2021 Scholarship Mass and Brunch

On October 1, 2021 Aquinas College held its biennial Scholarship Mass and Brunch. This event gives individuals representing Aquinas College’s named scholarships a chance to meet students who directly benefit from their generosity. It also gives students the opportunity to thank benefactors in person.

Reverend Mark Chrismer, chaplain for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, celebrated the Mass in the Saint Jude Chapel in Aquinas Main. Following the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, guests were then welcomed to Siena Hall for brunch and a short program.

 “As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of our College, I recognize that we are here today because of our common commitment to Catholic higher education–and to the unique experience that Aquinas College offers students,” remarked Sister Cecilia Anne Wanner, O.P., president of Aquinas College, as she addressed guests during the brunch. “I want to emphasize that this is made possible by our partnership with you, our generous and devoted supporters…. Your support enables us to extend generous financial aid packages to our students, both lay and religious.”

Sister Maria Trinity Dagher, a graduate student studying secondary education at Aquinas College and recipient of the Anne and Kevin Lynch Family Scholarship, addressed those present at the brunch:

Th[e] Gospel spirit animates the academic culture of Aquinas College, inspiring in its faculty, staff, and students a fervent commitment to the holistic formation of the human person through the life of virtue, the life of communion…. This noble mission is made possible at Aquinas College by your kind and generous support and by your belief in the transformative power of Catholic higher education which I have been blessed to experience here firsthand. Your faithful stewardship plays an integral role in bringing the mission of the college to fruition – sending forth educators “to teach, preach, and witness to Truth and Charity for the salvation of souls and the transformation of culture.” Please know of our gratitude and continued prayers for each one of you. May God who has inspired you to support Aquinas College reward you for your loving service in the spreading of His kingdom.

Daniel Kane, Jr., a sophomore studying secondary history education, is a recipient of The Terry O’Rourke Scholarship and The Ann and Monroe Carrell, Jr. Catholic Teacher Education Scholarship. In comments offered during the program, Daniel reflected:

My friends and I often joke that every class, regardless of what it covers, begins with St. Thomas’ view of the human person—that a human person is created in God’s image and likeness and that we each have a rational soul composed of an intellect and a will. This is not some kind of existentialist discovery of self, but rather a revelation of who our Creator has designed us to be. This knowledge has been a key factor in both the furthering of my relationship with our Lord, but also in Aquinas equipping me for my vocation.

Aquinas College is a private, Catholic, four-year liberal arts college founded in 1961, owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee. Offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and the arts and sciences, Aquinas College is a leader in the formation of educators who are sent forth to teach, preach, and witness to Truth and Charity for the salvation of souls and the transformation of culture.

Aquinas College Scholarships

Janet and Bill Bachus Family Scholarship

Judge William R. Baker Scholarship

Ann and Monroe Carell, Jr. Catholic Teacher Education Scholarship

J.W. Carell Family Scholarship

The Mary Sue and Joel Cheek Scholarship

Marion Beckham and Jim Clayton Scholarship for the Education of the Dominican Sisters

Jean and Bernard Curran Scholarship

The Grannis Family Scholarship

Evelyn Howington Scholarship

The Anne and Kevin Lynch Family Scholarship

Margaret and Dan Maddox Tuition Assistance Scholarship

The Marianelli Scholarship

Andrew Marianelli Teacher Education Scholarship

Angela Healy McCormick Memorial Teacher Education Scholarship

The Terry O’Rourke Scholarship

The Sister Dominica Scholarship

Sister Henry Suso Scholarship

Anne Tanner Scholarship

The J. Randall Wyatt, Jr. Scholarship