February 2026

Friends,

As we enter the month of February — with our students back on campus! — I am reminded of the leadership of historic American presidents such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. 

These legendary presidents demonstrated extraordinary leadership during turbulent times and, to this day, serve as powerful role models for our students — our future leaders. Washington led the original colonies through the Revolutionary War; we will celebrate our first president and our country’s 250th anniversary this year thanks to a generous Gardiner Foundation grant in support of our students’ research. Lincoln, of course, led a divided nation through the Civil War and delivered freedom for all, which we will proudly recognize throughout Black History Month.

We are embedding these leadership lessons into our curriculum and providing our Aquinas Leaders with experiential learning opportunities to demonstrate leadership in our communities. We recently highlighted our student leaders at our Board of Trustees meeting, where we learned about their roles in student government, athletics, mission and ministry, and community service. We also welcomed our new Spring transfer students at a Leadership Lunch, invited them to take the Spartan Pledge, and shared the many opportunities to participate in clubs and volunteer in the local community. 

My wife Laurie held a nice leadership event with a small group of women leaders on campus, where they discussed ways to support our student recruitment, development, and fund raising. She will be holding similar leadership sessions throughout the year with our students, employees, and alumni. 

Externally, we are equally proud to host events for current and future leaders: Leadership Rockland Day for 100 business and community leaders last month; and YMCA Youth and Government Conference for 150 civic-minded high school students next month.

As the calendar turns to February, we learn the leadership lessons of the past … and we proudly prepare the next generation of leaders for the future.

In closing, February 1 would have been my Mom’s 90th birthday, so please help celebrate her life by growing her scholarship — which has grown to over $800,000 — in support of our future leaders.

Regards,

Student leader Ella Call is starting the Spring 2026 semester with a new exciting opportunity: joining Webster Bank's Corporate Development department as a part of their Student Cooperative Program. Their 12 credit salaried position is a terrific experiential learning opportunity that will allow Ella to hone in on projects that fall in line with her Finance studies.

According to the staff at Webster, Ella has made a wonderful first impression and the team looks forward to the impact she will bring to the department. STAC employees look forward to congratulating Ella at an upcoming Welcome Luncheon hosted by Webster Bank. Way to go, Ella!

Webster Bank's partnership with the College, which was cultivated by Trustee Jack Kopnisky, provides experiential learning opportunities which allow our students to discover their passions, pursue their goals, and build lives of purpose.

Additionally, Ella recently joined fellow student Patrick Phelan and faculty mentor, Professor Christine Cahill to present their research, “Cooling AI: The Hidden Cost of Water,” at the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

At the end of January, the College was excited to kick off Spartan Journey Orientation! At this Winter Welcome Leadership Lunch, our newest students officially began their journey as Spartans and took their first steps toward igniting their passions. We look forward to seeing our newest Spartans make the most of every opportunity ahead!

St. Thomas Aquinas College successfully concluded a two-year Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation grant on December 31, 2025, establishing a digital Loyalist Studies Institute in advance of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Dean Heath Bowen notes how our students gained hands-on experience in archival research, document transcription, digital mapping, and public history through X-Lab courses and mentored research.

Jack Cording ’26, and Nadine Delia ’26, co-authored peer-reviewed scholarship with faculty and participated in site visits to regional historic sites, translating classroom learning into professional-level research experience. Congratulations on this amazing achievement!

Laurie Daly held a leadership luncheon with a small group of women leaders on campus. This team previously completed a developmental workshop over the summer. They discussed ways they can best work together to enhance our recruitment, development, and fund raising programs in support of our students. Laurie will be holding similar leadership sessions throughout the year with our students, employees, and alumni. 

Linda LoRe attended the luncheon and also runs a Women's Leadership Network that brings powerful and informative women's leadership programming to our students, alumni, employees, and campus community.

The College was delighted to host the "Leadership Rockland Day" Reception in the Romano Center in January. Alumni of the Leadership Rockland program were present and enjoyed connecting over breakfast.

President Daly, who graduated from the program in 2022 and served as Commencement Speaker in 2023, and other Leadership Rockland alumni from STAC were able to reconnect with their classmates and celebrate together. Leadership Rockland offers existing and emerging leaders an educational experience over a 10-month period presented by leaders from various sectors throughout Rockland County. Laurie Daly and Lee Taussi are currently representing STAC and the College hosts many of the programs on campus.

St. Thomas Aquinas College invites the community to an Astronomy and Scientific Discovery Panel Discussion on Tuesday, February 10, from 5:30–7:00 PM in the Lougheed Library Reading Room.

Following the discussion, join us at 7:30 PM for a Community Observation Night at the SKAE Astronomy Center, where guests can observe celestial objects using our state-of-the-art telescopes. These events are free and open to the public (registration required).

Advance your career at St. Thomas Aquinas College with flexible, affordable graduate and certificate programs built for working professionals.

Explore MBA and MPA degrees, advanced Business certificates, specialized Education programs, advanced degrees in Exercise Science, and in-demand fields including AI, Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Healthcare Management & Informatics, Human Resource Management, Nonprofit Leadership, Physical Education, and TESOL.

Through our Education Partnership Program, employees of partner organizations receive a 50% tuition discount on all undergraduate and graduate credits—at no cost to the employer.

Take the next step! Join one of our upcoming Info Sessions to learn more:

• Thursday, February 19 at 6:00 PM (Virtual or In-Person)
• Wednesday, March 4 at 4:00 PM (Virtual)
• Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 PM (Virtual or In-Person) 

Student Development and the Black Student Union on campus are excited to announce programming taking place throughout the month of February.

The campus community will be able to experience African Dancing & Drumming, Movie Nights, a Poetry Slam, an Afternoon Jazz Concert, and more! Our Spartans look forward to celebrating Black History Month in a variety of ways.

Check out St. Thomas Aquinas College's feature on three of our incredible Spartans! We are delighted and proud to introduce you to the following individuals:

Marina Fladung

Regional Admissions Counselor

Tchasky Mentor '25, MBA '26

MBA Student

Patty Pereira ’24

Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher