By Jacinta Sigaud ’26, Publications Intern
As the clock ticks down to the final year, the last summer of college often becomes a unique opportunity for growth, exploration, and the forging of futures. Four members of the class of 2026 sat down to speak about the eventful time they spent outside of the classroom and the lessons they learned.
For Anastasia Shanahan ’26, the summer represented a chance to get involved in politics in Washington, D.C. Miss Shanahan interned with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, an organization whose mission is to prepare and promote young conservative women leaders. When Miss Shanahan was told that she had been selected from a competitive group of applicants because she had been deemed to be “philosophically sound,” her first thought was: “That’s because I go to Thomas More College.” Surrounded by a diverse number of people from different educational backgrounds, Miss Shanahan was able to reflect on the value of a liberal arts education in a world that “doesn’t know what freedom means.” Rather than offering a set of specific skills, Miss Shanahan realized she contributed a unique perspective on the principles that shape American life because of her formation at TMC. From visiting the United Nations in New York City to helping plan the center’s D.C. summit, Miss Shanahan’s summer was packed with challenging and enriching experiences. The internship proved to be the best place for her to “learn valuable skills and experience the sort of difference women can make in the world.”
Originally from New York City, Logan Basta ’26 had the opportunity to live and work in Rome over the summer. After forging a friendship with Fr. Joseph Hamilton, who teaches Latin to Thomas More College students during their Rome semester, Mr. Basta returned to the Eternal City following his junior year to work full time as a sacristan and tour guide. “I want to give credit to the Rome semester for allowing this opportunity,” Mr. Basta said. “We were fortunate to have Fr. Hamilton, who was a really positive example for the whole class. A number of us would serve Mass for him and a relationship grew.” In addition to serving Mass and Adoration for Fr. Hamilton, Mr. Basta supplemented his time by leading tours of St. Peter’s Basilica. “Because it was a Jubilee Year, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people from all over the world. It was a really good time to visit a city that I think all of us fell in love with when we were there.” Mr. Basta credits the unique curriculum at Thomas More College for allowing him to experience the beauty of Rome in a profound way. “The heavy emphasis placed on our studies expands our minds into the vastness of what has come before us and what our current mission is as Catholics today,” Mr. Basta reflected. “Our school is all about showing the richness of the Christian faith, especially through the Rome semester.”
Another student felt Rome’s call during the summer months. Xavier Summers ’26 undertook a walking pilgrimage from Toul, France to Rome, making the 786-mile trek in 33 days. He and a friend modeled their journey on Hilaire Belloc’s The Path to Rome, a travelogue that students read in their second year at Thomas More College. “Every day was a memorable moment,” Mr. Summers remarked. “Every day brought some new story or some new crazy experience.” Though the experience was fraught with hardship, it was also filled with beauty and joy. “Going on pilgrimage is a great opportunity for suffering,” Mr. Summers commented, “but suffering isn’t always a bad thing. As a Christian, I take it as a proof of God’s love for me, and I’m grateful for the invitation to suffer for other people.” Walking long stretches during the day and sleeping everywhere from “monasteries and convents to riverbanks and mountain ranges,” Mr. Summers learned to turn outward in the midst of difficulty and appreciate the wonder of his surroundings. “There’s so much beauty around us that we’ve become dull to,” he reflected. “Thomas More has instilled in me a sense of wonder and a desire for beauty, both natural and man-made.”
Tynan Roth ’26 traveled far from his native Maine to fish salmon off the Alaskan coast. “There were moments of great excitement,” Mr. Roth recounted. “We almost crashed onto the rocks, we caught a salmon shark, we had a whale in our net.” The adventure reminded Mr. Roth of maritime stories he read as a child. “A lot of those stories came back to me because it is a very hard lifestyle. I only did it for one summer, but it was very clear how doing that over and over again forms these fishermen into hard, salty characters.” Mr. Roth considers his time at TMC to have shaped and given meaning to his work on the fishing boat. “The days are long, the work is very hard and uncomfortable, but at the same time we worked very closely with nature and creation. There was a sort of wonder which heightened the experience.”
“I learned so much this summer that I couldn’t sum up easily,” Miss Shanahan concluded. “I learned that if you want something, you have to be the person to go out and pursue it, and not to give up.” It is with that spirit of perseverance that the class of 2026 has embarked on the culminating year of their time at Thomas More College. Even more great adventures will await them as they graduate and set off into the world, shaped by the lessons and experiences of the last four formative years.
For further reading:
Jacinta Yellico ’20 Contributes to Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief
