Regina Ramsey was tired of hearing complaints about what’s wrong with the world and what needs to change within the Catholic Church. She wanted to act.
“I decided that I could either join the people talking about the changes that needed to be made or I could do something about it,” said Ramsey.
That’s when she turned to the Saint John Institute — an MBA program run by the Congregation of Saint John centered on the New Evangelization that helps students develop their gifts to become great leaders in the Church.
“An MBA through Saint John Institute seemed to be the right fit because it combined business knowledge with deep spiritual formation,” said Ramsey.
After graduating from the Saint John Institute with fellow student Brianne Schulze on April 15 — the first students to graduate from the program — Ramsey looks forward to centering her daily life on her Catholic faith. She hopes to one day help non-profits utilize business structures to help them with long-term success.
The Saint John Institute isn’t your average MBA program.
“Our program is different from other MBA programs because of the focus on developing an authentic prayer life and spirituality,” said Father Francis Therese Kratter, the program’s chaplain.
“We all know deep down that prayer is what makes our lives fruitful, but we rarely devote the time we know we should to this most important activity,” he said.
The Saint John Institute shapes students through two years of monastic prayer and study, said Father Kratter. He believes the success of current and future students steams from a foundation of prayer.
Students like Schulze were attracted to the program because of that spiritual formation.
“I saw the MBA as a necessary challenge to help me gain the practical business skills I needed to be able to evangelize more effectively through my art,” she said.
Schulze is an artist whose goal was to develop her skills and use them to glorify God.
“Art and beauty point to the eternal,” she said, “and I feel I have a responsibility in creating work that does that — work that gives people an opportunity to encounter Christ through the transcendent power of beauty.”
Schulze was deeply inspired by the Brothers of Saint John, who form the students both academically and spiritually.
“They challenged me in my faith and have helped lead me to Christ in a deeper way than I ever thought possible,” said Schulze.
For more information on the Saint John Institute, visit www.saintjohninstitute.org.
