By GCU News Bureau

Grand Canyon University’s winter commencement Friday packed the Arena to the rafters with more than 600 traditional graduates in the Class of 2015, 4,000-plus guests and  the usual amount of purple-laced, celebratory spirit. But for one graduate it went far beyond that — all the way to the Holy Spirit.

Deven Anderson, a College of Theology graduate, gave his life to Jesus while serving a prison sentence for robbing banks. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

His name is Deven Anderson, and his story needs to be told to be believed. Anderson, 32, received his degree in Christian Studies 2½ years after enrolling at GCU and four years after serving a decade in federal prison for robbing more than a dozen banks.

Left to fend for himself in west Phoenix after his mother died when he was 14, Anderson turned to the gang life before eventually getting caught. He landed in the correctional institution in Victorville, Calif., in a cell with a Hispanic man who didn’t speak English. But the man’s actions spoke in a very decipherable language.

“All he would do was read his Bible day and night,” Anderson said. “I thought he was crazy. He would get up and pace around the unit — I call it talking to himself, but he was praying. And he would come back with this look on his face as if God was talking to him. This man, he offered me everything. And you know what’s crazy? That’s not even what it’s like in prison, for one race to offer another race everything.”

Six days later, another man came into the cell. He was heavily tattooed and certainly looked like an inmate. But after a few minutes of nervous conversation, Anderson learned he was a prison clerk who was a Christian and had felt called by God to visit that particular cell on that particular day. He invited Anderson to pray; his Hispanic cellmate was so joyous, he started jumping up and down.

“It was the first time I ever felt the Holy Spirit,” Anderson said. “It’s like He put warm oil on my legs and it was coming up. It kind of scared me. I let their hands go, and I don’t know what happened but something in me broke — and when it broke it made me cry. I knew that I was in the presence of a holy God. It hurt me so bad to know that I was so filthy and He was still allowing me to be in His presence. I did a 180 right there.”

Anderson had been passing time in prison writing rap music, but now declared himself a Christian artist. He stopped cursing. He earned his GED and took college-level courses.

Spin forward to his post-prison life. Anderson got married — he met his wife, Holly, after a Godly mysterious set of circumstances led him to meet her brother in prison. He and Holly manage a tax office, and he designs women’s clothing and writes and performs Christian rap. Anderson wanted to obtain a college degree, but everywhere he went he was rejected because of his past. And then, Holly suggested GCU.

Anderson graduated Friday with a degree in Christian Studies and is waiting to see what God has in store for him. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

He got to his GCU interview, and the inevitable question about his background came up. He couldn’t believe the reaction.

“It was a whole different atmosphere, a whole different vibe and energy,” he said. “They wanted to hear the story just to reminisce about what to them was like a victory lap.”

Now that what he calls his “peaceful” GCU experience is ending, Anderson is “at a crossroads.” He has an intense desire to learn more about Christian apologetics. He’s thought about becoming a pastor, but he respects the difficulty of that job.

Anderson felt inspired by a group of College of Theology professors who are, in his view, are “on fire,” so he recently went to one of them, Dr. Mark Kreitzer, to talk about his situation. Kreitzer didn’t know anything about Anderson’s past before that meeting but was taken aback not just by the story, but by what he calls “the light of Christ in his face.”

“He has a heart to minister to people,” Kreitzer said.

Just as GCU’s heart is in ministering to the community, a desire often professed by Mueller. “This is a good example of Brian’s vision for the University,” Kreitzer said. “We’re not in it for ourselves — we want to help this area of west Phoenix break out of the chains of poverty. That’s what a Christian university is all about.”

As for his next step, Anderson’s leaving that up to God. “I believe that God has placed me right here for a reason, but I don’t know the reason,” he said.

Maybe the first thing to do is to stop for a minute and just jump for joy.

—Rick Vacek

Commencement speakers bring laughter, wisdom

It’s becoming part of what we look forward to most at commencement: President Brian Mueller’s short-and-sweet address.

A majority of nursing graduates decorated their mortarboards for commencement. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

“The December graduation is such a phenomenon,” Mueller told the graduates, many wearing glittery, ribbon-adorned mortarboards (you know who you are, future nurses) and happy guests who grabbed nearly every spare seat, floor to ceiling, in the Arena.

“It’s grown so large that we decided to study the students graduating in December versus the students graduating in April. And without question, the students graduating in December have turned out to be, by far, the best students ever to attend Grand Canyon University,” he quipped.

The crowd roared, then Mueller confessed, “In the spring, I’m going to have to change the script just a little bit.”

Mueller introduced keynote speaker Erik Wahl, a graffiti artist/author/entrepreneur/philanthropist, who speed-painted two large canvasses, a striking eagle and a white-on-black piece that eventually was revealed to be an upside-down portrait of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Wahl told the audience he loved art as a child until a teacher told him that he wasn’t very good because he colored outside the lines and didn’t color apples red and pumpkins orange. He took it to heart and stopped making art, focusing instead on good grades and a business degree from the University of San Diego. Success came in the corporate world. But due to a “series of events that rocked the core of my foundation,” Wahl found himself in a financial free fall.

Erik Wahl quickly created two intriguing paintings during his commencement address Friday in GCU Arena. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

“I had allowed my self-worth to be directly tied to my net worth,” he said.

A friend suggested travel, but Wahl had no money. Instead, he bought paint and a brush, and his creativity, suppressed for 20 years, returned.

“I realized I’d lived so conservatively, so predictably, so logically that I wondered if I’d ever lived at all,” he said. “But don’t mistake this as a battle call for you to drop your ambition and grab a paint brush. I don’t need the competition.”

Wahl did urge the graduates to not be afraid to fail in their chosen fields. “Failure is going to happen. Failure is not the opposite of success, but it is part of success. It’s part of defining what your purpose is going to be.”

Turning his attention to Jobs, who once told a Stanford University graduates to “stay hungry and stay foolish,” Wahl said the technology genius had it right.

“See what others around you see,” he said. “Have the courage to live like Steve Jobs did and to twist the landscape and think like no one has ever thought before.”

—Janie Magruder

Future dentist is first Honors College graduate

Alexa Pawlak, 21, isn’t just one of the outstanding biology majors who graduated Friday. The future dentist also is the first student to graduate from GCU’s Honors College.

“This is a huge milestone for the Honors College,” said program manager Breanna Naegeli.

Alexa Pawlak is the first student to graduate from GCU’s fast-growing Honors College.

The college was only two years old when Pawlak transferred to GCU from Mesa Community College. It has grown from 59 in the fall of 2013 to 750 this school year, Naegeli said.

Pawlak is the first, but about 40 other Honors College students will graduate in the spring, and many will have completed a bachelor’s degree in three years, Naegeli said.

“It’s wonderful to see our students’ hard work, dedication and diligence pay off,” she said.

Pawlak was as surprised to learn she was the first honors student to graduate as she was to discover two years ago that she loved honors classes.

She was reluctant at first because she thought the designation would signify additional busy work. As it turned out, she did have extra work and tests — like her final Thursday that included in-depth essay questions in addition to the standard multiple choice questions. But she thrived on it.

“It really forces you to get a much deeper understanding of the material,” Pawlak said. “It also helped me build relationships with my professors.”

One of her favorite classes was genetics, a class she wasn’t initially excited to take.

“I ended up writing a paper on disease and it took me the whole semester to do it. It’s a disease I’m a risk for and it was a great learning experience being able to really work hard on something that was meaningful to me,” she said.

Pawlak earned a biology degree with an emphasis in pre-medicine from the College of Science, Engineering and Technology and is headed to dental school. She has been accepted into four schools, and is torn between Midwestern University in Glendale and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia.

She has known she wanted to be a dentist since she was in 10th grade, but it wasn’t until 2012 that she became a Christian and decided to attend GCU.

“It’s awesome,” she said of the school’s Christian philosophy. “It’s like more people who share your same values and morals. The environment is more encouraging and everything points toward God.”

—Laurie Merrill

From hostage negotiations to nursing, GCU grad dedicated to service

Serving others has been a constant for Angela Rodriquez. The Albuquerque woman joined her city’s police force when she was just 18, retiring 20 years later after an impressive career in law enforcement.

On Friday, Rodriguez graduated from GCU with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions. She hopes to work in the emergency room of a Level I trauma center or specialize in psychiatric nursing once she has been certified by the state of New Mexico.

“I became a police officer because I wanted to help people,” said Rodriguez, 56. “What better way to continue to help people than nursing?”

Starting her career at a time when there were fewer than four dozen women in the Albuquerque Police Department, she was the first female assigned to its gang squad and the first woman named as a SWAT team negotiator. In between, Rodriguez was a motorcycle cop for 10 years and gave birth to two children, too.

Following her retirement in 1998, Rodriguez moved to Washington, where she was a hospital volunteer for several years, working with doctors and families of patients on the surgical floor and holding babies and playing with children in the pediatric unit.

“I was so impressed with the nurses I worked with, and I thought, ‘This is something I could do,’” she said.

Returning to New Mexico to be nearer her aging parents, Rodriguez learned that several friends were enrolled in GCU’s nursing college. Her first phone call, to admissions representative Scott Bogart, sold her on the University, and she enrolled in ground classes at the Albuquerque campus in August 2014. There were just 20 other students in her cohort.

“We all knew each other and got to work with each other in different settings, and we could go to our instructors, our staff, anyone we wanted, anytime we wanted, if we needed help,” she said. “It was an amazing experience.”

Rodriguez most enjoyed her courses and training in surgery and psychiatric nursing and found her passion for emergency room work during her clinical experience at Albuquerque’s only trauma hospital. As vice president of the Student Nurses Association, she helped plan many events to benefit the March of Dimes, the Ronald McDonald House, and Joy Junction and other homeless shelters in Albuquerque.

“We got to see people who weren’t as fortunate as us and who we are going to be assisting someday,” she said. “We are so blessed to live in the United States, and we should all try to help these people.”

Ultimately, Rodriguez would like to work with Doctors Without Borders, traveling the world to help provide emergency medical care to people in crisis. It’s her calling, she believes.

“God is the reason I’m here — He led me to this profession,” she said.

—Janie Magruder

New grad ready to live teaching dream

For many students, landing a job after college is stressful. But Emma Kinsella is anxiously waiting to settle into her own classroom following graduation.

Emma Kinsella graduated from the College of Education with a dual degree in elementary education and special education.

During her last semester at GCU, Kinsella spent more than eight weeks student teaching in the Alhambra Elementary School District, just blocks from the University’s campus. She recently accepted a full-time position as a cross-categorical resource teacher, instructing students with varying needs at Westwood Primary School in Phoenix.

The 21-year-old, who graduated Friday from the College of Education with a dual degree in elementary education and special education, said she is preparing by gathering beneficial materials for her classroom and reviewing student files to learn about their individual goals and education plans.

“The biggest thing I want is to leave a lifelong mark in my students,” Kinsella said. “I want them to know that although they may have obstacles and struggles that other students don’t have, they can overcome those and achieve as much, if not more, than other students.”

She didn’t set out to be a teacher, but is glad life happened that way. Her initial foray into the world of teaching took place while she was a middle-school student in the gifted and talented program. Kinsella volunteered every week in a kindergarten special education class, and there, she met Gavin, a student with autism who would direct her life. Because Gavin would get so easily overstimulated when she and her classmates arrived, she spent a lot of her time doing activities with him on the playground.

A unique bond was created and, eventually, the boy learned to make it through an entire day with Kinsella by his side. He even learned to speak.

“Both his teacher and mine said that they had never seen him grow so fondly of someone as he had with me, and I grew just as attached,” Kinsella said.

Although Kinsella worked closely with various students in different classroom settings throughout middle school, high school and college, she believes it was Gavin who made it easy to discover her passion: to really help students like him shine.

“Watching the amount of growth and progress that Gavin made that year and being just a small role in that growth sparked a passion of mine that would remain for the rest of my life,” she said.

—Jeannette Cruz 

She had no trouble warming up to GCU

Like many freshmen, Kaitlin Swanson was struggling a bit — but not academically. Instead, the small college she had chosen in her native Minnesota wasn’t making the grade, in her mind, so she started thinking about what else might be out there.

The faculty and staff in the Colangelo College of Business is sad to see Kaitlin Swanson go.

A chance encounter with an advertisement for GCU got her thinking about a campus in Phoenix that was bigger and growing quickly. Oh, and there was one other important factor.

“It was warm here,” she said.

Not long after, Swanson brought her sunny disposition to GCU’s Colangelo College of Business for her sophomore year. But she was just getting warmed up figuratively as well as literally.

Early in her junior year, she initiated a meeting with Dr. Randy Gibb, who had arrived as CCOB’s new dean a few months earlier, to find out his plans for the college. That same day, she was hired as an administrative assistant in the CCOB office, and when she graduated Friday with a degree in Business Management she was sad to be leaving an office and a campus that had become home.

“It has been phenomenal,” she said. “I can’t begin to articulate how many times they have given me opportunities that I would never have had anywhere else. The professors here are fantastic. The open-door policy is unmatchable. I have such close relationships with all the professors in that office.”

The feeling is mutual.

“Kaitlin has been the leader of our ASWs (Awesome Student Workers) in our CCOB front office,” Gibb said. “She has become an integral part of our college, and as odd as it sounds, we are sad to see her graduate. But at the same time we are very proud of her and happy to see her move on with her life as a GCU alumna.”

Swanson would love to go into business consulting and “understanding how people work,” but the first step for this new alumna is to spend the next five weeks at her home in Anoka, Minn., and do some work for a manufacturing company and a nonprofit. Then she plans to go on a 2½-month trip to visit her aunt and uncle in England.

She’s looking forward to enjoying a white Christmas again. But after that? Not so much. “I’m sure it will snow twice and I’ll want to come back,” she said.

—Rick Vacek

Graduate packs 16 shows, several internships, A/V work into college

Iliana Swartz, left, was a force to be reckoned with in COFAP’s production of “Oklahoma!” last spring. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Iliana Swartz didn’t start acting until she was a teenager, but she has since made up for lost time, delivering memorable stage performances as the Cheshire Cat in “Alice in Wonderland” at Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) high school and as Aunt Eller in GCU’s sweeping “Oklahoma!” last spring.

Thanks to the College of Fine Arts and Production, the theatre has become Swartz’s life. She first learned about GCU at a Rock & Worship Roadshow in Texas, then enrolled as a special education major and started classes in Fall 2012. Almost immediately, she gravitated to the Ethington Stage, which “forced me to come of out my shell, talk to people and make friends.”

Swartz told herself she would stick to her education degree, but the lure of the theatre was too great. After being selected in 2013 for the ensemble in “The Cherry Orchard,” Swartz switched her major to theatre and drama.

She graduated Friday with a bachelor’s degree from COFAP, just 3-1/2 years after starting school. She did several internships, worked on campus for the busy Event Services audio-visual department, and had an assignment in all 16 mainstage shows, whether acting, stagecraft, lighting or stage management.

“I had very little sleep,” Swartz, 21, said of her time on campus.

She was assistant stage manager for “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” in 2014, and most recently was stage manager for “Die Fledermaus,” an opera presented by COFAP in November.

But it was in “Oklahoma!” that Swartz, who got a callback on a part she never tried out for, demonstrated her comedic talents. She was cast as Aunt Eller, a sturdy farm woman with a big heart who also could be tough.

“We had a lot of fun together,” said Swartz, who had an uncanny ability to toss out hilarious insults, among them to a male cast member, “That’s not a moustache — that’s a caterpillar!”

Swartz also directed two plays that were part of COFAP’s student-run “second series” program, and was a student worker in Event Services’ audio-visual department. She helped set up light and sound for many campus events, including her favorites, GCU music concerts.

Although she’s good at it, acting is not where Swartz sees her future. Rather, her internships at Phoenix Theatre, the Herberger Theater Center, Tempe Center for the Arts and Chandler Center for the Arts have honed her love for backstage work.

For now, Swartz plans to return home to Texas and learn American Sign Language because she feels strongly that those who are hearing impaired also should enjoy the theatre.

“I would love to continue directing,” she said. “It gives you a lot of skills to see every aspect of a production. You get to create this world, this story on stage, and bring it to life.”

—Janie Magruder

Thunderground artist sad to leave college behind

Andy Baughman’s life has been one great big canvas, and he continues to dream in color.

Andy Baughman is an artist, which is plain to see by some of his work on campus. (Photo courtesy of Andy Baughman)

Until two years ago, Baughman, who majored in digital design with a focus in animation, had no expectations to go back to college after obtaining his associate degree from Tacoma (Wash.) Community College. Baughman was working for an aluminum company in Chandler to provide for himself and his two siblings after moving to Arizona.

All three had been raised in a missionary family in France but were encouraged to pursue a new future in the United States while staying with extended family and investing in their relationship with God.

“Overseas it was hard to talk about God because nobody was interested,” Baughman, 24, said. “We definitely stood out because we were American, we had a large family and we were Christians. People were definitely skeptical of us.”

Then a close friend urged him to take a tour of GCU. One look at the campus changed his mind.

“At the time, I really didn’t have any concrete plans for the future, but I think it was because I hadn’t found a place that stood out to me. I really didn’t believe I would go back until I walked this campus,” Baughman said.

While a student, he took on student-engagement activities, including creating social opportunities for commuting students, while balancing school and work.

Baughman is an artist. He blends color, passion and ideas to create vibrant artwork on chalk murals, paintings and billboards inside and around Thunderground.

“I have had a lot of freedom down there, and it’s really the best thing I could be doing with my talent,” he said. “It makes me sad to leave this place behind because I will always have a unique connection with it.”

While Baughman is uncertain about his next move, the combination of creativity and interaction with people continues to inspire him.

“I was built for relationships and connectivity, so my ultimate goal would be to find a job that combines both of those,” he said. “I love kids, so working in ministry with kids part-time and balancing that with art on the side could be a possibility. All I know is that no matter what I do, I’m going to do art on the side.”

Baughman’s parents and five younger siblings were not there to see him get his diploma, but they will be close in spirit, he said.

“We have a strong family bond and no matter where they are, they will always be close,” Baughman said. “I have no shame in telling people that my parents are my inspiration. I know they’re proud.”

—Jeannette Cruz

CSET graduate hopes to stay at GCU

Bruce Ploeser graduated today, but he’s not going anywhere. At least, he hopes not.

Ploeser, who earned his bachelor of science in biology with an emphasis in pre-physician assistant, wants to keep studying at GCU with an eye toward earning additional degrees. He also wants to work as an enrollment counselor or an instructional assistant for chemistry. His end goal? To become a professor of chemistry.

Bruce Ploeser found his purpose at GCU: to further his education while helping others further theirs.

It’s a significant shift since Ploeser’s transfer more than two years ago from Estrella Mountain Community College, when he had his sights fixed on becoming a P.A.

“Through working in the Learning Lounge and my experiences empowering students to understand the sciences, I have decided to change plans,” said the 22-year-old.

Those plans might be temporarily hindered because GCU doesn’t offer advanced degrees in chemistry – at least, not yet. But Ploeser is a believer, and he believes the University will offer those and many more in the near future.

“The number of degrees has increased, especially with the rise of CSET, which I think is every exciting,” he said.

Ploeser said teaching at the Learning Lounge was a major part of his GCU experience, as was working with Dr. Joe Veres, director of K-12 outreach programs.

“Ever since Joe has come here, things are shaking,” he said. “It has been 100 percent an honor to work with Joe.”

Ploeser began working at the Learning Lounge in September 2014 as a science tutor.

“The concept is not that we are helping students who are deficient. We are here to help students who want to succeed more,” Ploeser said.

Ploeser’s favorite class was organic chemistry, a challenging yearlong experience that was improved by collaboration among classmates. He enjoyed Dr. Will Primack, a CSET professor who helped Ploeser learn who he was as a person.

Ploeser also appreciates GCU’s Christian roots.

“In any spiritual walk, you are going to have to be intentional,” he said. “The fact that this is a Christian campus, with Chapel, small group study and a lot of Christian faculty, creates an environment that lets you grow and be intentional.”

—Laurie Merrill

Contact the GCU News Bureau at GCU.Today@gcu.edu. 

The post GCU Arena packed for warm, winter commencement appeared first on GCU Today.

Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

GCU Arena was packed and festive for winter commencement Friday night as more than 600 traditional graduates received their diplomas. So many great stories equals so many great photos, filled with joy and anticipation.

The post 2015 winter commencement appeared first on GCU Today.

By Janie Magruder
GCU News Bureau

During an end-of-year meeting Thursday in a Grand Canyon University Arena that was bustling with exuberant employees, President Brian Mueller had plenty of good news to share:

• High school students in GCU’s neighborhood have received 11,611 hours of free tutoring in the University’s Learning Lounge since it opened two years ago.
• Violent crimes in the Canyon Corridor around GCU have dropped nearly 40 percent, in large part because of a neighborhood safety partnership with the Phoenix Police Department.
• GCU staff and students have donated free labor to repair 100 homes in the area south of campus under a unique University alliance with Habitat for Humanity.
• Student enrollment is up more than 10 percent, as is revenue, for the third quarter of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
• And oh, those traditional students: 758 are members of GCU’s Honors College, and incoming students have an average GPA of 3.5.

Mueller touched on all of this — and much more — during his 90-minute chat with faculty and staff. And yet he concluded, “Next year could possibly be our biggest year.”

Community compassion abounds

GCU President Brian Mueller delivered good news about the University’s vitality during Thursday’s employee meeting.

Mueller delivered a report card on the progress of a five-point plan he unveiled just a year ago. The initiatives focus on developing a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce, supporting K-12 outreach and revitalizing the neighborhood by renovating homes, improving safety and creating jobs.

There were a lot of As.

STEM program growth: In 2016, GCU estimates 10,364 students will be studying STEM in two engineering buildings — one that opened this fall along Camelback Road and a second under construction north of Camelback Garage. By 2020, the number of STEM students at GCU is expected to more than double to 21,457.

A second engineering building is being erected on the main campus and is scheduled to be open in fall 2016.

“When companies look at the west side of Phoenix, they’re going to say, ‘That’s where I want to be,’” Mueller said of the expanded workforce opportunities.

K-12 outreach: Students at nearby Alhambra High and Bourgade Catholic High have something in common with kindergartners through eighth graders in the Alhambra elementary district. Both are doing better in school partly because of free tutoring they get on GCU’s campus at the hugely successful Learning Lounge.

Alhambra High, a D-rated school in 2012, is now just nine points away from becoming a B-rated school. Also, 29 percent more students graduated from the school in 2014-15 compared to the previous year, and the number of students there taking advanced-placement exams grew by an astounding 75 percent.

Speaking about the Learning Lounge at Thursday’s meeting were (from left) GCU junior Juan Villegas, freshmen Norberto Reyes and May Carreon, and Dr. Joe Veres, director of K-12 outreach programs.

Dr. Joe Veres, director of K-12 outreach programs, and three students spoke during Thursday’s employee meeting.

“It’s been a great honor working with Dr. Joe from the beginning,” said junior biology major Juan Villegas, who began tutoring in the Learning Lounge when it opened in October 2013. “It’s been amazing to see kids walk in the door the first day, then coming every day not just to get help with their education but with their life.”

GCU freshman May Carreon, who got help in the Learning Lounge as an Alhambra High student and now has a scholarship from the Colangelo College of Business, is a tutor in the Lounge.

“I’m really blessed with all my opportunities, and I expect to grow and learn more and do my best to be the best I can be,” Carreon said.

Next month, in conjunction with the GCU Foundation, the University will launch the Students Inspiring Students Scholarship Fund in an effort to expand the successes at Alhambra to other inner city schools on the west side. The scholarship fund will offer full-ride scholarships to area students who meet academic requirements and have studied in the Learning Lounge. In exchange, Mueller said, the students will pay it forward by donating time back to the Lounge while at GCU to help the next group of high school students behind them. This will create a self-funded, sustainable and scalable model that will be truly transformational, he said.

“This is the single most dynamic program for educational transformation in this country, and there’s no limit to what it can accomplish,” Mueller said.

The goal is to find corporate partners who can help provide 800 scholarships over the coming four years. An introductory event and dinner for potential donors is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7, at GCU Arena before a Lopes men’s basketball game.

GCU students and staff have helped make repairs to 100 homes in the University’s neighborhood under a partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

Renovating homes: Employees and students for the past year have been volunteering on home repair projects in GCU’s neighborhood as part of a partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

But they also can benefit Habitat financially by taking advantage of a University program, Donate to Elevate, that allows them to finance renovation projects by contributing to an Arizona state tax-credit program. So far, nearly $900,000 has been pledged by employees to the program for 2016, and the goal is $1.5 million.

Homeowner Hannah Lucas told the Arena audience that she, her parents and her sister all work or attend college full-time and could not have made the necessary improvements to their home without GCU’s help. “Our home is beautiful and very safe, and we are happy and healthy,” Lucas said.

Donate to Elevate also helps qualified students with private school tuition, among them Donovan Welbaum, who had a rough time on the streets before being enrolled in Phoenix Christian Preparatory School. “My life has changed because of a lot of people have invested in my life through tuition tax credits,” Welbaum told the GCU employees. “I thank God for the opportunity to turn my life around.”

Improving safety/creating jobs: Property crimes also have dropped 33 percent in GCU’s neighborhood, Mueller said.

Additionally, a partnership with Love International, a church near GCU’s 27th Avenue office complex, has enabled the University to recently hire 12 people who live within a two-mile radius of campus.

“Those people now have an opportunity to receive free education at GCU,” Mueller said of the University’s employee tuition benefit, “and their children have an opportunity to get a free education.”

Academic achievements on the rise

Mueller’s University report card wouldn’t have been complete without details on the growth in students, academics and programs. There was plenty to tell.

Among members of GCU’s young but stellar speech and debate team are (from left) Thomas Rotering and Zachary Kuykendall. The two juniors have qualified for a national tournament this spring.

GCU’s speech and debate team, just three years old and led by communications instructor Barry Regan, is ranked 16th in the country. Regan called an upcoming national tournament for which two of his students have qualified “the NCAA basketball tournament for parliamentary debate.” One of those qualifiers, junior Thomas Rotering, had an interesting experience that Regan shared with his fellow employees Thursday.

“Thomas was in his semifinal round, and he and his opponent were given the resolution ‘10 percent of adults admit having an addiction to______.’ His opponent decided to fill in the blank space with ‘online pornography.’ By defining it this way, she argued that her burden is to argue that online pornography is bad, and that Thomas had to argue it’s good.

“During the cross-examination period, he asked her, ‘Do you believe it is fair to ask a Christian who attends a Christian university to defend that online pornography is good?’ She responded by stating that debaters must be prepared to defend both sides of every issue.

“In response, during his next speech, Thomas spent the majority of his time arguing that forcing Christians to divorce themselves from their religious beliefs harms their own self-agency and relationship with God. He ended his speech by asserting that limiting individual autonomy through suppression of religious freedom has problematic secular and constitutional implications, which showed how her reasoning harms both secular and religious communities alike.

The judges, all of whom were from public schools, ruled Rotering won the round in part because of these arguments, Regan said.

“This is a reflection of what our students are learning in their classrooms, and that what they learn in their classes have real-world implications,” he concluded.

No shortage of highlights

Mueller thanked employees for working hard as a team to bring continued success to the University.

Other notables shared by Mueller:

• The University reinvested more in campus infrastructure and technology from 2009 to September 2015 than it made in after-tax profits during that period.
• GCU will continue investing heavily in residence halls, classrooms, laboratories, student amenities and technology from 2016-2018.
• In addition to the second engineering building, the University is building three residence halls, a student services/athletics/administration building, recreation fields, a soccer stadium and a complex at 27th Avenue that includes office space and the GCU Hotel. The University also is about to open the renovated GCU Golf Course.
• GCU has 75,073 total students — about 59,600 online and about 15,500 traditional.
• It is projected GCU will have between 17,500 and 18,000 traditional students in 2016 and 25,000 in 2020.
• Approximately 7,000 new students started last fall. There was a 31 percent spike in the number of students from California.
• 8,300 students live on campus.
• In 2010, 8,244 students graduated. An all-time high of more than 16,614 students are projected to graduate in 2015.
• Three-year student loan default rates among GCU students have dropped from 19 percent in 2010 to an estimated 9.8 percent in 2013.
• In 2015, faculty contributed scholarship to 263 publications and made 219 presentations.
• The number of employees has grown from 1,365 at the end of 2008 to 3,900 this month.

Mueller closed the meeting with a note on GCU’s blessedly loud and garish student group, the Havocs, which this semester conducted five community outreach events. On their own, they built Havocs with Heart.

“It’s an example of them following your leadership,” Mueller told the employees, “and becoming who we are.”

Contact Janie Magruder at (602) 639-8018 or janie.magruder@gcu.edu .

Contact Janie Magruder at (602) 639-8018 or janie.magruder@gcu.edu. 

The post Great year for GCU, and the best is yet to come appeared first on GCU Today.

By Janie Magruder
Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

GCU’s ground enrollment hit a record 15,500 students in 2015.

No matter how you slice it, the most talked-about stories at Grand Canyon University in 2015 had something to do with students and creating for them the best possible academic, spiritual and social experiences.

With a record number of students matriculating on campus this year, new programs, new faculty and staff and — especially — new buildings were needed to help facilitate their learning. Additional residence halls and eateries were required for the students’ care and feeding, as were fields for their recreation and structures for their vehicles.

The University did not disappoint.

In what has become a year-end tradition at GCU Today, here are our top 10 stories of 2015, in no particular order of importance. (We do think you’d be hard-pressed to argue against the first entry, however.) Our list is by no means etched in stone, nor all-inclusive, but is merely meant to prompt water-cooler debates or a bit of reflection.

Thanks for the memories, GCU.

Up, up, up: student enrollment. If not for the 15,500 traditional students (a 21.6 percent jump over 2014’s ground enrollment) and the 59,200 online students (up 7.5 percent from last year) at GCU, there would be no stories to write. Hence, student growth stands alone atop this year’s big-news pile. By the time all academic records are finalized, it’s projected that an all-time high of more than 16,614 students will have graduated this year, more than doubling the number in 2010.

The crane was a familiar object in the skies above GCU during 2015.

Up, up, up: construction. The crane has become a regular fixture at “Grand Construction University,” and we don’t mean the long-necked kind that stand around in water. In 2015, GCU started/finished building: one soccer field plus stadium, one administration building, two parking garages, two engineering classroom buildings, two apartment-style residence halls, four six-story dorms, two intramural fields, dining spots along Lopes Way and the Lope Shop. Artificial turf was spread across the intramural field and new sod was rolled out on the Quad.

At the 27th Avenue office complex, GCU turned a run-down motel into a purple palace, calling it the Grand Canyon University Hotel, and recently broke ground on a beautiful office building complex.

Neighborhood revitalization. GCU kicked off in January a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona in which students volunteer their time and skills in the neighborhood. Already, repairs to roofs, fencing, landscaping and painting have been made to 100 homes, and more than $255,000 has been raised through GCU’s Donate to Elevate state tax-credit program to help pay for the repairs. The campaign continues in January — stay tuned for details.

STEM growth. In fall 2014, GCU launched the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, rolling out programs in computer science and information technology, then opened its

STEM education, for K-12 and college students alike, was a GCU focus during 2015.

first engineering classroom building in August and broke ground on the second one in October. About a dozen undergraduate degrees are available in computer science, engineering and information technology, among others. GCU expects to have more than 10,000 students enrolled in STEM programs by next fall.

But the STEM focus doesn’t end with college students. In July, GCU saw its inaugural class of STEM Scholars (students at Alhambra High) take a biology course on campus as part of a program where they will earn 32 college credits, tuition-free, by the time they are finished with high school. And, on the heels of STEM Saturdays, when K-12 students come to campus to participate in science experiments, the University held STEM summer camps where middle and high school students felt the power of science and engineering at their fingertips. GCU also hosted in April for the first time the west regional of the Arizona FIRST Robotics Competition.

GCU converted the old Maryvale Golf Course into a sublime championship layout and will manage it for the city of Phoenix.

GCU Golf Course. The University invested $10 million to renovate and manage the old Maryvale Golf Course at 59th Avenue and Indian School Road in a unique partnership with the city of Phoenix. The groundbreaking was Jan. 2 of this year, and on Friday, a day shy of a year later, the new and improved course is scheduled to open to the public. Students in the Colangelo College of Business’ golf course management and hospitality management programs will get hands-on training there, and GCU’s golf teams will practice there.

Click here to read a GCU Today Magazine story about the course, and here for a hole-by-hole guide from our resident golfer, Rick Vacek.

Dan Majerle (left) and Andy Stankiewicz received new contracts in 2015 to coach their respective sports, men’s basketball and baseball.

Up, up, up: athletics. Big announcements came in May — four-year contracts for men’s basketball coach Dan Majerle and baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz and a five-year deal with Nike. GCU also hired Schellas Hyndman, the sixth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s soccer history. Other big wins for the program: The men’s lacrosse team captured the national championship, the baseball team won the Western Athletic Conference title, the women’s soccer team beat Northern Arizona for the first time in school history, and the men’s basketball team shocked San Diego State and Houston in contests over Christmas break and closed out the year by winning 12 of its first 14 games.

Expansion of tutoring. Replicating an enormously popular on-campus tutoring program for nearby high school students, GCU extended to its own students the academic tools offered by the

Arlin Guadian (right), program coordinator of K-12 outreach, celebrates Christmas with Lillian and Jane Sabuni, who live in GCU’s neighborhood and have benefited from tutoring at the GCU Learning Lounge.

Learning Lounge. The student-driven changes focused on four subject areas — math, writing, Excel and science — and were incorporated into the After Dark Series four nights a week. A First Year Center of academic excellence opened in Juniper Hall, home to a third of GCU’s 750 Honors College students, and Learning Lounge tutors, all GCU students, set up outposts in the GCU Library and new engineering building. Read more in this GCU Today Magazine story.

First EP for Center for Worship Arts. The center in April produced its first extended play, “Canyon Worship,” which immediately was met with a rave industry review. The original track, “Follow You,” was one that we couldn’t get out of our heads for weeks. The center’s talented students performed at two showcases during the year, demonstrating their love for God and their amazing progress.

New CONHCP dean named. GCU appointed alumna Dr. Melanie D. Logue dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions in April. Logue, who earned a BSN from GCU, a master’s of science with a concentration in family nurse practitioner from Arizona State, and a Ph.D. in nursing and doctor of nursing practice from the University of Arizona, was appointed in July to the Arizona State Board of Nursing by Gov. Doug Ducey. Click here to read a feature about her.

Speech and debate argues its way to the top. Despite being very young (it was started in the fall of 2013), GCU’s speech and debate team collected a ton of impressive hardware at tournaments this year. Last spring, the team repeated as champion in individual events at the National Christian College Forensics Invitational. Communication instructor Barry Regan‘s team lost a few seniors over the summer, but the team was undaunted, toppling ASU and the University of California, Berkeley, at a November meet and beating 34 other University teams at a tournament in December. The team is ranked in the top 20 nationally.

Honorable mention: Other stories that generated interest included: President Brian Mueller being named the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2015 Businessperson of the Year; GCU’s Neighborhood Safety Initiative, which brought positive changes to the neighborhood, including a

President Brian Mueller (left) and GCU held six days of commencement events in 2015 on the way to graduating the largest number of students in its history.

reduction in crime; the fifth annual GCU Foundation Run to Fight Children’s Cancer, which has raised nearly $375,000 for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Children’s Cancer Network; the launch of Canyon Angels, an investor group formed by the CCOB to help GCU students learn about investment strategies and fund startup businesses; the decision by GCU to not raise tuition on its west Phoenix campus for the eighth consecutive year; the expansion of GCU’s Chapel music to three bands, increasing the number of students involved; and the growth of global mission trips, from 257 students and staff visiting 16 countries in 2014 to 388 students and staff visiting 21 countries and regions this year.

Contact Janie Magruder at (602) 639-8018 or janie.magruder@gcu.edu. 

The post Biggest stories of 2015 mirror GCU’s mission appeared first on GCU Today.

By Janie Magruder
GCU News Bureau

What would your classroom, office or department be like if everyone worked as if the Lord was their employer? Would your colleagues get along better, would the workday be more joyful and productive, and at the end of the day would you leave the building with less grousing on your lips?

The exploration of that concept was front and center at Friday’s Integration of Faith, Learning and Work “Lunch and Learn,” the fourth in a series this academic year. Nearly 90 Grand Canyon University faculty members and others packed Howerton Hall on campus to hear words of wisdom on the topic, “Work That Honors God.”

Interestingly, the guest speaker, Tamara Wisely, a professor in the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, and program moderator, Dr. Jason Hiles, dean of the College of Theology, independently chose the same Bible verses to frame their remarks:

“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Tamara Wisely

“Doing good is easy for most,” Wisely said. “Doing what’s right comes from the heart, and if you use God’s blueprint, the Bible, you can understand what God’s word says about doing His work.”

Doing the right thing, readily forgiving others and walking humbly can be especially challenging in a busy, competitive workplace, she acknowledged. But it is possible if praying, often and about everything, and being true to your values and intentional about your personal and professional growth are on your front burner.

If we are serious about honoring God, whether on or off the time clock, we will work on our personal or professional growth by knowing ourselves and our purpose, passion and commitment, Wisely said. We will work hard to recognize what, how and when to change about ourselves and evaluate our experiences on a daily basis, she noted.

If we are committed to honoring God with high character, Wisely said, we will choose to be positive   and honest, take ownership of situations and embrace bad experiences by asking, “What can I learn?”

Honoring God with servant leadership is achieved by, among other things, putting the needs of others first, developing new leaders, leading by example and living the “Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership” as espoused by James W. Sipe and Don M. Frick.

In all of this, prayer is key, said Wisely, who recommended praying before all meetings and classes. “Many times I’ll hear people say, and this depends on their walk … ‘Why do we even pray? If God knows it all and is all present, why do we pray?’” The answer, according to 20th-century evangelist Oswald Chambers, is that prayer changes us so that we can change things, even in the workplace, she said.

An ideal prayer: “Lord, let my words be Your words, let my actions be Your actions and change my heart to align with Your will.”

Wisely called on her audience to “step out and step up” in order to do God’s work. In response to a comment that stepping out is outside the comfort zone of some students, she said all that many need is an example and an invitation.

“They are so hungry to step out, but they need to know how and what that looks like and they need to know you are doing it, too,” she said.

Dr. Jason Hiles

Hiles used Exodus 31:1-8 to point out that God has called us to be committed to excellence, to do things well in our workplaces.

“Work that honors God entails excellence, but not only excellence in work, but excellence in workers,” he said. “That relates to what we do, the condition of our hearts as we work and how we go about our work.”

In Micah 6:6-7, he noted, God’s people are trying to be transactional with God about how they can draw nearer to Him:

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

Micah “clears the air” with verse 8 — do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God, Hiles said.

Of course, acting justly means not working in prostitution, human trafficking and drug smuggling, but all types of work can be done in unrighteous ways, even televangelists who rip off their viewers, he said. Christians do their jobs by demonstrating concern for each other, challenging systemic injustice and creating opportunities for the oppressed and underprivileged, Hiles said.

Loving mercy requires a heart check, he said, to ensure we truly do love others as we love ourselves, that we put their interests ahead of our own and that we serve them, rather than “lord” our authority or position over them. While we often create pecking orders in our offices, Jesus embraced the anti-pecking order, dining with sinners and tax collectors rather than the Pharisees, Hiles said.

From Hosea 6:6, “… ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Those whose hearts are close to God, Hiles said, tend to consider the needs of others over their own, but those far from God focus on themselves, he said.

Closing his presentation, Hiles quoted from 1 Peter 5:5 on walking humbly with God: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

The next Lunch and Learn, with Moronke Oke and a panel from the Colangelo College of Business, is Friday, Feb. 19. Faculty RSVPs for lunch are required (click here).

Contact Janie Magruder at (602) 639-8018 or janie.magruder@gcu.edu.

The post Honoring God in the workplace is on our office to-do list appeared first on GCU Today.

By Laurie Merrill
GCU News Bureau 

William Shakespeare

Monday is the start of Shakespeare Week, when GCU’s cup will runneth over with student performances and presentations of some of the Bard of Avon’s most beloved classics spread across campus daily.

“Celebrating the greatest writer in the English language in this way is the least we can do for the next generation, who will enjoy and carry on his works,” said Dr. Sherman Elliott, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Monday:

• 12-12:45 p.m., members of the speech and debate team will read Shakespeare near the southeast corner of the Intramural Field.

Tuesday:

• 10:45–11 a.m., students from the College of Fine Arts and Production (COFAP) will perform scenes from “As You Like It” on the Promenade next to Building 6.
• 12:45-1 p.m., COFAP students will perform the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet” on the Building 57 staircase.

Wednesday:

• 11:15 a.m., Dr. Paul Hartle, fellow/senior tutor from St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge, will speak to students about Shakespeare at Ethington Theater.
• 12:30-12:45 p.m., Critical Mass will perform outside Ethington after Hartle’s presentation.
• 4:15-5:15 p.m., Hartle will present “Shakespeare Mashups — Adapting Shakespeare for Today’s Young Audience” in Building 16, Room 401.

Thursday:

• 12:45-1 p.m., COFAP students will perform a scene from “As You Like It” at the Student Union south entrance.

Friday:

• 11:15 a.m.-noon, members of the speech and debate team will read Shakespeare on the Thunder Alley patio.

Contact Laurie Merrill at (602) 639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu. 

The post GCU to host Shakespeare Week appeared first on GCU Today.

By Laurie Merrill
GCU News Bureau

William Shakespeare didn’t have the luxury of computers, cinematic flashbacks, voice-overs or any of today’s high-tech storytelling devices when he was writing 400 years ago. He was dipping quill in ink long before movies, TV and radio became commonplace, in an era predating computers, typewriters, even ballpoint pens.

Dr. Paul Hartle, a Shakespeare expert, speaks to students during GCU’s Shakespeare Week.

Yet, in his London, thousands of spectators packed public theaters, many crushed together in standing-room-only spaces, to laugh and cry through some of the most vividly told comedies and tragedies of all time.

On Wednesday, as part of Grand Canyon University’s weeklong celebration honoring the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death, guest lecturer and acknowledged Shakespeare expert Dr. Paul Hartle lectured on how the bard created elaborate settings — using only his words.

“Imagination produces the landscape,” Hartle, of St Catharine’s College at the University of Cambridge, told a rapt audience of 200 students, faculty and staff in Ethington Theatre.

How the Bard of Avon presented his work

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, built in 1599, was a three-story, open-air amphitheater that seated 3,000 people. The stage, a wooden rectangle in the yard, signified “earth.” At the rear, a ceiling adorned with paintings and supported by columns conveyed “heaven,” while the dark space under the stage symbolized “death.”

Yet Shakespearean scenes took place in palaces, graveyards, sailing ships and battlefields, atop cliffs and astride horses, in cultured European cities and in magical forests.

What made those various scenes delivered in one setting believable were Shakespeare’s descriptions, the words with which he wove images in the imaginations of the theatergoers.

For example, in Act 3, Scene 2 of “King Lear,” there can be little doubt about whether the central character is inside or out, and what the weather was like.

King Lear:
“Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!
You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,
Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,
Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,
Smite flat the thick rotundity o’ the world!”

In Act 4, Scene 6, Edgar is convincing Gloucester that the two are on the edge of a cliff, though they are not.

Edgar:
“Come on, sir. This is the place. Stand still.
It’s so scary to look down! It makes me dizzy.
The crows flying down below look as small as ants.
Halfway down the cliff there’s somebody clinging to the rock and gathering wild herbs — a risky business!
He looks like a dot to me.
The fishermen walking along the beach are as small as mice.
That big ship over there looks no bigger.”

Hartle, center, holding a book, lectured Wednesday in Ethington Theatre during GCU’s Shakespeare Week.

Edgar and Gloucester are not on a cliff, they are on a wooden stage. It’s the lines they are reciting that turn a stage into something else altogether, Hartle said. “This brilliant construct of a scene is entirely imaginative,” he said.

Shakespeare’s scenery can portray different meanings, such as the forest of Arden, which has been described as both bucolic and innocent and as a sinister wasteland, Hartle said.

“Arden was a shape-shifting, metamorphosing place,” he said.

Hartle’s talk was entitled, “I, now am I in Arden, the more foole I,” from “As You Like It,” and the theme was “Shakespeare’s Imagined Landscapes.”

He gave a second presentation Wednesday titled “Shakespeare Mashups—Adapting Shakespeare for Today’s Young Audience.”

More fascinating facts can be found in the recent blog “’To Be, or Not to Be?’ Celebrating 400 Years of Shakespeare,” by Dr. Meredith DeCosta of the College of Education, Michael Kary of the College of Fine Arts and Production and Dr. James Helfers of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Contact Laurie Merrill at (602) 639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu. 

The post Shakespeare’s settings live large in our imaginations appeared first on GCU Today.

Antelope Intros is a recurring GCU Today feature that introduces some of our new employees to the people around them in a way that is fun and informative. Employees are eligible to be featured in the month following their orientation.

TIM NOLLAN

Job title: Head women’s volleyball coach

Job location: Main campus

Tim Nollan and his family

What attracted you to GCU? I was attracted by the vision that Vice President of Athletics Mike Vaught and President Brian Mueller have for the athletics department as well as GCU being a private university. Because I’m a dad, the family atmosphere of the school is also very exciting to me with GCU competing to be ranked in the top 25. Everyone I have met at GCU has a genuine interest in me as a coach and a person. People have gone out of their way — from introducing themselves to providing me with different information about campus to recommending a preschool for one of my kids. People don’t treat each other like coworkers, they treat one another like family.

What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? My family loves the outdoors. We will be hiking or camping or swimming whenever we are given the chance. We won’t move to Phoenix until March (fingers crossed), but we are going to take a Grand Canyon trip in May and we all are excited about it. My wife and kids are in La Canada, Calif. There, we love to camp in the Mammoth Lakes area or in Malibu at a place called Sycamore Canyon, which is across the highway from the beach and is in a sycamore tree grove. When we go in May we hike in the hills and get to watch the whales, all in the same day. My wife and I got married in Mammoth, so it always will be a special place for us. We love swimming the ocean, but we are looking to try the Arizona lakes. We also want to look for a swim team for Avery, my oldest daughter. She loves being in the water so much, I think she might be part fish. For fun, I also love backpacking solo or with my father and friends. The last couple of trips I have taken were to the Big Pine Lakes as well as the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada in California. These trips are anywhere from four to seven nights. I would love to do the entire Pacific Crest Trail, but that takes months.

What are you passionate about? I am very passionate about kids and veterans. I’m always trying to find ways to make their lives better.

What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? Any hiking trail, the zoo and the botanical garden.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know:  I graduated with honors with a master’s in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. I coached at the University of Southern California for the last eight years and at Pepperdine for the four years before that. I got into college coaching after coaching high school and club volleyball. While doing so, I was given the opportunity to be the volunteer assistant at USC in 2003. We went 35-0 that year, and I thought college coaching was easy — if only I had known. From there I went to Pepperdine as a paid assistant and got my master’s while coaching, and it has transformed how I teach the game. From Pepperdine I went back to USC to be the associate head coach, and now I have made the jump to GCU to be the head coach.

What are you most proud of? My family, followed by the accomplishments of the great athletes I have had the pleasure to coach. My family makes me proud every day. I talk to them about what happened at school and how to treat a classmate, and I watch dance performances, music classes and sports events. My kids’ passion for life and how much they care for nature and the world is humbling. And then, of course, my wife, Kristen, holds the family together while I am on the road traveling. Kristen being able to raise three amazing kids, Avery, Emma Jane and Deacon, and our dog, Poppy, just makes me feel extremely proud. I know that the world is a better place with my family in it and that all three of my kids will go on do to great things.

—–

DR. ROMÉO FARINACCI

Job title: Program director, information technology and cyber security

Job location: Main campus, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dr. Roméo Farinacci and his son, Xavier

What attracted you to GCU? I am very active in my church. When I joined GCU as an adjunct, I found that many of the cultural characteristics and nuances of the University mimic the culture at my church, and that fits my personality like a glove.

What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I am a social butterfly and am very active here in the Valley and now on campus. I am a Grand Award Judge for Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and a judge for the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. I also am part of many social communities and help run events such as Juniques MultiCultural Connections and The Office Pile. I went to a Black History Month Expo on Valentine’s Day last year at the Phoenix Salvation Army KROC Center and met actor and producer Omar Gooding. On campus, I work with the Honors College, with Paul Waterman, assistant professor of entrepreneurial studies in the Colangelo College of Business, and help in the Project Management club to provide students guidance and resources in achieving the Project Management Professional certification. Besides the social extravaganza, I also enjoy my quiet time. I am an enthusiastic moviegoer (I own 2,000+ and counting), enjoy eating at ridiculously pricey restaurants, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and playing Skylanders with my son, Xavier, all day!

What are you passionate about? My son, church, education and all that is part of our technological future. That passion drove me to where I am today, at GCU, where I can successfully merge all four and be who I want to be — suit, tie and all — while helping others achieve their dreams through church, education or IT. Did I mention my favorite color is purple?

What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I enjoy the top of Piestewa Peak in the evening, the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort, AMC Dine-In Theatres Esplanade and any social event in the Valley. I am open to suggestions.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: Before moving to central Phoenix, I lived in Waddell, where I became a Bible study leader. Having the opportunity to discuss the Bible and the many interpretations for our lives was an amazing experience. Also, my last name is Italian, but I am not Italian. My mom remarried an Italian from Buffalo, N.Y., two days before my first birthday, and he adopted me when I turned 7.

What are you most proud of? Honestly, besides my awesome mini-me of a son, I’m proudest of my education. I grew up in a fiscally challenged environment, with no real vision for achieving higher education. Most of my family and relatives was in the military, so initially I went that route, and after my six years of active duty in the Air Force I decided to make a change that ignited a passion I did not know was inside me. Now seven degrees later, I’m that guy, and I look back and smile. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” — Philippians 4:13

The post Antelope Intros: Tim Nollan and Dr. Roméo Farinacci appeared first on GCU Today.

From left, the 2016 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees: Dr. Nicholas Markette, Dr. Brian Bucina, Andy Unkefer, Dr. Jim Rice, Max Fose and John Davis. (Photos by Keith Alstrin)

By Rick Vacek
GCU News Bureau

At most college reunions, the phrase “My, how you’ve changed!” can be heard repeatedly as old friends renew acquaintances.

But Grand Canyon University is not just any university. Here, the phrase has an entirely different meaning.

Dr. Nicholas Markette

When six new members were inducted Saturday into GCU’s Alumni Hall of Fame, the physical changes on the main campus frequently were referenced. The view out the window from the gathering spot, the fourth floor of the Student Union, toward The Grove, the massive new complex of freshman residence halls, is just one example why.

But there’s more to it than that. And the one thing the inductees emphasized is that, while the look of the University certainly has changed, its values have not. If anything, they said, they are even more impressed with how it is carrying out its mission for its students and the community.

Take it from two of the new Hall of Famers, one an employee and the other a member of the board of directors.

Dr. Jim Rice

Dr. Nicholas Markette, the inductee from the College of Doctoral Studies, supervises 24 dissertation chairs and also has been a teacher in the Colangelo College of Business since 2008. He said he tells his students about all the construction projects, “If you don’t like it, just wait a week and it will change,” but the one constant in his work has been far more important.

“I don’t have to hide my faith here,” he said. “And I bring it to my classroom. It just is who I am. You can’t separate from it, and here I have that freedom. I teach organizational ethics, and how do you get into ethics without incorporating the truth? This university gives you that opportunity to do it and bring value to students. It’s just a great place to be.”

In addition to sharing his faith, Markette has a joyous approach to teaching that was reflected in the sense of humor he displayed during his induction speech when he said, “I don’t think I’ve seen so many purple ties in one place before” and joked that after looking at the accomplishments of the 2015 Hall of Fame inductees, he thought that “you had to be big enough to stop a locomotive.” His strength is his spirit.

John Davis

“I always go into my classroom thinking, ‘What would I want if I was a master’s student tonight?’ or ‘What would I want if I were a doctoral student tonight and I’ve been working all day and I’m wondering if my kids have eaten dinner? I’ve got all these plates spinning — what would I want?'” he said.

“I would want to have fun. The premise I bring into the classroom is, there are people in other countries who would kill to be able to pursue their master’s or their doctorate, so let’s have fun, let’s enjoy this and embrace God’s gift, because that’s what it is. Not enjoying it would almost be somewhere between a sin and a tragedy.”

Dr. Jim Rice, the College of Education inductee, has gotten to see the inner workings of the University’s growth through his membership in the board of directors. He was asked if the special spirit is evident in those meetings.

“It is,” he said. “You have a visionary (President Brian Mueller) who’s the leader. You have people like Dr. Stan Meyer (chief operating officer), Dan Bachus (chief financial officer) and Dr. Hank Radda (University provost) on the leadership team. You’ve got people like Jerry Colangelo involved. You’re in awe.

Max Fose

“When you’re in the boardroom and you’re given a spreadsheet with the financial condition of the University and see how healthy it is and how we’re attracting more kids to this University, you know it’s something special.”

The special feeling was felt by the other four inductees as well Saturday.

John Davis, the athletics inductee for his stellar golf career at GCU, said he felt it by being on campus again even though it has changed so dramatically from when he was here regularly around the turn of the century. “There’s something about just walking from the parking garage to here,” he said. “I had that feeling today.”

Max Fose, representing the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said he is “awestruck” by the growth but appreciates even more what the University did for him. “They challenged me to be a better person, a better man, and that’s still with me today,” he said.

Dr. Brian Bucina

Dr. Brian Bucina, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology inductee, said he wouldn’t have believed in 1998 that GCU could look like this today, but “the one thing I believed in 1998 is that we would have had the success our graduates have had.”

Andy Unkefer, representing the Colangelo College of Business, pointed out that, even with all the new bricks and mortar, the foundation of the University hasn’t changed.

“It really hasn’t,” he said. “We used to have really fantastic Chapels. Our teachers prayed in class with us. Nursing students were in demand. The baseball team was very good. And a former pro basketball player who coaches the team once played for the Suns.”

All of those features are still in place, of course, right down to Dan Majerle following in the hoop footsteps of Paul Westphal. But people still can’t get over the growth.

Andy Unkefer

Asked if he had any inkling of what was he was signing up with when he transitioned in 2008 from master’s graduate to instructor, Markette said, “I don’t know that I saw this vision, but I knew something good was coming. I just sensed it in my heart. I think it just points to this: If God is the focus, the rest just naturally falls where it needs to fall.”

My, how it has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same.

Contact Rick Vacek at (602) 639-8203 or rick.vacek@gcu.edu.

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GCU Speech and Debate team members after their National Christian College Forensics Invitational success.

By Laurie Merrill
GCU News Bureau  

In the latest proof of Grand Canyon University’s rapidly rising stature, the University has been selected to host the 2017 National Christian College Forensics Invitational.

The tournament, one of the most prestigious speech and debate events of the year, will bring as many as 400 competitors, faculty and family members from across the country to GCU.

“The good news is that all the teams will be staying in the Grand Canyon University Hotel,” said Barry Regan, GCU Speech and Debate Team director. “This event is going to take over most of the campus. It’s going to be a really big tournament.”

The selection is even more significant because the competition, scheduled for March 24-26, 2017, will mark the 20th edition of the National Christian College championships.

This also appears to be GCU’s first time hosting a national championship speech and debate tournament, said Regan, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences instructor.

“We’ve solidified our position across the country, as a university with the cachet to host this level of tournament,” he said. “We have become, from a visibility perspective, just as effective as basketball.”

The Speech and Debate Team has even more reason to be proud — it repeated as Division III champion in this year’s National Christian College Forensics Invitational.

GCU competitors not only accumulated the most sweepstakes points in the team’s history at this tournament; all 10 speech entries either finished in the top three in their events or made it into elimination rounds.

“We’ve never achieved this in our team’s three-year history at a national championship tournament,” he said.

That the young team has achieved so much in three years is in part the result of the hiring of an assistant coach, Michael Dvorak.

“We believe our team’s success this year (Mike’s first) compared to past years speaks volumes about the type of coach he is and the impact he’s had on our team,” Regan said.

Consider:

● 2014 — Four finalists, two top-five finishes

● 2015 — Six finalists, four top-five finishes

● 2016 — 10 finalists, nine top-five finishes

“Mike works endlessly with our speech competitors, and his dedication to each of them demonstrates why we are performing so well at the highest level of competition,” Regan said.

Related stories about this year’s successes:

● Parliamentarians put GCU on national map

● GCU topples ASU, UC-Berkeley 

● Performances reveal depth of emotion

Contact Laurie Merrill at 602-639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu.

The post There’s no debating GCU’s speech and debate cachet appeared first on GCU Today.

The large number of graduates in the last five years has thrust GCU over the 100,000 mark — and counting.

(Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the March 2016 issue of GCU Today Magazine. To view the e-version of the entire magazine, click here.)

Story by Janie Magruder
Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU Today Magazine

They didn’t see it coming.

Not Martha Davis, who was among the nine graduates in Grand Canyon College’s Class of 1952. Not Dr. Tim Sieges, who sampled three other colleges in three years, then finally found his calling at Grand Canyon in the ’70s. Not Dr. David Engstrom, the valedictorian of his medical school class, whose undergraduate experience in the ’90s gave him a strong science foundation.

Not even Grand Canyon University senior Jocsan Tamayo, who landed a job teaching high school math on the strength of his resumé and the College of Education’s reputation. This, before he’d done a single semester of student teaching.

GCU graduates say that their experiences at the University have benefited them greatly in their careers.

None could imagine their alma mater would ever mark such an occasion, one that speaks volumes about seven decades of hard work, tough decisions and an unwavering love for and trust in God.

“One hundred thousand alumni? Goodness, how can that be?” said Sieges, who has counseled Christian missionaries around the world for 30 years. “Extremely cool.”

GCU’s alumni community became 100,000 strong in December with the graduation of the last Class of 2015. (And in February, it hit 103,284.) It’s a number Alumni Relations director Kimberlee Marlow had been watching expectantly for months.

“It’s a monumental milestone,” said Marlow, herself an alum (MBA, ’15). “We are a community of 100,000 people who have established the University beyond its walls. Our alumni cross country borders, ages, modalities, and they represent a diverse and really caring network of individuals.”

They are bold entrepreneurs at the helm of technology companies, compassionate doctors and nurses who trot the globe on their own dime to heal the bodies and souls of the world’s most marginalized populations, and teachers who give their time, talents and treasures to educate children in trying times. They are brilliant preachers and worship leaders living out John 3:16 every day of their lives and performers who were well-trained not on the coasts, but in the Arizona desert.

“Employers continually seek out our graduates because they represent the academic integrity, strong faith and servant leadership upon which the university is grounded,” GCU President Brian Mueller said. “Our alumni have a rich history as Biblical scholars, teachers, nurses and business leaders and are now moving into medical fields, engineering, computer science and information technology.”

They have made their mark.

A track record for the ages

Davis, a sophomore at Grand Canyon when it opened in Prescott, Ariz., in 1949, studied English and Bible. She was joined by a few other young women and many men, fresh off duty in World War II going to school on the G.I. Bill.

The college moved in 1951 to a wide-open space on Camelback Road in west Phoenix, and Davis’ class was the first to graduate there the following spring.

Two years later, Jim Carter arrived on basketball and baseball scholarships, met and married his wife, Ginger, and graduated in 1957 with a physical education diploma. “My professors were interested in Jim Carter as a person, not a matriculation number,” he said.

He went on to earn a master’s in educational administration from Arizona State University and a law degree from The University of Arizona. “My degree from Canyon means more than the other two,” said Carter, a longtime Phoenix city prosecutor, assistant city attorney and Phoenix Municipal Court judge. “I’m absolutely proud. Everybody at the courthouse knows where I graduated from, and my law school class knows, too.”

Tim Sieges

Sieges is one of those people for whom “find your purpose” is more than just an inspirational slogan. His classes with religion teachers, among them Dr. J. Niles Puckett and Dr. D.C. Martin, helped him earn a behavioral science degree in 1975 and set the table for his career in ministerial counseling.

“I learned about God’s plan for me, and I really fell in love with God’s word there,” he said.

As clinical director of Wycliffe USA Counseling Ministries, Sieges has worked in 20 countries with missionaries who struggle with mental health issues. His contributions earned him a place in GCU’s 2015 Alumni Hall of Fame.

Alumnus Brian Stout (’91) worked for more than a decade in the homebuilding industry before becoming a full-time missionary eight years ago and helping to start Thousand Hills Ministry. Based in Lake Mary, Fla., the nonprofit provides tools and training in agriculture, irrigation and livestock care to church-based projects in Haiti.

Brian Stout

“This vocation God has me in certainly did not come from a book on how to be a missionary,” said Stout, crediting Grand Canyon with teaching him to “think and not just memorize” and to dream big.

Uganda, not Haiti, captured the hearts of Engstrom and his wife, Jamie, who graduated from GCU with human biology degrees in 1999. They both went on to Midwestern University, where he graduated from medical school and she got her degree as a physician’s assistant, then opened Pinnacle Family Medicine in Litchfield Park, Ariz.

Along with other medical professionals whom they met at GCU, the couple has traveled several times to Uganda to bring health care and God’s love to people desperate for both. In January, the Engstroms, who have three daughters ages 11 to 6, brought home a 4-year-old Ugandan boy whom they adopted. Just as he prayed over the decision to expand his family, Engstrom prays with and over his patients at his practice and only gives medical advice that aligns with his Christian values.

GCU is in their DNA

Engstrom also has hired GCU alumni. “I feel very comfortable and confident with their science foundation,” he said, “but equally important, I know their values and integrity because a Christian background is interwoven in them.

“The seed was planted in all of us who went to GCU — learning to incorporate our schooling, our science and our faith and knowing that all three can blend together. It was in our DNA.”

Recent commencement ceremonies have packed GCU Arena.

And it’s in the University’s, said Lamont Yoder, CEO of Banner Gateway Medical Center and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Ariz.

“You can see it in GCU’s nursing students and its nurses,” said Yoder, a member of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions community advisory board. “The consistency of their behavior and their attitude truly sets them apart from other programs. In the real world of health care, there are a lot of skill sets and knowledge that are critical for clinical care and patient care, and GCU has always been at the top of that.”

Because of the college’s reputation, Banner employees working on advanced nursing degrees at GCU automatically have Yoder’s attention. Students in residency at Banner as part of the college’s Transition to Professional Nursing Practice program are on his radar, too.

“We talk a lot in the workplace about transition into practice, and that transition for GCU graduates has been extremely smooth,” he said. “They are well prepared — the level of critical thinking, the ability to learn but to ask when there are things to be asked and not assumed. They are very highly skilled.”

Every time Dr. Betsy Hargrove interacts with GCU-trained teachers in her school district or encounters University faculty and staff while on campus for professional development and other opportunities, her impressions are the same.

“The piece that comes through is a true sense of purpose and a true sense of service,” said Hargrove, superintendent of the Avondale Elementary School District. “From the first person you encounter, the security guard at the gate, to the groups of educators who are sitting down to talk about the teacher shortage in Arizona and what to do about it, there’s a positive, constructive vibe that’s happening all over campus.

“Members of the GCU education community come to the table every time with solutions: ‘How can we work together to build programs for community members? How can we get collaborative conversations started with partnering school districts to help support the teacher shortage?’”

Hargrove also appreciates the College of Education’s Promise, in which assistance to graduates of the educator and administrator preparation programs is provided during their first year of teaching or leading.

“GCU is saying to its graduates, ‘We’re still here with you,’” she said. “And that is such a wonderful, powerful opportunity for GCU graduates to know they have the full support, not only of their school district, but of their preparation school. I don’t know of another teacher or leader preparation program that does that.”

GCU alumni employed by Enterprise Holdings, which operates three rental-car brands, excel at aligning themselves with the company’s morals and business practices, said Casey Miller, group talent acquisitions manager. They also are self-driven and not hesitant to ask questions, Miller said.

“We give a great measure of autonomy and decision making, and GCU candidates are able to take that and run with it,” she said. “Their problem-solving skills, weighing what’s best for the consumer and the business, is advanced.” Enterprise also has noticed that GCU alumni have GCU DNA.

“The benefit to an applicant coming from GCU is us understanding what kind of a university they are coming from — the culture, the training, the academic attention they receive,” Miller said. “It’s really those things that make GCU alumni more attractive candidates.”

Northwestern Mutual, Southwest, which offers financial planning services in Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas, recruits employees from the six major state universities in that region and from GCU. The quality of its graduates, their work and business ethics, and its ties to the community have made GCU a go-to campus for managing partner Ben Miller.

“We could build an organization around GCU,” Miller said. “GCU attracts a certain type of kid, and an added bonus is that many are local kids who already are established somewhere in the Valley. They’re better in communication skills and relationship skills, too, and for us it’s not all resumé building, it’s about community building.”

So when he’s flooded with hundreds of resumes for one position, the GCU resumes land in the “yes” pile, he said.

“If you’re from another school, you’re just another candidate,” Miller said. “But a GCU kid? It’s like if I see someone was an Eagle Scout. Right away, that’s goes in the ‘yes’ pile. It’s the same with GCU.”

Building the future

Through its applied management degree, GCU gave Phil Colon the leadership skills to take his career in technology to the next level. Today, the 1997 graduate is senior director of IT, Global Infrastructure Services at ON Semiconductor, an international company headquartered in Phoenix.

Colon joined the President’s STEM Advisory Board at GCU last fall and is working to develop an internship program at ON Semiconductor for students in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. They would learn and work in operations and infrastructure design, he said.

“Being on campus and seeing the enthusiasm of the kids motivated me to want to give back to the school I love and enjoy so much,” Colon said.

That’s music to Paul Rodriguez’s ears. The GCU sophomore, an information technology major with an emphasis in health IT, is the founder and president of Innovative Computing, a campus club. He and other students are developing an internship program with club adviser Steve Powelson, a CSET faculty member.

The students are hungry to immediately start applying in the real world what they learned in their classes, Rodriguez said.

“I absolutely love GCU, the one-on-one with faculty and the fact that most of them are more mentors than people who just regurgitate information at me,” the 19-year-old said. “Experience matters the most, and there’s no reason not to get a jump on it.”

Jocsan Tamayo

That’s what Jocsan Tamayo, 23, was thinking when he approached COE faculty member Jim Mostofo last year about getting a teaching job before student teaching. Mostofo was supportive, and not long after Tamayo had a job interview with Holly Foged, principal at Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics in Phoenix. And a job offer, on the spot.

“I feel great, confident, the students respect me and I really love them,” said Tamayo, who is employed at ACAA as a teacher-in-residence. He is teaching geometry and pre-calculus while taking his last semester of GCU courses online and plans to graduate in April.

“They (ACAA) knew GCU had the greatest program in the state when it comes to preparing teachers,” said Tamayo, grinning.

You won’t get much of an argument from Foged, who had a position she was unable to fill last fall. “I can rotate substitute teachers while I continue my search for a teacher that meets the highly qualified status,” she said, “or I can hire a teacher-in-residence now who has a passion, who wants to be a teacher and will accept the position.”

More recently, an unexpected opening for an English teacher arose. After an extensive search for a highly qualified teacher who would accept the position, Foged called Tamayo, who reached out to GCU and got a recommendation: senior Lindsay Bledsoe. Bledsoe was interviewed by the administration, got the position and started her teacher-in-residence in January.

“I walk into Jocsan’s and Lindsay’s classrooms, and there’s a good energy,” she said. “My students are in good hands with them. They get a lot of support from the teachers here at ACAA. They know they can walk into the classrooms next door, at any time, to get answers to their questions.”

In December, Jen Smestad addressed her fellow Class of 2015 graduates from the dais in GCU Arena. As a student, she had benefited from GCU’s small class sizes, its welcoming environment and myriad opportunities to grow her faith. As an alumna, she wants to stay connected.

“I feel we made history,” Smestad said of the 100,000 milestone. “And at the rate it’s growing, we’re going to be at 200,000 in just a few years, not another 60.”

The post Grand total, grander feats of 100,000+ alumni appeared first on GCU Today.

Speech and Debate Team Director Barry Regan, center, with team members Thomas Rotering, left, and Zach Kuykendall, two of the GCU’s top parliamentary debaters.

By Laurie Merrill
GCU News Bureau

The news keeps getting better for Grand Canyon University’s Speech and Debate Team, which recently received word of an unexpected accomplishment.

The three-year-old team finished 20th out of 161 teams in this year’s International Public Debate Association (IPDA) rankings, a major coup because the team primarily competes in parliamentary debate.

“I am very pleasantly surprised as our team only attended four tournaments in this type of debate,” said team director Barry Regan, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences instructor.

Regan said that IPDA is a simpler, slower debate style than the parliamentary style that GCU primarily practices.

An example of one IPDA topic is “Dumbledore versus Gandalf,” Regan said, referring to the Hogwarts headmaster in the fictional Harry Potter series and the powerful good wizard in the fictional Lord of the Rings.

In parliamentary debate, competitors take turns speaking about 300 words a minute about a topic that is revealed 20 minutes before the contest, Regan said.

Ashlyn Tupper, the only senior on the three-year-old team.

“There are many (speech and debate) categories,” said CHSS Dean Dr. Sherman Elliott. “When GCU wins at basketball, it’s very simple to explain. It’s never going to be that way with speech and debate.”

Among many accomplishments this year, the team:

• Finished No. 25 in the nation out of 199 schools that competed in parliamentary debate.
• Scored a three-peat when, for the third straight year, it was named Division III champion in the 2016 Christian College Forensic Invitational in Salt Lake City.
• Was honored when six members were named to the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association 2016 Academic All-Conference Team.

But perhaps the most exciting development was that GCU was unanimously selected to host the 2017 National Christian College Forensics Invitational, one of the most prestigious speech and debate events of the year.

The March 26-27, 2017, invitational will bring as many as 400 visitors the University, most of whom will stay at Grand Canyon University Hotel, Regan said.

Said Elliott, “It’s an honor, and it should be credited to the hard work and leadership of Barry and how he has represented us so well to the outside speech and debate community.”

Contact Laurie Merrill at 602-639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu.

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Outstanding Senior Awards were presented to nine graduates in Grand Canyon University’s Class of 2016 to highlight their work and success. They are (from left) Brenna Roth, Cody Dumas, Brenda Lara, Jennifer Hotchkiss, Joshua Braun, Brittany Holen, Alena Gladwin and Calie Donovan. Not pictured: Kelsey Hillman.

Story by Jeannette Cruz
Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

As if getting through college isn’t enough, Grand Canyon University’s students excel in multiple areas of life — serving the community, maintaining high grade-point averages, and leadership. You wonder how they do it all.

But they do, and the best of the best were honored Wednesday night at GCU Arena in the second annual Senior Dinner, sponsored by the Alumni Relations office. The event celebrated the accomplishments of the graduating senior class, honored notable staff members and recognized nine distinguished graduates in GCU’s Class of 2016.

In his keynote speech, President Brian Mueller noted that the blessings of God are visible in the transformation the University has borne — a change inspired by the students who spread their love beyond the campus and into the surrounding community.

“If Jesus came to the Valley, where would He go?” Mueller said. “If you read in the New Testament, He probably wouldn’t go to Scottsdale. He probably wouldn’t go to Paradise Valley. He’d probably come here — to a neighborhood that has the greatest amount of need. I really want to thank you for your willingness to go out into the world and get involved. You helped us not only build a University, but you helped us build a church that has a tremendous impact on a part of town that is being transformed.”

Guest speaker Jim Mostofo, GCU alumnus and College of Education faculty, tickled the audience with a confession about ditching class to avoid making a speech while still a student at GCU, then shared his four key strategies for success after college.

“If you ditched, remember: It will come back to you,” Mostofo said. “Now I have to give this speech.”

His first piece of advice: “Find God’s purpose and you will find your own.”

His second: “Bring passion into your life every day — like Mueller, who walks with a leap in his step.”

Third: “Be good tired — God renews our strength from doing good deeds to come back with passion the next day.”

Fourth: “Just breathe.”

Influential faculty awards
The Senior Dinner faculty and staff award recipients were selected by the graduating student class based on their influence, enthusiasm and passion for GCU. They are:

• Nicole Clifton, Residence Life

  The Influential Faculty Awards recognized exceptional teachers and staff who have shown consistent dedication to the students.

• Kelly Damron, Colangelo College of Business
• Daniel Diffey, College of Theology
• Pascale Lee, College of Nursing
• Jim Mostofo, College of Education
• Will Primack, College of Science, Engineering and Technology
• Sheila Schumacher, College of Fine Arts and Production
• Kevin Walling, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Outstanding senior awards
Senior award recipients were proudly recognized for academic excellence, service, faith and GCU spirit:

Joshua Braun, Colangelo College of Business, is a starting guard for GCU’s men’s basketball team and overcame knee injuries to lead the Lopes to a record-breaking season. He was named the All-Western Athletic Conference First Team, led the WAC in free throw percentage, ranked second in scoring and third in three-point field goal percentage, and displayed excellence in the classroom.

Calie Donovan, College of Theology, is a Christian Studies student who excels in scholarship and service. She won the College of Theology’s best student paper competition in 2015 and exemplifies her mission to serve with a significant amount of volunteer work at Feed My Starving Children and a mission trip to Liverpool. She is an example of a well-prepared, Christian-focused leader.

Cody Dumas, College of Fine Arts and Production, has been an active influential member of GCU’s community since his freshman year while holding a job and student leadership position as student body president. He will be graduating summa cum laude. He has led several important, student-oriented initiatives, including the “It’s On Us” campaign, Mental Health Awareness Week and the Lopes Support Network. He will leave a strong legacy of leadership and service.

Alena Gladwin, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, has distinguished herself in many ways — she is a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, has earned two medals at the AzHOSA academic competitions and has traveled to Uganda on a GCU mission trip. This year, she has served as a life leader, is a member of the GCU pep band and has founded GCU’s first Science Research Journal Club while volunteering at the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. She also will graduate summa cum laude.

Kelsey Hillman, College of Fine Art and Production, has been integral in the success of the theatre department, including in her role as stage manager and event coordinator. Despite the emotional demands of stage production and management, she has maintained academic excellence and has demonstrated her spiritual commitment by leading weekly Bible studies.

Brittany Holen, Colangelo College of Business, is an inducted member of GCU’s Honors College, a Delta Mu Delta and shines even brighter outside the classroom. She has earned an internship at Position Sports, Inc. where she has assisted in operations of the Chris Paul Basketball Camp, created content for the Basketball Hall of Fame social media accounts and traveled across the country to assist with Nike brand activation.

Jennifer Hotchkiss, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, is described by her peers as a passionate, genuine individual who greatly impacts those around her even when she isn’t trying to. A servant scholar, Hotchkiss partners with a south Phoenix children’s ministry, in which she tutors and leads Bible studies for underprivileged children, and volunteers at the New Life Pregnancy Center to perform medical procedures. She will be graduating with B.S. in nursing in only three years.

Brenda Lara, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is a Justice Studies major and an active member of GCU’s community. As a freshman, she was accepted to form part of the inaugural class at the Honors College and has not looked back. Because of her dedication to her position as the vice president of the Lopes Justice Society, she was recognized with the Honors College Leadership Award. As a volunteer at the CASA Academy in central Phoenix, she acts as a Spanish-English translator for the elementary school’s conferences and events.

Brenna Roth, College of Education, is well-known as cheerleader captain — one with a great amount of spirit. Her work in the classroom is exceptional while maintaining a busy cheerleading schedule. On several occasions she has led the basketball pregame prayer and is not shy about using her platform to share her faith.

 Contact Jeannette Cruz at (602) 639-6631 or jeannette.cruz@gcu.edu.

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By Jeannette Cruz
GCU Today Magazine

For Master Sergeant Steve Hall and many other veterans, Grand Canyon University is much more than a place to get an education. It’s also a haven for their restored sense of hope and purpose.

Hall retired from the Air Force in 2006 and found himself attempting to transition into an increasingly competitive civilian workforce at middle age without hands-on job skills or a college degree.

From left, Brandon Hall, Steve Hall, Michael Hall and Chaunte Myers are an Air Force family that shares pride, love for GCU and a mission to serve military veterans. (Portrait Shoppe, Macon, Ga.)

“My story is nothing unusual — I was in a situation like most military guys who get out, try to get a job and try to make a career out of that job, but I was facing the reality that I had to go back to school. I was freefalling like I had just been shot out of a cannon,” Hall said. “But GCU helped me find a second career.”

The Lewiston, Maine, native said his 25 years of military experience meant little to potential employers in Houston, where he lived. He regretted passing up on educational opportunities available during his time in the service. He prayed for divine intervention, and just when he thought he had run out of prospects, he got a call from a GCU recruiter, Matthew Dailey, that changed everything.

Dailey outlined the school’s plans to open a new military development team and hire veterans to work as military enrollment counselors. (Click here to read about the University’s Veterans Center.) Hall was hesitant, wondering how GCU had gotten his resumé and how likely the University would be to hire him without a college degree.

“Here I was in Texas getting a call from this guy in Arizona who is going on and on about (GCU President) Brian Mueller and his plan to expand the military community,” Hall said. “I think that phone call lasted about 35 minutes, and the entire time I kept thinking that we were going to come to a point when I was going to have to tell the person that I didn’t have a degree.”

He didn’t need to mention it — the recruiter already knew but believed Hall was worth the investment.

“I was flown out from Texas to GCU, and there were other men coming in from all parts of the country to establish this outreach team of service members who would then go back home and work at that region promoting higher education to the military populations,” Hall said. “It was incredible.”

Success for Hall and his family

Within three months of his employment at GCU, Hall enrolled as a student and transferred credits from colleges and military technical schools he had attended while serving on active duty. He completed his business degree in applied management in one year.

Since then, Hall has served men and women in the armed forces through several education and leadership positions. Currently, he is system director for Veteran Affairs and Veteran Services at Lone Star College in Houston.

Looking back on the experience, Hall said GCU was more than he ever could have hoped for. And, along with his own personal success, the most treasured part of his story is having a military family and children who all have completed or are in the process of earning their GCU degrees.

His oldest child, Chaunte Myers, said she and her brothers all got their inspiration from their father.

“It’s kind of funny how our dad ended up being all of our mentors,” said Myers, who has a bachelor’s in applied management and a master’s in public administration with an emphasis in American government and politics.

Myers also met her Army veteran husband, Jarod, who has a bachelor’s in applied management, at GCU.

Hall’s son Brandon, who is working on a bachelor’s in applied management, said although returning to school after serving in the Air Force for 11 years was intimidating, GCU has made the transition seamless and easy. He expects to graduate this summer.

Michael Hall, the youngest of the siblings and also an Air Force veteran, said he found GCU to be the steppingstone he needed to pursue a career in working for the federal government. He earned a bachelor’s in applied management followed up by a master’s in public administration.

Hall and his family have continued their bond with the armed forces through Centurion Military Alliance, a family-run, nonprofit organization that prepares, trains and educates transitioning service members and partners with GCU.

“We’re very specific about our partners, and GCU is one — not because we all graduated from there, but because we are confident that when we send our veterans to GCU they are going to be given a helping hand from beginning to end,” Myers said.

Added Steve Hall, “This has all happened because of the hand of God. Being the leader of the family, I got the message loud and clear about how important education was, and so did everyone on the team who was on board with me.

“As I learned about the education industry and began to speak to my kids about it, I watched one kid after another enroll and pursue their degrees through GCU.”

Contact Jeannette Cruz at (602) 639-6631 or jeannette.cruz@gcu.edu.

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Speech and Debate member Thomas Gleason makes the audience laugh.

By Laurie Merrill
GCU News Bureau

Speech and Debate team member Chloe Saunders stared down at the wooden floor as if to hide the shame that burned in her eyes.

Her character was recalling how her boyfriend had pressured her into taking 77 photos of herself, and how later, in a fit of rage and revenge, he posted them online for anyone to see.

“My body is now public property,” Saunders said during Monday’s Speech and Debate Showcase at Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business, her voice barely above a whisper.

Two days before heading for the Forensics Association Championships at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., Saunders and four teammates presented some of the speeches that helped catapult GCU’s three-year-old team this year into a national contender.

“This whole year has been really exciting for us,” team director Barry Regan, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences instructor, told the packed room.

Team director Barry Regan admitted that he cries after the performances.

Speech topics tend to be emotional, even painful, Regan said. The students explore taboo topics, such as Saunders’ speech about the destructive power of revenge porn.

Speeches also can be funny, such as Thomas Gleason’s talk about superheroes, which drew uproarious laughter at times.

The muscle-studded giants in comic books make the average real male feel inferior, he said. But they don’t resolve problems well. After all, Thor tried to kill Captain America the first time they met.

For these oversized hunks, seeking emotional help is weak. In reality, he said, men need to seek help. The rate of men committing suicide is more than three times higher than of women.

Chrycia LeGendre’s speech focused on performance art, which she said is a dying, often misunderstood form of expression.

She used as examples a piece in which 9,000 backpacks, each depicting a child who died in an earthquake, were placed on a wall.

One showed Syrian women marked with red stripes to represent that they had been raped and abused.

Another, a woman lying on glass and talking about feminine oppression, was misunderstood by a woman who pointed out that it’s supposed to be a glass ceiling, not floor.

TaylorRae Humbert dramatized the role of a woman raising a daughter whose father raped her. Her biggest fear is that the baby will turn out to be like him. “But I will tell her, it was never your fault,” she said. Then she added, “It was never my fault,” either.

Chloe Saunders displayed a range of emotion during the Speech and Debate Showcase.

Saunders also portrayed a young woman who accepted a ride home from a man who said he was a parent of two people she knew. His daughter was waiting at home for her, he told her.

He gave her a tour inside a small room without a door handle.

“When I turned to the door,” she said, pausing dramatically, “he was blocking it.”

She was held there for 10 years, long enough to give birth to a daughter.

The day she regained her freedom, she banged on a door, stomped on the ground and called out with excruciating desperation. It was as if 10 years of repressed terror was released in her hands, feet and voice.

And that day, a cell phone was slipped through a mail slot, and her imprisonment ended.

Ashlyn Tupper’s provocative topic was about parents who were shamed for allowing their boy to dress like a girl.

“We are here to love him, not to change him,” she said.

Against the scorn of the community, they did what they thought was right.

“God, please grant me the serenity to be an awesome mom to my son,” she prayed.

Regan hugged Tupper, the only senior, in a gesture of appreciation when the Showcase was over. He admitted that after performances, “I often cry.”

Among many accomplishments this year, the team:

• Finished No. 25 in the nation out of 199 schools that competed in parliamentary debate.
• Scored a three-peat when, for the third straight year, it was named Division III champion in the 2016 Christian College Forensic Invitational in Salt Lake City.
• Was honored when six members were named to the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association 2016 Academic All-Conference Team.

But perhaps the most exciting development was that GCU was unanimously selected to host the 2017 National Christian College Forensics Invitational, one of the most prestigious speech and debate events of the year.

Related stories about this year’s successes:

• There’s no debating team’s cachet
• News keeps getting better for Speech and Debate
• Parliamentarians put GCU on national map
• GCU topples ASU, UC-Berkeley 

Contact Laurie Merrill at 602-639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu.

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From left: Dr. Randy Gibb, dean of the Colangelo College of Business; Tim Kelley, assistant professor for entrepreneurship and economics; Canyon Challenge judge Sheldon Harris; Raffle Boss founders Erick Roman and Katalina Inzunza; and the other judges, Dr. Lori Soukup, Brad Jannenga, Phoenix Vice Mayor Daniel Valenzuela and GCU President Brian Mueller.

Story by Rick Vacek
Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

The look on Katalina Inzunza’s face said it all. The president of the Psychology Club at Grand Canyon University had just won the fifth annual Canyon Challenge entrepreneurial competition Wednesday night, and she didn’t know what to think — but she sure was psyched up.

Moments before, Inzunza and her business partner, Erick Roman, had literally dropped their jaws and bulged their eyes in unison when GCU President Brian Mueller paused for a second as he was announcing the winner of the judges’ deliberations. He mentioned the possibility of the new startup forming a partnership with the University, and she was sure he was going to say the name of one of the other four finalists.

The Canyon Challenge judges deliberate before announcing the winners.

But then, finally, he said it: Raffle Boss, designed to help raffles become more profitable and accessible, had won the $7,000 first prize.

“We just turned to each other, and it was crazy,” she said.

Not crazy at all, said Mueller, who was joined on the judging panel by Brad Jannenga, cofounder of WebPT and voted one of the Top Entrepreneurs in Arizona by The Arizona Republic; Sheldon Harris, former Coldstone Creamery president and now a partner with CEO Coaching International; Dr. Lori Soukup, a longtime entrepreneur in the hospitality business; and Phoenix vice mayor and District 5 councilman Daniel Valenzuela.

“I think it was the most obvious addressable market and would fill an immediate need, especially for philanthropic organizations or nonprofits,” Mueller said. “When raffles are for nonprofits, people want to get involved. If they win, that’s great, but if they don’t win, they’re fine with that because they’re making a contribution.

GCU President Brian Mueller announces the winners.

“I think our Canyon Christian Schools Consortium would have a way to get in the raffle business in a much bigger way. I think our network could really help them.”

A lot of fledgling businesses got helped Wednesday night — by the judges, by the crowd of 1,000 at GCU Arena and by people watching the proceedings online.

TailSpace, which seeks to put customizable digital advertising boards on the backs of trucks, was voted second by the judges and received $2,000, and Near, a location-based application designed to help people connect with nearby users, got the $1,000 third prize.

But the audience also got its say in an online vote, and it had a much different opinion. Own Wood, which would put wooden emblems, such as the geographical shape of a state, on hats and other gear, was the winner, earning $2,500, and Near’s second-place finish in that contest was worth $1,500.

There also was a $1,000 award for the best lobby presentation, and that vote went to Narratus, a gaming-adventure application in which users can “play” a story.

So that means that all five finalists walked away with much needed cash to fund their ideas. And that doesn’t even include Storage Together, which didn’t make the final five in the Canyon Challenge but was the best GCU finisher in the recent Arizona Collegiate Venture Competition (ACVC) and won $3,500.

Dr. Randy Gibb, dean of the Colangelo College of Business, addresses the crowd at the start of the evening.

“I think it’s a great representation of all the different ideas, and everybody’s got some money at the end of the day,” said Tim Kelley, assistant professor for entrepreneurship and economics at GCU and the master of ceremonies Wednesday night.

Raffle Boss didn’t participate in the ACVC, “so to have them pitch right out of the gate and nail it is really impressive. I think they were able to show the judges that they had identified a clear problem and that they have a solution for it, and they inspired the judges to back them,” Kelley said.

What also made Kelley happy was that the quality and sophistication of both the entries and the presentations was so outstanding. Each 10-minute pitch began with a professional-looking video produced by students.

“It’s beginning to leverage all the different pieces we have on campus, and I think it’s exciting,” he said.

The student-created videos for the presentations added a professional-looking touch.

Dr. Randy Gibb, dean of the Colangelo College of Business, also was excited about the fact that Inzunza is a psychology major, one year after one of the five finalists was a nursing student. The IDEA Club, which manages the competition, is available to all students, not just business majors, and when the Lope Lab opens in the fall there will be yet another avenue for new product development.

“Any student with an idea to solve a problem is welcome,” Gibb said. “That is the cross-campus collaboration and inclusiveness of Lope entrepreneurism.”

That sense of community extended to the makeup of the crowd Wednesday, which included members of 2015 Canyon Challenge finalists Joblyt and Prayer Packages, movers and shakers in the CCOB entrepreneurial push such as Jon Ruybalid and Paul Waterman, members of the CCOB advisory board, prominent people from the community, and, maybe most important, other students watching their peers profit from their ideas.

“This will spur more ideas,” Gibb said. “Students are sitting up there thinking, ‘That should be me.’”

But this time it was people like Inzunza and Roman, former classmates at Trevor G. Browne High School in Phoenix. Roman, who now attends St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, was having difficulty trying to raffle off some San Antonio Spurs tickets for a fraternity fundraiser late last year when he got the Raffle Boss idea. He was so excited about it, he called Inzunza in the middle of the night.

“He said, ‘Bear with me. I’m going to send you an email with these ramblings,’” she recalled. “They were ramblings, but it made sense. I thought it was something we could develop.”

Tim Kelley congratulates Erick Roman and Katalina Inzunza after they won.

So they began working on it in earnest in December. That’s how fast these things can happen — four months later, they have $7,000 in seed money from the Canyon Challenge and potentially could get a lot more.

“As we walked off the stage, I had a lot of people approach me and give me business cards — Seed Spot (the prominent Phoenix business incubator) and investment companies that want to schedule meetings with us to develop our idea or maybe potentially give us more capital to start,” she said.

“Obviously, we have some incentive to look for them now that we know that people actually value the idea. They’ll see that these esteemed judges voted for it and we won this contest, so it might give them an incentive to invest in us.”

Inzunza is set to graduate from GCU next week and hopes to go on to get a master’s in professional counseling. Roman is still a sophomore at St. Mary’s, where he majors in finance and risk management. Their plate suddenly got a little more filled up, but they’ll happily dig in.

“I still cannot believe it,” Roman said.

And they aren’t the only ones who could be getting even more help from GCU. Mueller said he scheduled a meeting Thursday with the Own Wood guys, Mack Olsen and Marcus Harvey, to talk about personally investing in their company.

“I think they’ve got a good idea and they understand what they’re doing,” he said.

The spirit of entrepreneurship just keeps flowing and growing at GCU, and, like a good raffle, a lot of people are benefiting. It’s the winning ticket.

Contact Rick Vacek at (602) 639-8203 or rick.vacek@gcu.edu.

The post Raffle Boss wins the big prize in Canyon Challenge appeared first on GCU Today.

A student takes notes during the WriteOn English content clinic.

Story by Laurie Merrill
Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

Grand Canyon University’s new literary review, StartleBloom, a sleek tome brimming with poetry, art and stories, is the culmination of four years of longing and one year of organizing and editing.

For the six seniors on the StartleBloom editorial board, the volume published last week is both swan song and legacy. It is, quite literally, a dream come true.

“We always dreamed of having a student publication to display our writing,” said Editor-in-Chief Luke Amargo, a senior English major with a design/entrepreneurial studies minor. “It’s an honor to be part of it, to have it tactile.”

StartleBloom was created by GCU students.

The name, StartleBloom, is Amargo’s brain child and befits a publication that was once an elusive gleam in the eyes of GCU’s creative writers.

“It’s the idea that the creative process begins with a startling idea and blooms into something else,” said Associate Professor of English Dr. Diane Goodman, co-adviser of the literary review with Heather Brody, College of Humanities and Social Sciences full-time faculty.

“Or, you can decide what it means,” said Brody, who is also Friends of the Pen faculty adviser.

Designed and printed by GCU’s Marketing Department, the volume was published last week and was scheduled for distribution on campus Monday.

As Amargo ignited the spark that fanned into the Friends of the Pen student creative writing club in 2013, Goodman’s arrival in 2014 set off a chain of events resulting in StartleBloom’s publication two years later. Goodman’s background includes a Masters in Fine Arts in creative writing, three collections of short stories published by national presses, and poems and essays published in national magazines.

Luke Amargo, a senior, analyzes literature in a WriteOn content clinic. He is also StartleBloom’s editor-in-chief.

“There’s a big student creative writing community at GCU,” said Goodman, who also designed and runs WriteOn, the English Department’s weekly Creative Writing Content Clinic. “For four years, they wanted a literary review. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’’’

First, Goodman and Brody interviewed and selected an editorial board, which consists of six seniors and one underclassman, Jessalyn Johnson, art editor. It was Johnson who designed the cover.

Amargo was named editor-in-chief, Hayley Richman and Vanessa Cooper co-managing editors, Ashlyn Tupper content editor, LaRisa Rowe assistant editor and Preston Eidsvoog senior reader.

“I want to emphasize that this was student driven,” Goodman said.

In fliers, a chapel slide, Stall Talk and GCU Today, students put out calls for literary submissions. They read every submission — anonymously with the names removed — and analyzed, deliberated and voted on them.

“They had more than 130 submissions from online and ground students,” Goodman said. About 40 made it into the book.

HSS faculty Heather Brody, left, and Dr. Diane Goodman share a light moment during a WriteOn clinic. They were also the advisers to StartleBloom.

At least one of every board member’s pieces was selected, including Amargo’s original poem, “Lilies of the Pond.” The piece also was presented anonymously during a recent WriteOn meeting.

That poem, and another called “Raw,” were a feast for WriteOn participants, who delighted in reading them, analyzing them, praising their brilliance and deconstructing them.

Lillies of the Pond begins:

“Smith, mighty man, built a boat | That he couldn’t understand | Named it a name of God in a tin Without a ‘C’, Lord, he pulled it in ─ Blind Willie Johnson’s “God Moves on the Water.

“You’re sunfed fireflies.
& everything/anything else the tadpoles in the rockstrewn pond are.”

“You have a stream of consciousness with a narrative,” said student Jacob Jarnagin. “You have a complex vernacular yet a simple rhyme scheme (with phrases like): ‘Headrush amongst the hush-hush.’’’

Amargo is proud of being an English major, but his design and entrepreneurial acumen recently garnered attention and success for a venture he began with some fellow students, Storage Together.

Last week, the Arizona Collegiate Venture Competition awarded $3,500 in seed money to Storage Together, an app that joins those who need storage with those who have space.

“Being an English major has given me the mental fortitude to think outside the box,” Amargo said. “I see things as stories and people as characters. It’s seeing the world in a lens.”

Contact Laurie Merrill at 602-639-6511 or laurie.merrill@gcu.edu.

The post Startling idea blooms into new GCU literary review appeared first on GCU Today.

The reactions of graduates is always one of the best parts of commencement. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

GCU News Bureau Staff

Changes, challenges and the challenges of changes were recurring themes Friday morning in spring commencement for traditional students at Grand Canyon University.

Brittany Holen addresses the morning commencement session. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Before a huge crowd in GCU Arena, graffiti artist and leadership guru Erik Wahl delivered a commencement address filled with important messages about changing the world. Then student speaker Brittany Holen of the Colangelo College of Business followed right after with a spirited talk that openly challenged students to make the most of what she called “adulting.”

“Transformation — we sure have a lot of it around here,” Holen said, listing all the places on campus that changed in her time here.

But those changes, she suggested, have made GCU students more able to adapt with the inevitable transformations they will encounter in their lives. And then she posed this question:

“When we find our purpose, will we have the courage to pursue it?”

That’s exactly what Wahl, back at GCU after speaking at winter 2015 commencement, was getting at as he told the story of how he never started drawing until he was 30 and was at rock bottom, his career in business popped by the bursting dot.com bubble.

Graffiti artist Erik Wahl draws a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

He said he had “intentionally repressed” his artistic ability for 20 years because of a discouraging teacher who didn’t like the way he colored outside the lines. He no doubt has found his purpose now, as he demonstrated when he quickly drew portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein — the latter upside down.

After asking the graduates to raise their hands if they liked to draw — and getting few affirmative responses, of course — Wahl pointed out that preschoolers would have a far more positive reaction. “How are you going to reawaken that beginner’s mind?” he asked the audience.

He pointed to Lincoln’s declaration that “the greatest growth is on the border between chaos and order,” and he used the Einstein portrait to urge listeners to “think like no one has ever thought before” and not be afraid to make mistakes.

“Failure is not the opposite of success,” he said. “Rather, it’s part of success.”

Just as challenge is part of change.

—Rick Vacek

Big crowds filled the Arena on Friday for both traditional commencements. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Popular place to be

The student speaker for the afternoon session was Austen Barraclough of the College of Theology, who, like Holen, had an important message for students.

“I urge you to consider what kind of contribution you intend to make (to society),” he said, noting that it’s easy, for example, to create chaos when your intention is to bring peace.

He also warned of expecting other people to think or act like us. “Never stop seeking new perspectives,” he said.

The Arena was packed to the rafters for both sessions Friday (657 graduates and 5,596 guests in the morning, 673 and 5,779 in the afternoon), and the crowds are expected to be even bigger Saturday for nontraditional (online) commencement sessions at 1 and 6 p.m. A word to the wise: Get there early.

—Rick Vacek

Joshua Braun is congratulated by a classmate after receiving his diploma. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Braun takes care of business off the court, too

There probably were more than a few GCU basketball fans who were alarmed to hear this name called at commencement:

Joshua Braun.

Hey, wait a minute, they might have thought — wasn’t he only a sophomore?

Don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere. Braun redshirted his first year at GCU and got his business administration degree in three years, so he still has two years of eligibility remaining. He plans to pursue his master’s degree next.

“Really, nothing will change except that,” he said, adding that he will remain on campus for summer workouts.

Kathy and Dave Braun

But it still was a proud moment for his parents, Dave and Kathy Braun of Anthem, especially considering the four knee surgeries he had to overcome in high school to realize his dream of playing college basketball.

“He kept saying, ‘Don’t give up on that,’” Kathy said. “He always had faith.”

Both of his parents were athletes — Dave played soccer, Kathy volleyball. And they also talked Friday of how much of a “blessing” their son’s achievements are. Funny … that’s the word he always uses. Now we know where he gets it.

—Rick Vacek

Dewayne Russell shows how he feels about getting his diploma. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

The sports connection didn’t stop there

Braun wasn’t the only member of the basketball team’s backcourt to receive a diploma. Point guard Dewayne Russell got his communications degree in the afternoon commencement session.

Like Braun, he’s not going anywhere. During the just completed season, he was granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.

There also were two other graduates with nationally famous basketball names in the afternoon session — Michael Jordan and Blake Griffin. Just a coincidence, of course. We might have noticed if one of those guys was on campus.

No commencement would be complete without bubbles. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

The afternoon also featured a little frivolity. The new graduates broke out a couple of beachballs before they got ready to process out, and one of them was blowing bubbles, too. All in good fun.

Speaking of that closing procession, there’s nothing quite like one graduate after another walking tall and proud and straight-backed, waving to family and friends and just looking radiant. They are greeted in the Arena lobby by the University’s top executives and faculty leaders, applauding as they walk out. Quite a scene.

—Rick Vacek

Heidi Bailey, mother of 5, earned her GCU degree in forensic science.

GCU degree taught her how smart she really is

Heidi Bailey, 35, a forensic science major and mother of five, was in her element at GCU’s Forensic Science Day earlier this year.

Standing by a fingerprint display, she enthusiastically told onlookers that more than 65 percent of our fingertips contain “loops,” 35 percent have whorls (a pattern of spirals or concentric circles) and only 5 percent have plain or tented arches.

Off to the side, her husband, Dustin Bailey, a GCU instructional designer, and daughter, Eliana, 15, listened with admiration.

“This is the single best thing that has ever happened to my wife. It meets all her strengths of personality and interests,” said Dustin, who himself is earning a master’s of science degree in counseling at GCU. “I see her as more confident and realizing how smart she really is.”

Heidi agreed: GCU’s forensic science program “makes me rise up, completely and totally, to thinking outside of the box,” she said.

Bailey, who graduated today with her bachelor’s degree in forensic science, has come a long way from some of her prior jobs as a custodian and teacher’s aide.

“It still doesn’t feel real to me,” she said. “This school is a blessing. It’s a complete blessing.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                —Laurie Merrill

Megan Flores

New grad caps a dual degree, a job and an adventure

At 16 years old, she was looking for nothing more but an exciting volunteer opportunity. During that time, Megan Flores started spending a lot of hours next to her sister, a nurse in the emergency room at Maricopa Medical Center.

As time went by, the 22-year-old discovered a high respect for her sister and a genuine passion for medicine, and she eventually pursued a double major in pre-medicine and psychology.

“Although my goal is to be a doctor, nurses make just as big of an impact,” Flores said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but what I liked most about being in the hospital setting was being able to make someone smile when it was the hardest time of their life — whether it was bring them a warm blanket or a cup of water. The small differences can really light patients up.”

After six years of volunteering at the hospital and contributing on a research project concerning snakebite medicines, Flores was hired a part-time as a research associate. Still, she worked straight through to her degree and fulfilled her role as president of the Honors College Club.

Flores said she intends to continue on to medical school, but first she’s taking a celebratory road trip to Yosemite Valley – a graduation surprise from her family.

“I threw it out in the air and I didn’t think they would do anything about it – come to find out, we’re actually going to go out there this weekend,” Flores said. “I’m excited to go hiking and camping, but I’m hoping there will be no bears.”

—Jeannette Cruz 

Lemmy Gitahi (far left) is proud of the growth of the Canyon Challenge.

Business star says it’s their dean who shines

It’s pretty easy to see why the Colangelo College of Business has turned out so many top-notch graduates the last two years: It coincides with the arrival of its dean, Dr. Randy Gibb.

And don’t think the students haven’t noticed.

“Dr. Gibb is amazing,” said Lemmy Gitahi, president of the IDEA Club, which together with Gibb and Tim Kelley, assistant professor for entrepreneurship and economics, has managed the stunning development of the Canyon Challenge entrepreneurial competition. “He’s always trying to help me achieve my goals.

Dr. Randy Gibb, dean of the Colangelo College of Business, rewards a student with her diploma. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

“Every time I walk into his office, he gives me at least five minutes no matter how busy he is. And when he says he’s going to follow up, he does it. He’s very selfless — you don’t find that in a lot of people.”

Gitahi’s work has shown that he possesses many of those same qualities. The Nairobi, Kenya, native has gone from Canyon Challenge finalist in 2014 to mentor for other competitors and delights in the way the quality of the entries has kept improving.

“I’m very proud of that, to be honest,” he said. “I’m excited to see where it’s going to be five years down the line.”

Next up for Gitahi, after earning his forensic science degree from GCU, is the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, from which Kelley graduated in 2004. He also sells commercial real estate for SANTE Realty Investments in Tempe.

But he won’t be far from GCU. He’ll still mentor other budding entrepreneurs — he’s just trying to be more like his dean.

—Rick Vacek

Maya Hinojos displays her DECA plaques.

She didn’t rest until she closed the deal

Maya Hinojos has her own reason for being thankful to Gibb and Kelley: They helped her sell 1,863 beds to GCU.

How’s that? Simple. She manages Comfort-Pedic Furniture, the business her father, Guillermo, started six years ago — she worked for him from the very beginning. With help from her CCOB mentors, which included Paul Waterman, she was able to close a deal for the beds that will go into new apartment buildings on campus.

“Without them, I don’t think I would have been able to even start that sale,” she said.

But Hinojos, who majored in business administration and minored in entrepreneurial studies, showed during her time at GCU that she’s hardly a sales wallflower. She was the president of CCOB’s chapter of DECA, an international association of marketing students, and this week won first place in Professional Sales at its International Career Development Conference in Washington, D.C.

The skills she used at that conference are the same ones that have enabled her to successfully sell furniture.

“I love talking to people. I love meeting people,” she said. “I’m very passionate about owning my time.”

She plans to focus on her dad’s business for the next year, but after that she’d like to get into furniture design. But she first might need to get more comfortable with her college days being over.

“I don’t want to leave,” she said. “Without GCU, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

Don’t sleep on her future.

—Rick Vacek

David LaJeunesse, joined by Dr. Randy Gibb, the CCOB dean (left), and Jerry Colangelo, for whom the college is named, displays one of his Overflow Bottles.

Overflowing with good memories

David LaJeunesse has been thinking a lot about what this day will be like. He has been journaling extensively in recent weeks and reads some of it to the interviewer. “This is very bittersweet,” he says. “I love it here.”

But now that it’s time to go, his degree in finance and economics (with a minor in Christian studies) secured in just three years, he also is at peace with what he has accomplished.

“I feel real satisfied with what college has been for me,” he says. “I feel like I’ve given a ton.”

What he also has given is something far more valuable to some people in the world — water. During his time at GCU, LaJeunesse created a startup, Overflow Bottle, that sells water bottles. All of the proceeds go toward digging new wells in third-world countries, and he’s pleased that he was able to raise $1,200 for such a well in India.

“It’s not a lot,” he says, “but it’s something. It’s a start.”

And like so many graduates, he already has a job. He’s a client relationship specialist with Vanguard, a job he was offered in October. “Their values line up with mine,” he says.

But first he has to show his values in another way. In a week and a half he leaves on a mission trip to the Middle East — he can’t say where for security reasons. He will go there mindful of what he is leaving behind.

“Community happens naturally at GCU,” he says.

He was an important part of it.

—Rick Vacek

They call her ‘Ms. V’

Jessica Ventura, a College of Education major, is the first in her family to graduate.

Jessica Ventura has been a devoted teacher since she was in middle school. The California student found that she was constantly tutoring her classmates in math, all through high school, and later realized her calling – teaching.

Ventura graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Education, and she praised the program to the skies. She especially credited her professors and mentors Brandon Juarez and Jim Mostafo for their genuine support.

“I wholeheartedly believe that because of professors like them, I am able to teach so much better,” Ventura said.

Originally, Ventura said she wanted to teach middle school, but after her teaching experience at Alhambra High School, she said her heart is on teaching high school students.

“I love my students,” Ventura said. “They are so influential — some have really hard home lives, and I see them really push through the classroom every single day.”

Ventura said she most enjoys hearing “Ms. V” and bumping into them around the Phoenix neighborhood.

“I can say that everything worked out for me. My students are a reassurance that my purpose is to teach,” she said.

—Jeannette Cruz  

New grad has a funny kind of story

DeeSember Corrales

Through her experience at GCU over the last few years, DeeSember Corrales has learned several things — her unique name is significant to her personality, she was called to be a leader and anything is achievable.

As for her name, her parents came up with it while reading an article in a December magazine issue. It’s a story that will never get old, she said: “I’m really thankful that my name is unique because it matches my personality — optimistic and energetic.”

Some students arrive with set-in-stone plans, but Corrales spent her time searching for her passion. She changed her major three times and eventually stuck with business management and never looked back — a decision she does not regret.

She also recently accepted a full-time position as an online enrollment counselor for the Colangelo College of Business, where she hopes to share her passion with incoming students.

“I realized that I was cutting myself too short,” Corrales said. “I am confident that I can give back to the community while leading with the heart of a servant and integrating my faith. I’m excited.”

And so were the 32 of her family members rooting her.

—Jeannette Cruz  

 He is proud of his spontaneous move

Adriel Nuñez

Twenty-two year old Adriel Nuñez has known for years that he wanted to be a doctor someday. But what he didn’t expect was to leave his California hometown during his freshman year of college. It all happened when he was watching the Super Bowl three years ago and noticed a GCU advertisement.

“I really wanted to go to a private Christian school, and after exploring the school online, I applied that same night,” he said.

Within a week, Nuñez had his heart set. His first day on campus was also his first time ever seeing it, he said.

Although it was spontaneous, Nuñez said he is glad it happened that way. He was a resident assistant, worked several events on campus and consumed as many spiritual events on campus that he could.

“It was everything I could have ever wanted,” he said.

                                                                                                    —Jeannette Cruz

CSET graduate proudly walks by faith

Natalie Gonzalez

Natalie Gonzalez has a very personal reason why she chose to study human biology. The new grad experienced many near death experiences as a child — from meningitis to presumed brain damage and a kidney infection.

“Basically, my parents were told to prepare my deathbed,” Gonzalez said.

But the family held on to their faith. Today, Gonzalez is alive, healthy and proud of her story. It’s no wonder when she graduated Friday, she was all smiles.

“It’s funny how life took a turn,” she said. “I can’t tell you how many times the doctors shut their doors on us, so my mother had to take me to Mexico to find treatment.”

Gonzalez would love to go into physical therapy to “build one-on-one relationships with people.” But, first, she is going to officially move from Arlington, Texas, to Tempe, where she will attend discipleship school.

“I never thought I’d leave Arlington, but Phoenix has definitely grown on me,” she said. “There’s a large, young, hipster culture here and so many beautiful mountains. Whenever I’m up there, I feel closer to God.”

—Jeannette Cruz

Concert pianist with a double major in helping others

Reisto Belovich graduated Friday with a double major in piano and counseling.

Piano? Counseling?

Reisto Belovich couldn’t decide which major he liked more, so he chose both. Friday, he graduated from GCU’s College of Fine Arts and Production with a double major in piano performance and substance-abuse counseling.

“When I first came here, I was at a crossroads. I loved the piano very much. I had my doubts about wanting to stay in a practice room four or five hours a day,” he said.

He decided to pursue a counseling degree because he has a an aptitude for helping people. But the piano continued to beckon.

“Music is such a big part of me,” he said. “I couldn’t let it go and not pursue it. When I realized I could actually do both degrees and graduate in four years, it was definitely appointed by God that it happened.”

In addition to his studies, he has a job in a substance-abuse treatment center’s marketing department, was Counseling Club president, a section leader for both the Canyon Chorale and Choral Society, and a music theory tutor.

His GCU piano teacher, Dr. Jelena Vladikovic, gave him a rave: “He’s a wonderful pianist, incredible human being, works outside the University … and as a peer tutor, participates in other music activities within the school, plays chamber music with other students, accompanies the choir, and does all of that while managing to be a straight-A student.”

Belovich, 21, a lifelong Arizonan, said he attempted to fully embrace the myriad opportunities GCU offered.

“The community of people is one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced here,” he said. “It’s amazing the quality of the faculty that are drawn to this place.”

What’s next? He hopes to translate his love of music composition into film scoring.

To hear Belovich’s piano playing, click here.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        —Laurie Merrill

International student becomes more than ‘part of the crowd’

Nikita Pradhan

By now, Nikita Pradhan has done the unthinkable.

The 21-year-old moved from India to Nogales, Ariz., with her parents just five years ago and then arrived in Phoenix by herself to pursue her college education. It was her first time away from everything she had known, and Pradhan admits she was petrified about settling into her new dorm. And, as if being shy wasn’t painful enough, Pradhan said she never had a roommate.

Pradhan said she isn’t sure whether it was bad luck or fate, but she was able to find her place on campus when she joined Life Group and the Associated Students of Grand Canyon University.

“When I got to Arizona, I really had no expectations because everything was so foreign to me, but I’ve had so much growth since I got here,” Pradhan said. “I came here because I wanted to be more than someone stuck inside of a larger crowd. Somehow, this experience pulled me out of my little shell.”

And, it didn’t stop there. Pradhan instructed students in math at the Learning Lounge and volunteered at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix while finding time to complete her degree in Health Care Administration.

Now, Pradhan said that she has the confidence to continue stepping out of her comfort zone.

She has been accepted into an East Coast medical school and will have to decide soon whether to go. But her ultimate dream is to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Georgia.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                —Jeannette Cruz 

From left, Megan Armstrong, Erin Jones and Britnee Van Tyle became best friends while earning their bachelors of science in counseling degrees.

Best friends for life

These three women studied together and were buddies together, and on Friday they graduated together wearing mortarboards they decorated together.

“We all took the same class, and there was a two-hour break afterward,” said Erin Jones, 22, sitting with Britnee Van Tyle, 24, and Megan Armstrong, 22.

All three earned bachelors of science in counseling degrees from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and all wore the gold cords indicating honors status.

“We started to have lunch together. Then we started hanging out outside of class together,” Van Tyle said.

They planned a Miley Cyrus-themed birthday party for Jones’ birthday and are organizing a ’90s-theme party for the summer.

You can also catch them on Instagram at #counselingcrew, Van Tyle said, adding they’re “best friends for life!”

                                                                                                                                                                              —Laurie Merrill  

From left, Ricardo Laborin, Anthony Julian and Jasmin Tomic

What rivalry?

Like oil and water, sometimes vocalists and instrumentalists don’t blend.

But tuba player and percussionist Ricardo Laborin and saxophonist Anthony Julian are fast friends with vocalist Jasmin Tomic.

You may have seen Laborin and Julian in the Thundering Heard, where they met, or Tomic in the Choral Society and Canyon Chorale.

“It’s unusual for us to collaborate together,” said Laborin, who just received a job offer from a Phoenix high school. “There’s a rivalry.”

On Friday, all three graduated from the College of Fine Arts and Production. Laborin and Julian earned bachelor of arts degrees in music education, while Tomic’s was in music with an emphasis on voice performance.

Their collaboration continued as they sat near each other while waiting for graduation to begin.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 —Laurie Merrill  

Jasmine Shaw

It’s a ‘warm sunshine smile’

Jasmine Shaw, 22, waited serenely as the Arena filled up and she prepared to receive her bachelor’s in counseling from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

For her, GCU is the definition of happiness. The warmth of the community and the expertise and caring of the professors wraps her in a glow.

“It’s the warm sunshine smile,” she said.

She’s weighing two hospital job offers, but she already is planning on getting her master’s degree from GCU.

“I have to,” she said with a grin. “I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       —Laurie Merrill  

Olivia Gurney

It’s the real world now

After graduating Friday with a bachelor of science in justice studies from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a minor in business administration, Olivia Gurney has plans.

First, she’s going to earn a master’s in business management from GCU. Then, she’s going to law school out of state, preferably back east.

She’s excited for the future even though it’s a change.

“I’ll miss being able to wake up, take class and do whatever I like,” Gurney said. “Now I’m in the real world.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     —Laurie Merrill

Hannah Holcheff

She wants to use her degree to open a business

Hannah Nolcheff, 21, will miss the wonderful fellowship and community of GCU, but she’s ready to move on.

“I’ve been encouraged and blessed by the entire student body,” said Nolcheff, who wears a Bible verse inside a jar in a necklace a friend made.

She plans to build a career on her bachelor of arts in digital design with an emphasis on web design from the College of Fine Arts and Production.

In the short run, she wants to find a job in marketing, web design or graphics. She was a student worker for four years in GCU’s marketing department, primarily promoting GCU to high school students.

In the long run? “I hope to start my own business.”

—Laurie Merrill

Melissa Brown

A graduate’s childhood dream comes true

You’ll giggle a bit if you ask Melissa Brown at what moment in time she knew she wanted to be a nurse. She was in kindergarten when she was cast in a play about getting over the fear of going to the doctor. Brown played the nurse.

“It just felt right,” Brown remembered.

As the daughter of a pastor, Brown said she chose GCU to practice her faith and build her future.

“I value my faith, I love science and I love to help people, so this was the perfect combination of things,” Brown said.

GCU provided the 26-year-old the friendships, encouragement and training she needed to build confidence to go out into the field, she said.

Brown already has several job offers to choose from, and she received another the morning of graduation.

Although she hasn’t made her decision yet, Brown said she already feels as if she is living her childhood dream.

    —Jeannette Cruz

Couple succeeds together

Amy and Bijan Mahlouji

The day of graduation fills Bijan and Amy Mahlouji with overwhelming joy.

Bijan helps Amy put on her cap and carefully fixes her hair. They’ve been married for eight months and still can’t believe how much their lives have changed since they met four years ago.

Bijan said he found out about GCU at a concert back home in Colorado. He was convinced to visit the GCU table offering free backpacks and T-shirts, and although he was hesitant, he signed up to receive more information about the school. Just like that, after a long time of questioning his ability to make it through college, GCU happened — and it came with an even more special package.

Bijan met Amy while still living in Colorado, at a dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory hosted by GCU. The two became close friends, began dating their sophomore year at GCU and married last July.

On campus, Bijan served as a life leader, joined the Honors College and founded his own club among his group of friends. Amy pursued a degree in nursing and obtained a job at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.

One graduate was so delighted, she broke into an impromptu dance onstage — and kept going awhile. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Bijan said he would like to go into the seminary. His ultimate goal is to be a pastor.

“Being here at the Arena today, I feel very nostalgic because I remember the first trip Amy and I took as friends to see a Switchfoot concert in California and the memories created at each of the dorm rooms,” Bijan said.

“For me, it just reminds me of all the Chapel and basketball games,” Amy said.

After commencement, the couple celebrated with a dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory — this time, married, graduated and in Phoenix.

—Jeannette Cruz

From the classroom to the dugout

Keijiro Kitashiro, 25, will be spending his summer in Reno, Nev., doing an internship as a strength and conditioning trainer with the Reno Aces baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Class AAA affiliate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science after four years at GCU.

Kitashiro, a native of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, said he enjoyed his time at GCU and learning about American culture.

“I used to play baseball,” he said. “Now I like the golf.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                —Peter Corbett

Now that’s a good combination. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

Mortarboard messages display personalities

Lauren Thompson’s mortarboard read: “She believed she could do it so she did.”

Thompson, 22, of Ranch Cucamonga, Calif., earned a bachelor of science degree with a pre-med emphasis and graduated cum laude.

Thompson said her mortarboard message is a statement about her being the youngest and first of three siblings and four cousins to graduate from college. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in California or Virginia.

Some of the other mortarboard messages included:

“Teacher — See the ability, not the disability”

“God is within her and she will not fail.”

“The Time is Meow.”

Students lined up to walk across the stage to get their diplomas in a wide variety of footwear, from purple and black tennis shoes to tall heels and even a walking-boot cast. Two grads-to-be carried their heels as they walked outside the arena in their bare feet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           —Peter Corbett

The Class of 2016 enjoyed itself at commencement. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

There’s nothing better than seeing a student’s eyes light up

Grace Malave, 23, gave two exuberant hugs to her former dorm roommate Danielle Maelleo when they met outside the arena before commencement.

“I am excited,” Malave said. “All this hard work. This is a relief and GCU made it all possible.”

She is graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education with an emphasis on English and completing her student teaching at Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix.

A native of Puerto Rico, she moved to Gilbert when she was 15 years old.

Malave said GCU helped her complete her education with scholarships and a good placement for student teaching.

“I am passionate about teaching,” she said. “There’s nothing better than seeing a student’s eyes light up, when something clicks with them. …It’s like seeing the Holy Spirit.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          —Peter Corbett

Many new grads showed off their diplomas to family and friends during the closing procession. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

The first of five siblings to graduate from college

Edgar Rivera, 22, of Durango, Mexico, was standing with his parents, Ramon and Marfina Rivera, outside the arena before picking up his diploma. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration after transferring from the University of Illinois.

“This is a significant event in my life,” said Rivera, adding that he is the first among five siblings to graduate from college.

His father, a high school history teacher, is very proud of him, said Rivera, translating for his dad.

“This is one more accomplished goal among many more to come,” Ramon Rivera said.

The Riveras planned to celebrate with a buffet lunch at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale.

Rivera said he will be spending the summer in Mexico doing an internship and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in finance.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          —Peter Corbett

The post Commencement Day 1: There’s a lot to shout about appeared first on GCU Today.

Photos by Darryl Webb
GCU News Bureau

Friday afternoon commencement at Grand Canyon University was for traditional students in the College of Fine Arts and Production, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, and College of Theology.

The post Commencement Day 1: Afternoon session appeared first on GCU Today.

Diana Dilcher awaits the commencement ceremony Saturday. (Photo by Darryl Webb)

GCU News Bureau Staff

It is more than three hours before the first commencement ceremony of the day Saturday, and Diana Dilcher is already in front of Grand Canyon University Arena, raring to go.

She is in a wheelchair.

She is 73 years old.

And she is about to get her first college degree 56 years after she says she “barely graduated” from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, Calif.

She has waited a lifetime for this. What’s another three hours?

“I cannot praise God enough,” she says. “He’s in control. He’s here with me all the way. I wanted to quit so many times, and the Lord just speaks to me and says, ‘You’re going to make it.’ And here I am.”

Her path to a bachelor’s degree in communications was filled with bumps, starting with a rocky childhood. She says that she was abused and her family considered her a failure. Later, when she was getting straight A’s at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif., and wanted to move on to nursing school, circumstances conspired against her.

“The Lord closed that door,” she says, but she never lost faith. She moved to Reno, Nev. (“I had nowhere else to go”) and continued to dream. Finally, after she felt a push from God to move to Phoenix, she discovered GCU.

“It’s a Christian university and it’s online — I wanted to do online because of finances. God just laid it on my heart,” she said.

She’s a writer — that is one of the first things she tells anyone who greets her Saturday. She’s a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s been published on Kindle. And you can sure she has a lot to say.

“People have asked me, ‘Now that you’re getting your degree, what are you going to do with it?’ I say, ‘I don’t know. God hasn’t told me yet. He told me to move down here — Diana, I got you down here, I’m going to take you the rest of the way,’” she says.

“My main purpose is to mentor these young kids and tell them, ‘Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do anything. That’s my motto. Don’t let anybody discourage you. God works.’”

Now it’s time for the ceremony, and Dilcher is on the end of the row on the east side of the Arena, anticipating what is to come. Never in her wildest dreams could she have predicted this:

When her name is called and she is wheeled up to the stage to accept her diploma, names stop being called for a few seconds as GCU Provost Dr. Hank Radda kneels down for her official graduation photo. The crowd roars, and she is visibly weeping as she returns to her row. She isn’t the only one — Radda says later that there were more than a few tears shed by the people onstage, too.

It is the highlight of the early afternoon session. Those people who are cheering see only a woman in a wheelchair who deserves their respect for what she has accomplished. They have no way of knowing that there is more — so much more.

“It’s not me, it’s the Lord. He says, ‘Obey me.’ He has blessed me. He has brought me through the ups and downs,” she says.

And now she wants to help people who have had more downs than ups. She next wants to get a master’s degree in Christian counseling and work with dysfunctional families.

“I went through a lot of turmoil, but it was God’s will that I go through this so I can understand what other people are going through,” she says.

This is what GCU commencement is all about. It is about victories, some bigger than others. It is about determination. It is about faith. It is about perseverance, about finding a way, no matter what. And, sometimes, it is about putting a lifetime of trials and tribulations behind you and saying, “See me now. I did this. And I’m raring to go.”

—Rick Vacek

Pamela and Delmer Maldonado

Bonded by love, family and a little competition

They hold hands, poke jokes and giggle — Pamela and Delmer Maldonado deserved a cutest couple of the year award along with their diplomas at Saturday’s ceremony.

The Albuquerque couple, who graduated with their master’s degree in elementary education, enrolled and completed the program together after years of contemplation.

“I always knew I wanted to go back to school, but it never felt like the right time,” Pamela said.

So when Delmer made the call, Pamela quickly jumped on board.

Pamela, 45, already has taught for 16 years and Delmer, 41, has taught second grade for two, but they had to learn to manage their time as parents, teachers and students. You would think the couple would share their homework and quiz answers, but instead they motivated each other with friendly competition.

“I would go in one room and he would go into another,” Pamela said. “Our adviser, Nick, knew we did this so he teased us by telling us the other was winning.”

The couple said their graduation is especially rewarding because even their sons, Nick, 8, and Gregg, 14, were supportive as things got hectic from time to time.

“To hear Nick say that we are two of the smartest people he knows meant a lot to us,” Delmer said.

“We would’ve never thought about coming here if it wasn’t for them,” Pamela said. “These are their degrees as well.”

Delmer also said that GCU staff were helpful in helping them reach their goals.

“As online students, we’d never been to campus, so our advisers were GCU to us,” he said. “Because of them, this was a great experience for all of us.”

—Jeannette Cruz

A double bonus graduation celebration

Dontaie Ferguson-Henderson (left)with his mother and father, Nancy and Richard Henderson.

For most people, graduations and birthdays are separate celebrations.

Not so for Nancy Henderson of Corona, Calif. She graduated from GCU on Saturday, which was also her birthday. As an added bonus, her son, Dontaie Ferguson-Henderson, also got a GCU degree Saturday.

Nancy’s degree was a bachelor’s in early childhood education, while her son’s was a master’s in business.

To top it off, Nancy’s husband, Richard Henderson, is earning a doctorate in business from GCU.

“I never thought I could do this,” Nancy said. “I’m going to be 56 and the first of my siblings to graduate from college.”

After getting her high school diploma in 1978, Nancy spent nearly three decades raising children and grandchildren. About four years ago, she enrolled in a local college and earned several associate’s degrees.

But it took the support of her husband and son to give her the courage to enter GCU’s online College of Education bachelor’s degree program to pursue her passion: working with children.

“I didn’t get discouraged because the teachers were always there for me, and my husband was really the biggest part of it all,” Nancy said.

Richard said he set an example for his family by going back to school and earning his master’s degree.

“Later on, when the kids got out of high school and literally everyone was in college, my wife decided she wanted to go back to school, too,” he said.

Richard’s brother and sister-in-law are GCU graduates, and Richard was considering getting his doctorate when he learned that the University had a business school.

He also was profoundly moved by GCU’s mission of helping students find their purpose.

Richard, Nancy and Dontaie visited the campus, and the love affair began.

“I fell in love with GCU. My wife fell in love with GCU. My son fell in love with GCU,” he said.

Richard, an executive with Boeing Company, said he is now the first student in GCU’s online doctorate of business administration program. He is at the dissertation stage.

He also taught an undergraduate business class at GCU until the doctorate program became more demanding.

“What can I say? It’s just remarkable.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      —Laurie Merrill

Rounding up a magical day

The afternoon session Saturday — for the College of Doctoral Studies, Colangelo College of Business, College of Fine Arts and Production, and College of Humanities and Social Sciences — drew 903 graduates who received their diplomas and a crowd of 4,471. The numbers for the evening session, for the College of Education and College of Theology, were 740 graduates and 4,423 onlookers.

The commencement address Saturday featured Justin Willman, host of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” and a frequent guest on the talk-show circuit. His act is part magic tricks, part self-deprecating humor.

“I know I don’t look like a magician,” he said. “I look like an out-of-work Jonas brother.”

His main message: Live in the moment.

“We simply waste our todays worrying about our yesterdays or our tomorrows,” he told the audience.

—Rick Vacek

Dr. Cindy Seminoff and Dr. Rachel Behling

It’s now Dr. Seminoff and Dr. Behling

Sitting side by side before the afternoon session were Cindy Seminoff and Rachel Behling, two GCU employees who received their doctoral degrees.

Seminoff, who has been with the University for 19 years and teaches athletic training and exercise science, received her diploma for Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Cognition and Instruction and said he already has incorporated what she learned into her classroom.

Her dissertation, which she completed even though she’s the first to admit that “writing is not my passion,” was titled, “A Stroll Down Memory Lane: College Students’ Motivation for Physical Activity Utilizing Memories.”

She gave considerable credit to her husband, Rich, for getting their two children, Sandra, 14, and R.J., 11, what they needed and where they needed to be while she completed her doctoral work.

“He took on so many responsibilities,” she said, “to keep the house from falling in on us.”

Behling, who works in the College of Doctoral Studies as a research specialist, got a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership: Organizational Development. Her dissertation: “Effects of Writing Skills and Gender on Doctoral Students’ Dissertation Progression in Online Programs.”

But her biggest contribution was founding, with Cathy Ames, and serving as president of the Doctoral Community Cohort, a club designed to help doctoral learners navigate the dissertation process.

“The reason a lot of people don’t get Ph.d’s is because they don’t feel connected,” said Behling, and the college showed its appreciation for her efforts by having her be a regular speaker at doctoral residencies. “I couldn’t have asked for better support.”

She actually started on her doctorate at GCU before she became an employee, taking advantage of the fact that employees get free tuition. And now she hopes her three children — Chantal, 24, Ricky, 19, and Ashley, 17 — will utilize that benefit, which extends to immediate families. They certainly would have a good mentor.

—Rick Vacek

Dr. Naomi Hill and Dr. Verlynne Hutson-Herring

Bringing the GCU love from Baltimore

It’s not uncommon for faculty members to come to commencement just to support their students. But what Dr. Naomi Hill and Dr. Verlynne Hutson-Herring have done the last two years is most uncommon.

The site supervisors from Baltimore — they go out to area schools and do collaborative evaluations for administrative interns and student teachers from GCU — have flown to Phoenix just to be part of the big event and to spend time with Dr. Debbie Rickey, the College of Education associate dean. As an added bonus, they get to join administrators and other faculty in the opening processional at commencement.

“We come because we want to be a part of the University and see what’s going on,” Herring said. “From last year to this year has been tremendous growth. It feels so good to be part of the growth of the University.”

Hill said, “We are loving it, and we can’t wait to return next year. We had such a great time a few days ago talking to Dr. Rickey and her whole team. This is like family.”

Hill discovered GCU in an advertisement and quickly got on board, then convinced Herring, who had retired, to join her. Herring was her principal and mentor when she was assistant principal at Woodbourne Day School in Baltimore.

Together, they have 69 years of experience in education, and Hill plans to retire from the school system in two months. But they both plan to continue their work for GCU.

“Our passion is just for the children and for families,” Hill said. “We are committed and devoted to making it work and doing whatever it takes to make it work. We passionately work together to make sure that we are giving back to our communities, and what is a better way than what the GCU mission statement says for us to do? It all aligns perfectly.”

—Rick Vacek

His bishop asked, and he answered with a master’s degree

Fr. Kurt Perera

Father Kurt Perera, the chaplain of Bourgade Catholic High School, didn’t have to travel far Saturday to receive his master’s in educational leadership.

“I’m so close by,” said Perera, 31, a Catholic priest.

He resides and celebrates mass at Sts. Simon and Jude Cathedral on 27th Avenue, and Bourgade is located just across Camelback Road from GCU.

The high school and University are partners in such programs as “Students Inspiring Students: A Neighborhood Scholarship,” GCU’s pay-it-forward program to expand the Learning Lounge, its thriving after-school tutoring program.

“We have a great partnership with GCU,” Perera said. “GCU has been wonderful.”

Perera, who was ordained as a priest three years ago, has been working at Bourgade as chaplain, full-time teacher and part-time administrator even though he doesn’t have a master’s degree.

“The bishop asked me to go back to school to get that degree,” he said. He enrolled 18 months ago.

“The faculty and administration really want you to succeed,” Perera said. “It was a great experience, and I thank GCU.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      —Laurie Merrill

Andrea Pellicer

Talk about a sacrifice

Andrea Pellicer wasn’t in the Arena on Saturday evening to officially receive her College of Theology degree in Christian studies. But she had a real good reason — she spent the money on a mission trip to Rwanda.

A discussion question about what you would do in a cross-cultural ministry inspired the 32-year-old Kennewick, Wash., resident to choose Africa and serving over Phoenix and simply celebrating. That’s a good indication of why Michele Pasley, a member of the online full-time faculty, was so impressed with her.

“She is the kind of person we are proud to send out as a graduate of GCU,” Pasley said.

Pellicer, 32, was equally delighted with the program, which she discovered when she saw a GCU poster on the wall of a high school friend’s office.

Pasley, she said, “volunteered to talk by phone and sent me articles from the library. It’s staggering to me that she would take the time to thoughtfully interact with me like that.”

Pellicer earned her degree even though she has two daughters, ages 9 and 6, and her husband’s schedule as a police officer can take him away from home for long stretches of time. She also serves in youth ministry at Living Room Community Church in Kennewick.

“We’ve had a crazy couple of years,” she said. “There were a lot of late nights, but I’ve been blessed by a lot of great professors at GCU.”

—Rick Vacek

On the right track to fulfill her purpose

Emily Nickerson

Emily Nickerson believes her online degree from GCU is something worth a trip to Phoenix from Colorado.

“I’m the only one in my family that has ever gone to college,” Nickerson said. “So for me to have my bachelor’s and now my master’s, it’s a huge success.”

Nickerson, 30, who graduated Saturday with a master’s in special education, has worked in the field for seven years. While she completed her degree, Nickerson taught children with severe emotional disabilities at Plum Creek Academy in Colorado, underwent a 10-hour jaw surgery after a year of chronic pain and managed to get a 4.0.

How did she do it? “By God’s grace. One day at a time,” she said.

Nickerson said she spent a lot of time thinking that she wanted to be speech pathologist, but when she pursued that career she felt as if she was only addressing a tiny portion of the child’s education. She wanted to be there in all facets of their learning.

Today, she’s most proud of one particular student who struggled with anxiety and feared getting on the school bus. Nickerson and her colleagues visited the boy’s home for a month until he got used to touching the school bus and eventually got on.

“That’s my purpose — to make every child feel safe, give them an education and make every parent feel that they are supported,” Nickerson said.

—Jeannette Cruz

Shane Everitt

He knows what it means to serve

When Shane Everitt of Peoria decided to get a master’s degree in Leadership, GCU was the only logical place for him.

For one thing, he looks to hire GCU students in his position as a claim service director for USAA, the financial services company.

For another … well, he just likes the place.

“Servant leadership is a big deal to me,” he said. “That’s why I chose GCU. I really connect with the University’s pillars.”

Everitt, 47, grew up in Phoenix and graduated from Shadow Mountain High School. He’d love to bring even more students on board at USAA.

“We want to make a footprint here,” he said. “We want to be a strong partner with GCU.”

—Rick Vacek

The color purple is just one reason GCU shines

Sally Dorpfeld is thrilled to have two GCU degrees in the bag.

Saturday couldn’t come soon enough for Sally Dorpfeld.

She has enjoyed getting both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees online from GCU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, but completing them has been a long time coming.

She is a full-time student, full-time wife and mother of three, and full-time therapist. It will be a relief to shed one of the roles.

“It’s been six long years,” said Dorpfeld, who brought her family from Lakeworth, Fla. to celebrate her Saturday graduation. “I’m super-excited to be done with school.”

Dorpfeld entered GCU after getting an associate’s degree, and six years later she has earned both her bachelor’s in addiction counseling and master’s in counseling degrees.

“I hammered right through both of them,” she said.

She will continue her career as a therapist, working to get homeless drug users into treatment, detox programs and halfway houses.

“They shoot up heroin,” Dorpfeld said. “They are mostly considered the hopeless population that is never going to stop (using).”

She says the work doesn’t get her down.

“I have faith in God and I have an awesome church family. My family is supportive of me, and I also like to do taekwondo.”

Dorpfeld praised the online program’s flexibility and organization and the extent to which GCU invests in each student.

But her favorite thing about GCU? “It has the color purple, and purple is my favorite color.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    —Laurie Merrill

Little Lopes came to cheer her on

Little Lopes came to cheer for Kimberly Dewey.

Clad in GCU cheer garb, two of the littlest Lopes came to see Kimberly Dewey receive her online bachelor’s degree in sociology.

The youngest was Dewey’s daughter, Kennedy, age 14 months. Then came Dewey’s sister, 3-year-old Lyce Testa.

They were joined by Dewey’s husband, Greg, and her brother, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother.

It’s easy to see why Dewey had to earn the degree online. Not only is she a student, wife and mother, she also works full-time for GCU as a University development representative.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      —Laurie Merrill

He traveled across the country to graduate

Kevin Foster brought his family from Boston.

Kevin Foster, 53, traveled from Boston to visit GCU for the first time and graduate with an online bachelor’s in substance abuse counseling.

He was accompanied by his wife, Antoinette, and three of their five children: Jasmina, 13, Jeremiah, 10, and Jacob, 10 months.

He enrolled at GCU following a 29-year career in the U.S. Air Force.  “I figured I’d get smart after I got out,” Foster quipped.

He said that in reality, the road to this degree has been long and not without hardship, but he never lost his faith.

“I believe it’s a challenge that God put into my life. He opened the doors for me and helped me financially and with His strength,” Foster said. “The Lord, Jesus Christ, gives me my strength.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       —Laurie Merrill

Here through the grace of God

Josina Fletcher

Josina Fletcher, 33, from Texas, felt God’s presence Saturday before she graduated with an online master’s in psychology degree.

Fletcher was in the U.S. Army as an interrogator for four years and is now a district parole officer for the state of Texas.

“I’m very blessed. As a mother of two, it has not been easy for me to get here,” Fletcher said. “Through the grace of God I am here and just overwhelmed.”

As she spoke, her mother helped her arrange her robe, and she held the hand of her Nadia, 2.

It was her first visit to campus, and she was impressed with its beauty.

“I love it,” she said. “I love the atmosphere.”  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      —Laurie Merrill

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