Where Are They Now – Billy Wade

The St. Thomas Aquinas experience doesn’t end at graduation—it’s just the beginning. In our Where Are They Now series, we reconnect with STA alumni to learn where life has taken them since their time on campus. From careers and callings to personal growth and faith journeys, these stories highlight the lasting impact of an STA education and the incredible paths our graduates pursue. Discover how the foundation built at STA continues to shape their lives today.

Since graduating from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2022, Billy Wade has embodied what it means to be a scholar, leader, and a person committed to making a difference. Now a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Psychology with a minor in Catholic Studies, Billy’s journey has been marked by a balance of academic achievement, leadership, and global engagement. Whether conducting memory-based research or representing his university abroad, Billy continues to live out the values instilled at STA—faith, intellect, service, and community—on a global stage. His story is a powerful example of how a St. Thomas education prepares students to lead with purpose and make a meaningful impact far beyond the classroom.

Read on to explore Billy Wade’s full interview and discover how his STA experience shaped the path he’s on today.

Billy Wade, Class of 2022

What year did you graduate from STA?
2022

After graduating from STA, did you attend college, vocational school, or pursue another path? If yes, where did you go, what did you study or focus on, and what inspired that choice?
I attended Loyola University Chicago, where I majored in Psychology. My interest in the subject was inspired by the dynamics of my nuclear family, the behaviors I observed in my friends, and the influence of Mr. Hureau’s general psychology class. I also chose to minor in Catholic Studies.

What’s your current job or career, and what do you enjoy most about it?
I’m currently a senior (Class of ’26) at Loyola University Chicago. I work as a Senior Undergraduate Researcher in the Memory and Neuromodulatory Mechanisms Lab, led by Dr. Stephanie Grella (https://www.stephaniegrella.com/billy-bio1). 

I enjoy mentoring students involved in our behavioral memory-based research with mice. Our lab operates at the intersection of behavioral testing and procedures—such as surgeries, immunology, and microscopy—and public scientific relations through poster presentations, talks, and publications. I find it rewarding to mentor new students and work with my Professor Dr. Stephanie Grella to foster a rich lab environment.

I also serve as a Resident Assistant (RA) in San Francisco Hall at Loyola. I enjoy interacting with the freshmen I work with, providing advice and guidance, as well as creating roadmaps for them to be successful during their four years of college.

Have you been involved in any interesting projects, internships, or activities since leaving STA? Any memorable travel experiences or adventures you’d like to share?
Yes, I’ve been fortunate to take part in a number of meaningful academic, spiritual, and athletic experiences during my time at Loyola. Some highlights include:

• Student Delegate – Loyola’s Delegation of Peace to Japan (August 2025): I traveled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as part of Loyola University Chicago’s Delegation of Peace for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. It was a powerful and humbling experience.

• Visiting Student – University of Oxford, U.K. (June–July 2025): I studied literature and theology at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford, which offered a deeply enriching academic and cultural experience.

• Olympic Triathlon – Freedom, New Hampshire (May 2025): I competed in an Olympic-distance triathlon, which was both physically challenging and incredibly rewarding.

• Attendee – Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV (May 2025): I attended the historic inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome—an unforgettable moment of faith and global unity.

• Participant – Taizé Monastic Community, France (March 2025): I took part in a pilgrimage to the Taizé community in France, led by Loyola faculty.

• Student Delegate – Vatican Synod on Synodality (October 2024): I was honored to participate in the Catholic Education Network to Encounter Rome and Synodality (CENTERS), contributing to dialogue during the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality.

• Study Abroad – Vienna, Austria (Jan–May 2024): I spent a semester in Vienna studying psychology and gaining hands-on experience in student teaching. 

In what ways did STA help prepare you for college and life after graduation?
St. Thomas gave me opportunities to practice public speaking through experiences like Junior Speeches, engaged deeply with rich classics such as Homer’s Odyssey in Honors English, and built leadership skills by serving as a captain on the Track & Field and the Alpine Ski teams.

How did STA’s Catholic education and values influence your personal life or career?
St. Thomas’ approach to education is holistic. The mind, body, and spirit are brought together to create an educational experience that meets the demands of today. While other institutions may have one or two pillars of a holistic secondary education, St. Thomas has the entire foundation. The treasures of the Catholic intellectual tradition set a high bar, and ask students to both meet and surpass it.

Were there any teachers, coaches, or experiences at STA that influenced your interests, educational path, or goals?
My involvement on the football team (fall), alpine skiing team (winter), and track & field team (spring) all had influential coaches and positive team dynamics. Particularly, during “Saints Block,” a period for alternative student-based formation, Mr. Hureau and I co-founded the Psychology Club. This especially bears meaning given the influence it has taken to my major here at Loyola, as well as my current standing as President of the Loyola University Psychology Association.

What is a favorite memory or experience from your time at STA that still stands out to you? Feel free to share more than one!
Last Blast holds a special place in my heart as it was the culmination of four years of discipline and hard work, all expressed in one exciting night! This was coupled by newfound respect, admiration, and cooperative nature that we students could now hold with our former teachers.

How would you describe the sense of community at STA? What did it mean to you and how did it shape your experience?
The St. Thomas community provided me support both academically and personally to learn more about myself and how to be a person for others. While high school is about cultivating yourself, it is equally as much about learning how to deal, work, and collaborate with others.

Did you make any lasting friendships at STA? If so, how have those relationships evolved since graduation?
More than can be listed. I think most quickly of the ones I maintain contact with weekly back in New England. Outside of those circles, I think of students like Tiernan Meeks (STA ’22), whom I just spoke to last week as he is on a break from being underway in his U.S. Naval Submarine off the East Coast of Japan. I also think of Alex Foley ’22, a dear friend in the technology field in Bozeman, Montana whom I have visited and plan to again soon. Not to mention my three other siblings around the world!

Who or what made the biggest impact on your STA experience and why?
Cardboard City was also a distinctive event that I’ve never seen done before (or repeated) by another school. It is done as tastefully and respectfully as expected, and fills students with knowledge and hope to do more in our communities.

How did your experience at STA help shape the person you are today?
I believe STA helped make a global citizen and a man for others. Firstly, the language programs at STA, such as that of Profe Puertas, Ms. Murphy, Mrs. Hanlon, etc. all contributed to examining culture in context. St. Thomas reached beyond the bounds of our small-town New England demographic and encouraged students to reach to new heights. Secondly, St. Thomas encourages volunteering through the community service requirement. This pillar of education is one often forgotten, yet eagerly sought after in our day and age. Cultivating men and women for others is what will lead the world to positive change, and I believe the STA way can provide that.

What advice would you give to current STA students?
“Think ahead… but not too much”

You can make opportunities happen, it just takes perseverance and grit. If you spark an interest with something you saw at UNH, email the professor for a visit. If you were disgruntled at a news headline in WMUR, call their office. If you find a hobby you want to share with the community, find an advisor and start a club. In these ways, you are living in the now with your current interests, and they may blossom into rich opportunities later on.