The Mission Has a Face:
Maria Middleton
At Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist, we form students to know, love, and serve God. Maria didn’t just learn that mission—she lived it.
Our Mission, Lived
When the Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist was founded, the vision was clear: to lead, love, and inspire each student to become the person God created them to be—and ultimately, to become saints.
It is a mission rooted in faith. A calling to form hearts and minds in truth, beauty, and goodness. A belief that heaven is not reserved for the extraordinary—but is the true destiny of every soul.
Then We Saw It Lived
We never imagined that this mission would one day be revealed so visibly, so profoundly, in the life of one of our own students.
Maria did not simply receive the mission of the Academy. She became it.
Her Story
At sixteen years old, Maria was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
“No matter the circumstances of my life, my mission and purpose remain the same: to know, love, and serve God in this world and ultimately to be happy with Him in heaven. My emotions will rise and fall, but my faith is not an emotion. It is a commitment. I will not despair. I will choose hope.”
And she lived those words—every day—for the next twenty months.
Maria knew who she was: a beloved daughter of God. She knew why she was born. She knew what she valued—faith, family, friends, truth, and goodness.
And because of this, she was free: free to live without fear, free to love without condition, and free to serve without hesitation.
Her Last Journal Entry
The final words she would physically write in her journal were simple: “Think Hope.” Maria was born into eternal life on October 8th, 2020 at 18 years of age.
What She Lived
Her hope was not based on circumstances or emotion – it was rooted in the certainty that eternal joy awaits those who trust in God.
Hope: Her final written words were simple: “Think Hope.” Her hope was rooted in the certainty of eternal joy.
Love That Sees the Person: She could look past imperfections and see the divine within each person and draw it out. Many said, “We don’t just miss Maria—we miss who we were in her presence.”
Purpose in Every Circumstance: Maria did not run from suffering. She entered into it with God and made it a sacred offering, “God has this,” she would say.
A Life That Changed Others
What appeared to be physical decline became spiritual growth. What seemed like tragedy became inspiration. One physician remarked that she was “writing the masterpiece of her life.” Her suffering became transformative, not only for her, but for everyone around her.
This Is Why We Exist
Not simply to educate. Not simply to succeed. But to form souls who know, love and serve God, who understand their identify, who embrace their mission, and who chose hope no matter the circumstance.
The school’s mission has not changed. But now, it has been revealed. It has been lived. It has been proven.
The mission has a face.
Her name is Maria Middleton.
Think Hope
About the Think Hope Foundation
Think Hope™ Foundation is a tribute to Maria Middleton’s indomitable faith and spirit. Despite a devasting illness that would claim her young life, Maria brought Unity, Love and Hope to every person and every community she touched. She was an antidote to the hopelessness and despair that seems to be plaquing the world. “Think hope” is dedicated to carrying on her legacy of hope.
Think Hope ™ Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to unleashing the power of Hope, in a world of despair, one person at a time, through educational and outreach ministries.
