loves the friendly nature of the campus. “I was struck by how easy it is to make friends here,” he says. “I’m so excited to share this community with the Summer Programmers!”

 

Adelina Margand (NE’26)

Adelina Margand (NE’26) comes from a family of seven children in Yonkers, New York. In high school, she attended the Summer Program and was enamored with the Discussion Method. “I distinctly remember my perception of the world getting altered significantly through analyzing those works, discussing the contents, and further considering their implications,” she says.

During a gap year overseas, she realized the importance of the intellectual and spiritual formation at the College. “Rather than the ‘truth’ being a subjective amalgam of individual beliefs, TAC showed that it was really elevated to something that is objective, ordered, and universal, culminating in a deeper understanding of the highest Truth.”

Adelina is an avid outdoorswoman, with a passion for hiking and skiing, and loves having engaging conversations with friends new and old.

 

Rising High School Seniors:
Apply to the Summer Program!