The day I put pen to paper and signed my Wyoming Catholic College commitment form, I had no idea what amazing things God had in store for me. Now, looking back at those four years of rigorous intellectual formation, challenging outdoor adventures, and the close companionship of so many that I am happy (and honored) to call my friends, I can see God’s blessing hand extended to me through every little detail.

I was prepared for my job (and for all of life) while at Wyoming Catholic College by being shaped into a more vibrant, life-filled individual—through studies, community, and the outdoor challenges. Studying the Great Books and the great thoughts of their authors enkindles and helps you to recognize your own desires. They help you to see the things that make us truly happy, both in this life and the next. The Outdoor Program teaches you valuable skills and builds up your confidence, and the entire college community encourages, supports and guides you.

Wyoming Catholic College helped make me the person I am today: someone who, by God’s grace,  has the self-reflection to recognize, the confidence to pursue, and the friends to support me as I follow my hopes and aspirations.

If there’s one thing about my time at Wyoming Catholic College that I’m most grateful for it’s an unfractured mind.

I mean something very specific here: a unified vision of the world which penetrates the entire personality. It means to have the ability to look at reality without being confused or overwhelmed by the complexity of it. When I’m looking at art, I’m very much the same as when I’m riding a horse. I don’t have to switch out the “art critic” hat for the “having fun” hat. In everything, there is joy in contemplating the reality and goodness of what God has created.  God is so near that we can see Him in literally everything—the mayfly, the Platonic solids, and the Summa Theologiae. There’s a simplicity in looking at reality and seeing God’s providence and simplicity shining through this world’s complexity. Today, many people struggle to trust the Church. As a man called to the priesthood, I need the wholeness of mind and heart to lead others to healing. God has asked me to lead as a spiritually-integrated doctor of the soul, as a priest in His Church. I must see the many parts of the Mystical Body and how they work together, and I owe my vision to God’s grace as it unfolded at Wyoming Catholic College. To be men of healing for our times, to see man for who and what he is, we must have the contemplation of unfractured minds.

After graduating from Wyoming Catholic College in 2013, I went on to earn an M.A. in Classics from University of Wales Trinity Saint David. I taught Latin for several years before starting my career in the legal field. I worked as a paralegal for a solo private-practice attorney in Wyoming before moving back to my hometown of Sioux Falls. My interest in law stems naturally from my background in classics and critical thinking, and in August of 2021 I decided to take the next step in my legal career and matriculated at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

An education at Wyoming Catholic College does not train you to be successful in a specific career; rather, it gives you the tools necessary to be successful in life. Its graduates have gone on to work in and pursue a wide variety of fields; as for myself, I have worked as a Latin Instructor, a Legal Assistant, a Paralegal, and now, an Attorney. But beyond these careers, I am a person—a mother, a wife, a friend, a citizen. And if we aren’t successful as people first and foremost, how can we expect to succeed and be fulfilled by any career? The classical, Catholic, liberal education provided by Wyoming Catholic College will equip you with the necessary tools to find this success.

Thomas is an associate attorney in Illumine Legal’s Litigation department. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2025, after finishing his undergraduate studies at Wyoming Catholic College where he graduated Cum Laude in Liberal Arts.

Thomas returns to Illumine after completing an externship with the firm, where he assisted with legal analysis and document drafting across a range of litigation matters, including civil liberties, commercial disputes, and estate administration. He is also a Blackstone Fellow with Alliance Defending Freedom.

Born and raised in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Thomas now lives in Centennial with his wife and two young children. Thomas continues to love exploring the Rocky Mountains through activities like hiking, rock climbing, and camping. While he is still involved in a local soccer club, and plays in recreational leagues, he looks forward to sharing these passions with his growing family.