Article by PhoenixOnline Staff
The Latin School’s inaugural Aquinas Program participated in the 5th Annual Aquinas Expo, hosted at Holy Trinity High School on Friday, May 1.
The event brought together Catholic middle school teams from across Long Island for a showcase of student-led research, experimentation, and academic inquiry.
The Aquinas Expo is structured as a competitive presentation forum in which student teams are evaluated across five categories, recognizing excellence in areas such as research quality, creativity, methodology, communication, and overall project impact. Twenty-six teams competed this year, creating a highly competitive academic environment.
Representing the Latin School were twenty students who had been developing their projects since the first week of September. Their work reflected months of sustained research, experimentation, and refinement, culminating in formal presentations at the expo.
A standout achievement of the day came from Team Acutis, which earned first place in the “Best Research” category. The team included Olivia Beach, Mollie Bregman, Jackson Christ, Connell Faver, Conor Flood, Zoe Grigoraki, Emma Kleinschmidt, Victoria Matassa, Melissa Monteleone, and Lillian Trentacoste. Their recognition highlighted the depth of their inquiry and the strength of their academic preparation throughout the program.
Team Frassati—composed of Avalyn Braut, Ryan Calarco, Connor Kennedy, Kayla Kennedy, Braden O’Connor, Renata Pesce, Sabrina Shotland, Wade Torreblanca, Samantha Vona, and Brody Wolf—also earned recognition, receiving an honorable mention in the “Most Crea
tive” category for their innovative approach and presentation.
Latin School Aquinas Program director Mr. Walsh praised the eighth graders, saying, “The moderators cannot be more proud of the year-long work of both teams this year. Congratulations on an incredible year, and for being trailblazers in the Aquinas Program!”
