Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Nolan Santacroce ’24 is majoring in liberal studies with a minor in biology at Holy Cross College.

“In addition to being recruited for the men’s tennis team, I loved the idea of a very small school where I could build relationships with the professors and know a large majority of the people on the campus,” notes Santacroce. “I also loved that I could get the benefits of a big school with Notre Dame right across the street to have access to high-level athletics to watch.”

“My plan after graduation is to attend a medical school, and usually that would entail a biology degree. However, while shadowing an orthopedic surgeon, something I would like to become myself, I was told that pursuing something else you are interested in, along with classes needed for medical school, can lead to being a more well-rounded doctor and med school candidate. I have always been interested in deep thought and reading the works of great philosophers, especially those related to political theory, and liberal studies allowed me to do this while still having the freedom to take the classes to pursue my dream job,” said Santacroce.

“I am a member of the men’s tennis team, as well as a Resident Assistant (RA) on Basil floor 2. My roles in both organizations are as a mentor to the younger members of the group,” said Santacroce. “I got involved in tennis because I like the sport and wanted to continue my journey with it throughout college. I became an RA because I have always loved meeting new people and know how difficult it is to move away from your family into college. I felt that by becoming an RA, I could help make the transition easier for new students, just like my RA’s did for me when I moved in back in the fall of 2020.”

“A very memorable moment that made me who I am today was when I moved to India in kindergarten. I could only remember living in one house in a ‘bubble’ on Mercer Island in Washington. When I moved to India, my five-year-old self could not comprehend the difference in lifestyles and cultures that I was experiencing during my time there,” recalls Santacroce. “Eventually I was able to open my eyes and learn about the way of life over there and it helped me become someone who doesn’t always judge things at face value, as well as sparking my interest in history that has inspired me to want to travel and learn about other cultures.”

“My plans for the future are to pursue my dream of becoming either an orthopedic or plastic surgeon and to help save and change as many lives as I can, to leave the world a better place than I was born in,” said Santacroce.