Testimonials:

Michelle Ginter says her passion for sacred and ecclesiastical architecture was “a natural fruit” of her time as a double major in Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Theology and Humanities and Catholic Culture Programs.“While I need to hone my technical skills to become an architect, I believe that my strong liberal arts education is a great foundation for an architecture career,” she says.

“Who will this child become?”That’s a question every parent asks. But for Christopher (Kit) Adderley’s parents, finding an answer was almost as easy as glancing out their back window.“Instead of playing cowboys and Indians, my brother and I played Romans and Carthaginians,” confesses the senior classics and drama major. “We would even pretend that the play-set behind my friend’s house was a Carthaginian war elephant.”

Jamie Arielle found her way to Franciscan University by a roundabout path: In 2005, she started out at Sacred Heart University, but transferred to Arcadia University after learning that there wouldn’t be any theatre classes offered at Sacred Heart in the foreseeable future. Arcadia was not a good fit for her either, though, and Jamie was encouraged by friends and fellow drama majors to apply to Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Two years after her high school graduation, Nicole Scofield ’15 realized that she needed to hone her abilities in the performing arts in order to follow her passion of teaching others.After looking up drama programs in the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, Nicole decided on Franciscan University of Steubenville because it was “the only place where the professors talked to me,” she says. Dr. Monica Anderson, chair of the Fine Arts Department, encouraged Nicole to study drama at Franciscan.

When Andrew Barnick chose to major in sacred music, he did so with the goal of becoming a director of a sacred music program at a Catholic Parish. At Franciscan University, he found that the Sacred Music Program thoroughly prepared him to do just that.After graduating with his bachelor’s in sacred music from Franciscan University in 2015, Andrew accepted the position as the music director at St. Peter’s Church in downtown Steubenville, where he directs the choir and plays the organ for Mass. He is also currently pursuing his master’s in sacred music at Duquesne University in nearby Pittsburgh.

When the time came for San Diego native Matthew Tuszynski ’10 to declare his undergraduate major, he first thought about what he loved doing.“I said, well, I love doing video work, so maybe I’ll check out the TV/Radio Department,” he remembers. He also loved his Catholic faith, so he double-majored in Communication Arts (Radio/TV) and Theology.

Andrew Mihaly ’13 says attending Franciscan University allowed him to pursue his undergraduate degree in an environment where he “could truly flourish in my studies, my faith, and my social life.”Now a middle and high school social studies teacher at a private Catholic school, Andrew also coaches the school’s basketball and baseball teams, and serves as advisor for its chapter of the National Honors Society.“I landed the exact job I was trained for in my undergrad,” says Andrew.

No one can say senior political science major Dan Woltornist doesn’t come by his conservative political philosophy honestly.The grandson of not one, but two Russian immigrants who separately fled the Soviet Union in the 1940s, the New Jersey native grew up hearing tales of the trials his grandparents and great-grandparents endured under the Communist regime, and of their near escapes from Stalin’s secret police.

Ever since he was 4  years old and growing up in Mount Angel, Oregon, Dave Mayer knew he wanted to be a police officer.  Not just because of his dad’s stories about being a cop — but because he wanted to help people in the worst moments of their lives and make a positive difference.

“I would encourage anyone to study literature with an open mind and open heart,” says Joseph Cunningham.  “Regardless of the career path you choose, it will enrich you. ”Joseph earned his BA in English with a writing concentration.  He counts among the program’s strengths Dr. Mary Ann Sunyoger’s writing classes. “She has a passion for the English language and good writing. She loves what she teaches, and that made me want to be a better writer in all the different styles, from creative nonfiction to expository and others. ”Dr. Justyna Braun helped Joseph understand that good literature is crucial to forming a good writer.