by Patrick Kuplack, ’21
“Schools and universities are (as in a body) the noble and vital parts, which being vigorous and sound send good blood and active spirits into the veins and arteries, which cause health and strength; or, if feeble or ill-affected, corrupt all the vital parts; whereupon grow diseases, and in the end, death itself.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford
At the dawn of yet another academic year and only two weeks into classes, we at Thomas More College still remember those who have lately moved on 
from our halls. But the College also welcomes a host of new faces who will be our legacy, for such is the rhythm of life. Two of our newest comrades in arms, Peter Rao and Sophia Darakjy, have been gracious enough to share their backgrounds and preliminary thoughts on College life here at Thomas More.
Hailing from North Carolina, Miss Sophia Marie Darakjy is no stranger to our historic campus: she attended one of our summer programs in 2018. She is the fifth of twelve in her family and the second amongst them to enroll at TMC, preceded by her sister, Isabella, ’18. While Sophie admits that she never intended to enter Thomas More, and actually had her eye on another Catholic college, it was the mature and uplifting conversations she had with her summer program counselors (all now present seniors) which won her over. She was also greatly attracted to the size of the College: in her observation, such a small, tight-knit community translates to a proportionately small possibility for corruption and error to seep in.
Extremely happy to be a part of our unique college community, Sophie says that she is “impressed and refreshed by the uncommon ability for the men to be men and the women to be women.” She is at Thomas More, she says, “to become a fully formed adult able to live in today’s perverted society and combat the poor decisions of it.” Through the constant pursuit of wisdom at Thomas More College, and the formation afforded by both the curriculum and the community, Sophie intends to become the best Catholic woman she can be.
For freshman Peter Rao, a born and raised New Yorker, leaving high school a year early to enroll at Thomas More seems to have been exactly the right plan. The youngest to join our band of brothers, Mr. Rao made the dramatic shift from the Manhattan coast to rural New Hampshire, departing the polluted Babylon for a dip in the stream of truth, goodness, and beauty. The last of three children and the son of Dr. John Rao, a respected history professor from St. John’s University, Peter chose the College largely for the communal aspect of the culture, with the hope that through his four years here, “[he] will become someone that he is proud of.”
Deciding to come to Thomas More College was “the best decision I ever made, says Peter, “both because of the people I’ve met and the high standards of daily social behavior.” Peter is drawn to the conversational aspect of the classroom, and is impressed by how the professors guide students and allow for a more relaxed and engaging environment in which to learn. He is also impressed by the willingness of upperclassmen to give advice and assist the underclassmen—with the notable exception of the Virtus Bowl (our annual uppers vs. lowers football game), which Peter eagerly awaits. In addition, Latin is a realm that Peter can’t wait to explore in greater depth; he is eager to translate Cicero with our very own magister, Mr. Fraser. Peter admits that he “was impatient for what the College had to offer,” and that in the past two weeks he has already experienced an unparalleled rate of personal spiritual and intellectual growth.
We are grateful to both Peter and Sophie for their willingness to be interviewed. A fresh, unaffected perspective is essential for us as human beings, for to see and understand with new eyes is to again be a child, and as the Master says, are they not the greatest amongst us?
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