When he was a high school student working for the diocesan newspaper in Silverton, Oregon, Elisha Valladares-Cormier fell in love with journalism. Intent on pursuing stories of people living out their faith in his local community, he knew a degree in journalism or communications was just what he needed to live out his personal vocation. And, as someone who had met numerous Franciscan University of Steubenville graduates, he knew just the place to grow professionally and spiritually. 

But, knowing his parents would be unable to afford tuition at a faithful Catholic university for him and his six siblings, he turned his attention to the University of Oregon—a school not exactly known for forming joyful Catholic disciples.

Thankfully, the generosity of donors at Franciscan University made his total cost comparable to Oregon. 

“If they were going to cost me the same amount, why not go somewhere where I could grow and develop as a Christian man?” says the senior communications major. 

Since coming to Franciscan, Valladares-Cormier has shined, further developing his writing skills by working for The Troubadour student newspaper and as a student writer for the University’s Marketing and Com-munications Department—roles that allow him to work with likeminded students and staff who share his passion for combining media with the Catholic faith. 

“I like the fact that I’m able to find other people who have the same interests as me,” says Valladares-Cormier, who is in the Knights of the Holy Queen Household and also works as a resident assistant. “As a journalist, to meet other people in communications who want to get into that field for the same reasons that I do, that’s been a very fruitful experience for me.

“I would not have these opportunities if it were not for the generous financial aid I have received,” says Valladares-Cormier. “I would not be here without that gift.”

“It’s been amazing to encounter Christ in this way.”

When the time came for Daniela Gonzalez to consider where to go to college, Franciscan wasn’t just on the short list—it was the list.“There was always that opportunity to check out other places but every time I looked at them they didn’t measure up to what I felt at Franciscan,” says the junior from Steubenville, Ohio.

The daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants, including her father, Horacio, who came to Franciscan to complete his master’s in theology in 2000, Daniela grew up immersed in Franciscan’s dynamic campus faith community. All eight of her older siblings have attended Franciscan for at least one semester, while five of them have graduated from the University.

“Coming here every day for Mass, Franciscan basically became my parish,” she says. “We would come here all the time and interact with campus on a daily basis.”

That interaction led Daniela to recognize a “zeal and vigor for the faith” that just wasn’t present at other universities. There was only one complication: with 12 children, Daniela’s parents would not be able to pay for her tuition without significant financial aid.

Fortunately, thanks to Franciscan’s many generous benefactors, Daniela received a scholarship that has allowed her to pursue her unique personal vocation while also growing in faith and virtue.

Originally a communications major, Daniela experienced a profound call to be a nurse while serving on Franciscan’s student-led medical mission in Ecuador.

“I got to see all the good we could do and how integral nurses are in responding to suffering,” she says. “In those cultures that are greatly undervalued, the presence of a nurse is so crucial.”

After praying about it, Daniela officially entered Franciscan’s Nursing Program this past year. And when she’s not in classes, nursing sim labs, or at daily Mass, she’s helping to coordinate events as the vice president of Franciscan’s Latinos for Christ club. It’s all part of a college experience with Christ at the center—made possible by the generosity of others.

“Without that aid, I wouldn’t have been able to live this integrated life or even come close,” she says. “Being a student on campus has really given me a doorway to an education that has been preparing me both spiritually and academically.”