uina Aq s s C a o l Thomas Aquinas College Newsletter m l e o g h e T Commencement 2019 Volume 47, Issue 2 1971 Faith and Magnanimity Bishop Barron, College Celebrate 45th Graduating Class at Commencement 2019 t seems to me that the entire purpose of our education, we are responsible for “Iof the program here at Thomas Aqui- putting on Christ and radiating His light to nas College is to produce magnanimous the world.” people, young women and men of great souls,” the Most Rev. Robert E. Barron told The Medallion the 83 graduates at Commencement 2019. As part of the Commencement exer- Such people, the Commencement Speaker cises, the College honored Bishop Barron explained, are “capable of high moral for his own magnanimous work, most achievement, willing and able to undertake notably in new media, by presenting him arduous tasks for which they will rightly with its highest honor, the Saint Thomas merit great honor.” Aquinas Medallion. “Before taking leave This theme of magnanimity arose of His Apostles, Our Lord charged them repeatedly throughout the day, explicitly at with a solemn mission: to ‘go into the times, implicitly at others, to describe the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to quality that members of the Class of 2019 every creature,’” said President Michael F. can — and must — bring to the world McLean. “Today we have with us a suc- in their vocations, in their careers, and as cessor of the Apostles who, in a manner alumni of Thomas Aquinas College. clad in academic regalia — processed into Our Lady of they could not possibly have imagined, is following their An Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles and the founder the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, the Thomas Aquinas Col- example and carrying out Our Lord’s parting mandate to of the Word on Fire global media ministry, Bishop Bar- lege Choir sang, in Latin, of the Holy Spirit: Come down, a remarkable extent.” ron spoke to an audience of more than a thousand gradu- O Love Divine, seek Thou this soul of mine! After his address, His Excellency blessed the diplomas ates, faculty, and guests on the morning of May 11. He Bishop Barron also presided at the ensuing Com- before distributing them, one at a time, to the graduates. cited the College’s patron, St. Thomas Aquinas, to define mencement ceremony, where he described the “chal- Dr. McLean then concluded the program by delivering magnanimity as “the performance of those moral acts lenges that call forth heroic moral excellence,” chief another call to magnanimity, this one in the form of the that are particularly hard to perform.” Moreover, he among them, scandal in the Church and a loss of faith College’s 45-year-old Charge to the Graduates, authored encouraged the graduates to seek out such challenges. among the young. “It is my conviction that this is not the by its founding president, Dr. Ronald P. McArthur. “As alumni of Thomas Aquinas College,” he argued, “you time to leave; this is the time to fight,” he declared. “And “You are charged this day with maintaining, defend- will be uniquely positioned to do so.” here I call upon every magnanimous graduate sitting here ing, and protecting your Catholic heritage, its faith, its before me today!” hope, its charity, and all its learning and culture,” said Magnanimity and Providence In an unplanned, providential display of thematic har- Dr. McLean. “May God bless you on your way.” The College’s 45th Commencement exercises began mony, Class Speaker Benjamin Trull (’19) also spoke of that morning with the Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy magnanimity. “To know Christ is to come to resemble Commencement 2019 Spirit, where His Excellency, vested in red, served as the Him, and in resembling Him we come to join Him in Video, audio, photo slideshows & more: principal celebrant and homilist. As the seniors, followed being the light of the world,” he said. “In this respect, thomasaquinas.edu/commencement2019 by members of the faculty and Board of Governors — all we must be noble-minded and magnanimous. In virtue Semper Fidelis, Alma Mater Minutes after Commencement, Two Graduates Accept Marine Corps Commissions t the start of this year’s Commence- chosen how they will use and protect Amid bursts of applause, the new Ament exercises, one of the graduat- what they have gained.” officers took their oaths. They then each ing seniors, Patrick Nazeck (’19), led Over the summer vacation between had single gold bars affixed to their uni- attendees in saying the Pledge of Alle- their junior and senior years, the two forms — 2nd Lt. Macik by his parents, and giance. His classmates had chosen him friends traveled to Quantico, Virginia, 2nd Lt. Nazeck by his mother and fian- for this honor because of his patriotism for 10 weeks at the U.S. Marine Corps cée. They also received their first salutes: and his profound sense of duty — both Officer Candidates School. There they 2nd Lt. Macik from Sgt. Coughlin, and 2nd of which would be on display just a few underwent a relentless regimen of physi- Lt. Nazeck from his father. hours later. cal exertion, sleep deprivation, and The newly commissioned officers will Only minutes after the graduation Capt. Jerry Lademan (’09) administers constant evaluation intended to induce next report to Quantico, Virginia, for six festivities were finished, Mr. Nazeck and the U.S. Marine Corps Oath of stress. The purpose of these trials, accord- months of additional training at the Basic Enlistment to Thomas Macik (’19) classmate Thomas Macik returned to the ing to the school’s mission statement, is School, followed by more specialized and Patrick Nazeck (’19) shortly after stage on the academic quadrangle for their graduation from Thomas Aquinas to ensure that candidates “possess the training, before leading their first units in a very different sort of ceremony. Sur- College. moral, intellectual, and physical qualities the Fleet Marine Force. rounded by family and classmates, the for commissioning, and the leadership “This is not an obligation which they two new alumni took their oaths and to welcome the new graduates into the potential to serve successfully.” enter into lightly,” said Capt. Lademan, accepted their commissions as members Corps. Clearly, the new Thomas Aquinas citing their study, while at the College, of the United States Marine Corps. “For the past four years, Thomas and College graduates passed muster, as evi- of the country’s founding documents. In the last decade, eight Thomas Patrick have studied works of the great- denced by the delegation of Marines who “They, more than many of their peers Aquinas College alumni have joined the est minds in history, in the proud Socratic accompanied Capt. Lademan to present who are getting commissioned into the ranks of Marine Corps officers. Fittingly, tradition of free intellectual exchange and their commissions from the President of Armed Services across the country, now it was one of those fellow alumni officers dialectical learning,” said Capt. Lademan. the United States. These included fellow enter into this sacred obligation with full who presented 2nd Lt. Macik and 2nd Lt. “Now they are acting on the knowledge alumni Sgt. Benedict Coughlin (’15) and knowledge of the origins and basis of their Nazeck with their commissions. Capt. that they have been privileged to gain by 2nd Lt. Thomas Matthews (’17). Also on service. They have a firm understanding Jerry Lademan (’09) returned to his alma pledging their time, talents, and lives in hand for the occasion was 2nd Lt. Nazeck’s of the common goods of our country and mater, ten years after his own gradua- defense of our great country. They have father, Petty Officer Mark Nazeck, USN, our religion, and have made the conscious tion, this time to administer the oath and gained the beginning of wisdom and have Retired. choice to defend them.” thomasaquinas.edu | 805–525–4417 Senior Reflections From Second-Time Freshman to Physician Note: The following essay is adapted from remarks made to philosophy and the liberal arts as a means to finding the non-living, and the nature of the soul — questions which the Thomas Aquinas College Board of Governors at its meet- truth — a means very harmonious with theology. Never- were unvoiced and assumed in my previous classes. ing on May 10, 2019. theless, when I graduated from high school I chose to go I have had many wonderful tutors during my time to the University of California, Los Angeles, as a biology here. Their wisdom and humility have made the voca- By Bella Ayala (’19) major because I believed that it would give me the best tion of Christ the teacher come alive to me. I especially chance at pursuing a career in medicine. enjoyed the tradition of section dinners, in which stu- ood afternoon; it is Two years later, I was doing well academically but dents visit their tutors’ homes for good food and conver- Ggreat to be with you sensed that something was missing. I was tired of sub- sation. Their lovely families are wonderful witnesses to today. My last four years ordinating my studies to a specific career goal, and so the beautiful vocation of marriage. have been a wonderful many things reminded me of Thomas Aquinas College, I have also learned a lot from my fellow students blessing for me, and they such as an honors elective I took on great literature. I and have been motivated by their enthusiasm. They are would not have been was also president of the UCLA Pro-Life Club, and dur- always willing to have a deep discussion both in and out- possible without you.