By Colleen Gallion Regan Dimmitt, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and former parishioner at St. Leo’s Church in Grand Island, is focused on FOCUS. FOCUS (the Fellowship of Catholic University Students), which was founded in 1998 at Benedictine College, “invites college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ- centered evangelization, discipleship, and friendships in which they lead others to do the same.” Dimmitt shares that vision. She said she was first introduced to FOCUS through women in her sorority freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dimmit said one of the seniors was leading a FOCUS Bible study and invited her to Newman Center events such as FOCUS Greek, a branch of FOCUS that addresses the needs of students involved with the Greek system. “I started hanging out and meeting other Greek missionaries and students who had similar values and a love for Christ that I desired,” she said. She was then invited to a FOCUS conference called “SEEK” where she said she encountered the Lord through adoration and confession. This year, she was one of more than 8,500 participants attending the Student Leadership Summit of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students Conference Dec. 30-Jan. 3 in Phoenix. Dimmitt said she saw something different about FOCUS and the people involved. “I could be who God made me to be and not feel that I had to hide the most important part of my life. Looking back, I was able to say ‘yes’ to the Lord because of the people He put into my life to simply invite me along,” she said. She said something many people don’t realize, especially as college students, is how much of an impact friendships can have, whether that’s positive or negative. “We must cling to good fellowship and community while removing those who may be detrimental to our souls,” she said. “I am continually being drawn to FOCUS as these missionaries I get to walk alongside and grow with are truly saints in training.” As a missionary, Dimmitt said she is called “to be the hands and feet of Christ on the campuses we serve.” Statistically speaking, she said 80 percent of those who leave the Catholic Church do so by the age of 23, which is one of the reasons she chose FOCUS. “There is a war for the hearts and minds of these students every single day. They are making decisions now that will impact them for the rest of their lives. By helping them live lives centered on Christ, we hope to ensure the future of the Church,” she said. She said as a FOCUS missionary, part of her job is to “build up strong Catho-lics that lead with Christ in mind in their homes, parishes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.” She and others do this by inviting students for dinner in their home, Bible studies, discipleship, the sacraments, etc. She continues to receive the benefits as well as those she invites to participate. “These encounters and invitations from student missionaries and missionaries have fostered my relationship with Christ, and my soul is forever changed because they took the time to be with me in all aspects of their lives,” she said. All FOCUS missionaries are graduates of four-year universities, Dimmitt said. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Nebras- ka-Lincoln. She now works full time as a missionary at Northern Arizona University. In addition to helping those locally, Dimmitt said FOCUS also reaches out to other countries. She plans to participate in a mission trip to Peru this spring with five missionaries, one chaplain, and 18 students.