In the 48th year of my tenure at Franciscan University, I find myself reflecting on my professional journey. It began in 1978, when I received the opportunity to give back to my alma mater as an instructor in the Psychology Department. Even though I am in awe of the physical transformation of campus I have witnessed, I have recently recounted the changes I have experienced in response to God’s call.
Interestingly, when I began teaching, I anticipated I would be at the University for about two years. God had other plans! I am grateful for his plan, and each new year I have recognized new opportunities for encounter, conversion, and community.
Personally, I have had life transitions such as becoming a wife, mother, and nonna. I undertook multiple professional and Church roles, and each required change and growth and sometimes took me outside my comfort zone. Through all these, I had to discern priorities, balance, and integration. Despite concerns at times, I found myself trusting that if God was calling me, I must have the gifts to do what was being asked. I often remembered the words of Pope Pius XII, “To live without risk is to risk not living.” Each change requires some risk. I came to realize our personal vocation is found in the choices we make each day as we strive for holiness.
I considered providing you with a life map of specific milestones as I come to the end of my tenure here this May. Instead, I will share some guiding principles I attempt to embrace that may benefit you as you travel life’s journey.
God desired that we not be alone. He gave us relationships. Relationships have the potential to be one of the most blessed gifts in life or a wounding force. The result of our relationships is determined by what each person calls forth in the other. That is why at the core of my teaching philosophy is the importance of educating the whole person with the hope that I can encourage students to do their best. Not everyone responds to the invitation in the classroom or in life. At times, due to our imperfections, our interactions are not positive. This may require us to be open to forgiveness of ourselves and others. A loving invitation may encourage others to discover the beauty of God within themselves and realize their unique call.
God provides the present moment as a gift we can embrace and share with others. Sometimes, we must let go of distractions to focus on the priority of another and lend a listening ear. This may become a priceless gift to them.
We are uniquely made in God’s image, and we should consider our unique gifts and how God invites us to utilize them in striving to build the kingdom of God. Remember: We may not build in the same way and can learn from one another’s differences.
Difficulties and challenges in life can become discouraging and sometimes painful. Yet, amid the dark and bleak is beauty. Do we dare to find it? Do we risk the ways we might be called to reveal the beauty to others? Do we take the time to listen to those who refuse to see it and attempt to understand them? This might be a path to discovering beauty, truth, justice, love, and our call.
It is good to dream. Our dreams can draw us closer to becoming what God intends us to be. As Pope St. John XXIII wrote, “Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.”
Through prayer, and the nurturing of relationships with Jesus, others, and life, we can discover our call. Even on the brink of retirement, I am still not finished responding. I am thankful for my experiences and each person I have encountered. May we all have the courage to say yes to our unique calls.
Dr. Regina Poletunow Boerio ’74 serves as the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and a professor of psychology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. She will retire at the end of May 2026.
