From Biochemistry to Brotherhood: Regis Grad Finds His Calling Through Service

Twenty years after walking through the doors of Regis University as a freshman, Chris Lanciotti still carries the Jesuit principle tattooed on his heart: AMDG — Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, for the greater glory of God.

It's a mantra that has guided the 2009 graduate through an unconventional journey, from a Catholic religious brotherhood serving in the mountains of Peru to founding a nonprofit outdoor ministry, from earning a master's in theology to standing before high school students teaching chemistry and biology at John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Denver.

Lanciotti graduated from Regis with a degree in biochemistry and minors in Spanish and philosophy, never imagining his science background would eventually lead him back to a classroom, this time as the teacher rather than the student.

"Every little act can be offered back to God," Lanciotti said, reflecting on how Regis shaped his spirituality. "I definitely feel Jesuit in my spirituality as a person, and that's definitely from my time at Regis."

The path wasn't always clear. After graduating, Lanciotti joined a Catholic religious community and spent five years on mission in Peru. When he returned to Denver in 2014, he threw himself into ministry work — helping grow a small nonprofit outdoor ministry, Creatio, which offers outdoor adventures and pilgrimages, serving as a youth minister, studying theology at the Augustine Institute, and eventually becoming executive director of Creatio.

But something about the classroom kept calling him back.

"I love high school ministry. I love working with the youth, and I love evangelization," said Lanciotti, who now teaches freshman physics, sophomore chemistry and junior biology. "It's just so good to see the students every day and watch these young men and women grow up and walk with them."

It's a philosophy of accompaniment he learned at Regis, where small class sizes meant relationships with professors that lasted decades. He still keeps in touch with Dr. Jean in the chemistry department. He credits Dr. Mahapatro, his advisor, as "an incredible human being" who brought meaning and beauty to the rigorous demands of organic chemistry. Philosophy professor Dr. Stephen Doty sparked a love for philosophy that Lanciotti calls one of his greatest gifts from Regis.

"I'm a part-time philosopher because of him," he said.

But perhaps the most transformative aspect of his Regis experience was something harder to measure on a transcript, the art of dialogue and authentic friendship.

"I just didn't even really interact with a lot of non-Catholic people" before Regis, Lanciotti said. "I'm just grateful for the Jesuits and the Regis way of conversation and dialogue. It left an incredible hunger in my heart to just have conversations with people, to get to know people, to put people first."

That openness and commitment to cura personalis, the Jesuit value of caring for the whole person, shaped how Lanciotti approaches his students today. He quickly learned that teaching isn't primarily about delivering content.

"I thought teaching was about teaching, and it really isn't," he said. "It's really about watching these young men and women grow up and walking with them."

The lesson in accompaniment came full circle in 2021 when Lanciotti completed the 30-day Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, a dream planted during his time at Regis. The intensive retreat deepened his Ignatian spirituality and confirmed what he'd learned as a student: that finding God in all things means recognizing the sacred in everyday moments and relationships.

Even Thursday Thrills, the campus tradition hosted by Dave Law, who held the role of Student Life Director, shaped Lanciotti's approach to ministry. The weekly gatherings, full of joy and community despite academic stress, inspired how he later structured youth ministry programs.

"There was a sense of real fun together in that academic setting," he said. "Thursday Thrills inspired a lot of the work I did in youth ministry."

When Lanciotti talks to his high school students about choosing colleges, he borrows wisdom from hockey Avalanche player Sam Malinski, who recently spoke at his high school: Do you have four people who would drop everything to carry your mat to Jesus, like the friends of the paralytic in scripture?

"I think I met those four people at Regis," Lanciotti said. "It's the people you surround yourself with who have a search for meaning and a search for value."

He tells students that success isn't measured in accomplishments or bank accounts but in relationships and joy. And he encourages them to get involved in everything — the advice that shaped his own Regis years, when he transformed from a one-sport athlete to a resident assistant, student government member and Thursday Thrills regular.

"It's your time to learn about who you are and explore," he said.

For Lanciotti, that exploration continues. He's not certain teaching high school will be his final destination, but he's embracing the discernment process that Regis taught him, trusting that in the seeking, in the service, in the small acts of care for his students, he's still living that Jesuit motto.

For the greater glory of God.