St. Thomas Aquinas High School Seniors Pay It Forward

Photo Caption: These Senior Student Advisory Board members led the charge for the 2012 St. Thomas Aquinas HigH School Senior Gift.  From left:  Anna Hayes, Luke Gabriel, Molly Dwyer, Sam Quirk, and Dylan Pautler (Missing from photograph Allie Scheu).

Fostering a commitment to serve others is an important component of the St. Thomas Aquinas High School mission.  Throughout their four years at the school, students are offered and encouraged to participate in a plethora of community service activities, many of which they initiate and organize.  From the Penguin Plunge, to a canned food drive, to visiting the elderly at St. Ann next door, students learn the importance of giving back and serving others.
The senior gift program at St. Thomas Aquinas High School works to educate students about the importance of annual giving and gives graduating students their first opportunity to show their support of the school by giving back.
This year, with the leadership of the seniors on the Student Advisory Board (SAB), the seniors chose to start an Alumni Scholarship Fund.  

With the rising cost of education, the seniors wanted to leave their legacy at St. Thomas by starting the “Living Legacy Fund” – a scholarship fund designed to help an incoming freshman each year afford to attend the school.  Scholarships and financial aid play a very important role at the school allowing many more students attend than could otherwise.  The school distributes over $500,000 in tuition assistance, helping 1 in 5 families with some level of support.

This year, the senior gift campaign was especially exciting as an anonymous donor challenged the class of 2012 to step up its generosity.  Hoping to inspire the seniors to participate, the challenge was that for each senior who made a donation to the senior gift, the donor would make a donation in that senior’s name to the 2011-2012 Aquinas Fund, the school’s annual giving program.  The donor also hoped to teach and encourage members of the class of 2012 to be philanthropic after high school.

As of today, seniors have achieved a remarkable 60% participation towards their gift.  In fact, alumni, faculty, parents and friends have been so inspired by their leadership and desire to give back, that they have also felt compelled to give.

Located in Dover, NH, St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a coeducational, Catholic high school community where young people are called to be challenged academically, to stretch their hearts spiritually and to embark on a journey to make a difference.   For more information, visit us at www.stalux.org or call (603) 742-3206.