As we open another school year at the Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist, I want to share a reflection that strikes at the very heart of why our Academy exists—and why your presence here, as a parent or supporter, matters more than ever.

Each child who walks through our doors is not just a student to be educated, but a soul to be formed. They were created by God with a unique purpose, called not merely to succeed, but to become saints. Our mission is to help them discover who they truly are in Christ, and to walk confidently toward that destiny.

This isn’t a generic educational vision. It’s personal for us. It’s deeply rooted in the life and legacy of a young woman who lived that mission to its fullest, my daughter, Maria Middleton.

At just 16, after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, Maria was asked how she was doing. Her response stunned us:

“No matter the circumstances of my life, my mission and purpose remain the same: to know, love, and serve God.”

Maria’s final handwritten words were: “Think Hope.” They were not words of wishful thinking. They were an act of radical trust in God’s plan—even in suffering. She lived with purpose because she knew who she belonged to and why she was here.

That is the very spirit we strive to cultivate at RASJB. In a world that’s confused about identity, afraid of truth, and allergic to sacrifice, our children are learning that life has eternal meaning, that they were made for something greater than comfort, accolades, or even safety. They were made for love. They were made for virtue. They were made for God.

To become the person God created you to be is to live with intention, to choose the narrow path, to embrace both joy and difficulty as part of God’s refining work in your life. It is to understand, as Maria did, that suffering does not destroy our mission, it can reveal it.

This year, let us renew our shared commitment to forming children who are not only intelligent and capable, but courageous and faithful. Let us partner as families and educators in the holy work of raising up the next generation of saints. And let us remember that our own lives, as adults, are also being shaped by this mission.

So I ask you: what is God calling you to this year? In what ways is He inviting you, through the joys and trials of life, to become more fully the person He created you to be?

May we all, like Maria, choose gratitude, choose courage, and above all, choose hope.

With faith in our mission and gratitude for your support,

Brian Middleton
Chairman & Founder
Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist