Speakers

Kristen Ciaccia lives in Dallas, Pennsylvania, with her husband of 31 years, Paul. They are the parents of seven children, and have four grandchildren. She was born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County, California. She was baptized Episcopalian and grew up in a nominal Christian environment but converted to the Catholic faith when she was eighteen years old. She made a profession of faith, first holy communion, and was confirmed in her Catholic faith by Fr. Thomas Daly (now Bishop Daly of the Diocese of Spokane) at Our Lady of Loretto Catholic parish in Novato, CA. Kristen graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. While there, she was the president of Villanovans for Life and was a founding member of the Society of St. Augustine, an organization responding to the push for a diversity requirement in the core curriculum. After graduating from college, she served as the Program Director for Pennsylvanians for Human Life in Southeastern PA. In this position, Kristen wrote grants, conducted speaker recruitment and training sessions, helped to refine the Respect Life Curriculum used in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's schools, and served as media spokeswoman. Once Kristen and Paul were blessed with their daughter Mary Sharon, Kristen stayed home to raise her children.She has been homeschooling her children from grade school through high school for 22 years, and she has taught Latin, Logic, Algebra I & II, Geometry, and Rhetoric & Oratory to homeschooled children, including her own, in a co-op setting and at a hybrid academy. She has also tutored high school students with ClubZ! In-Home Tutoring in Luzerne County and with Studyworks SAT Prep in Philadelphia. Four of her children have earned college degrees from Franciscan University, Drexel University, Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Catholic University. Another child is finishing up her sophomore year at St. Francis University, where she plays field hockey. As a result of this diverse group of colleges, Kristen has gained experience with utilizing a diploma program, a parent's diploma, writing an extended transcript, scheduling and preparing for SAT subject tests, meeting the requirements and finishing all the paperwork for a Division I NCAA scholarship, and discovering which young scholar college courses will earn college credit. 

Father Vidal is the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and the spiritual director for the Carlo Acutis Apostolate whose mission it is to evangelize teens about St. Carlo Acutis and other saints as models of holiness. Father will be introducing the Apostolate to the teens and speak to them about 4 young saints. 

John-Michael Sutherland Student | Aviation Management & UAS | Faith-Based Leadership | Campus Engagement 

I'm currently pursuing a degree in Aviation Management with a focus on Unmanned Aerial Systems at Utah State University. Beyond the classroom, I’m passionate about leadership, student development, and building faith-based communities on campus. I serve as the President of both the St. Jerome’s Catholic Newman Center and Students for Life at USU, where I lead initiatives that support spiritual growth, community outreach, and student advocacy. I’ve participated in national events like SEEK and regional Catholic retreats, and I work closely with clergy and diocesan officials to strengthen faith engagement among college students. I'm driven by a mission to lead with purpose, serve with integrity, and help others find meaning and direction during their college years.