By Kailana Williams

   At TPA, going to college is a common goal among students. We tour and research different schools in hopes of finding our perfect match. 

   Imagine what it feels like to be accepted to your dream school. When senior Hannah Chadwick opened her acceptance letter from St. Thomas Aquinas College, or TAC, she says, “ I couldn’t stop crying because it meant my hard work paid off and I was going to be able to go to my dream school.” 

   This past summer, Hannah attended the on-campus High School Great Books summer program at TAC in Santa Paula, California. After living on campus and attending liberal arts classes that the college  offers, Hannah fell in love with the school’s classes and community.

   “I really found out that I loved TAC after I attended their two week summer program this July, getting to live in the dorms and take their classes really showed me what life as a student is like there,” she says.

   There were many appealing aspects that drew Hannah to TAC. TAC’s curriculum favors similar subjects to TPA such as humanities, philosophy and  social sciences. Not only was the curriculum familiar, but the atmosphere felt welcoming and friendly to Hannah. She says, “The community at TAC always stands out the most.” 

   Hannah  says how thankful she is to have been “given the opportunity to have so many genuine conversations both inside and outside of class that now (she) can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

   This dream of getting accepted did not come true without some hard work and dedication, however. The application process was extensive, including five personal essays that she had to write. Despite a challenging application process Hannah persevered and worked hard to accomplish her dream.