P2
March 2013
Online student’s obstacles
P3
Children’s cancer run
P4-6
Doctoral mother-daughter
P7
GCU expansion
P8-9
Division I sports
P10-13
COFAP dean
P14-16
Multicultural director
P17
Holy Yoga
P18-19
Alumni
P20-23
Volume 3 – Issue 1
mber Christenberry
does a lot of things with her
circle of friends at Grand Canyon University.
There’s intramurals, events to attend, homework, movies and
eating together on campus. She even competes alongside
some of them as a member of GCU’s track and field and cross
country teams.
This May, she’ll be doing something else – going through
commencement at GCU Arena with the same people she has
shared those experiences with.
For the first time, the University is creating separate graduation
ceremonies for traditional students who attend classes
on campus. Two commencements are planned May 2 for
traditional students, followed by four more ceremonies May
3 and 4 for non-traditional students who attend classes online.
“I like the idea,” said Christenberry, an education major
who has served on the Associated Students of GCU since
transferring to the University as a sophomore. “I would like
to walk with the people I have been here with for three years.
“Online students have their own community in a sense, too, so
it’s a good idea for them to walk with people experiencing
education the same way that they are.”
Dr. Kathy Player
, associate provost at GCU, said the change
also was made in order to keep the ceremonies more personal
as the University continues to grow. About 1,000 traditional
students are expected to graduate in May (twice as many
as last year), and about 4,000 non-traditional students are
expected to participate in commencement.
“We still wanted to maintain a special experience for students
on the campus of GCU versus moving offsite to a massive
facility,” Player said. “With six ceremonies, students get time
to walk across the stage in front of their family and friends,
shake the hand of their dean as their name is announced
and their photo is displayed. If GCU rented an offsite setting,
the ceremony would be so massive it would force us at
some point to just confer degrees by groups and students
collectively stand up and sit down.
“By keeping it smaller through hosting six ceremonies, it lets
families and friends see them make that special walk.”
Shelby Bartusek
, who graduates in May with a bachelor’s
degree in exercise science with an emphasis in physical
therapy, also likes the new format.
“I’m excited that they cared enough to do that,” said Bartusek,
who has been a Life Leader on campus, played on the
women’s soccer team and this year was the communications
director for ASGCU. “Our class has been through all the big
changes here on campus the last four years.”
■
Amy’s husband Timothy has been her biggest
supporter as she works to complete her doctorate
degree at GCU.
Photos courtesy of Amy Blowers
t’s the best deal
Amy Blowers
has ever made.
Her newlywed husband,
Timothy
, a member of the
Army National Guard, was about to re-enlist for a tour
that would take him to Afghanistan.
Timothy loved the Army and already had completed
several tours, including one to Iraq, before he met Amy.
And he was closing in on 20 years in the military, which
would have made him eligible for retirement benefits.
But Amy, who grew up in a military family, knew what a
tour in Afghanistan meant.
“I thought my world was crashing down again and I
would lose the man I had waited my whole life to find,”
said Amy, who had been through one divorce in her life.
So the two made a deal.
At the time, Amy was taking online classes at Grand
Canyon University from her home in Daytona Beach,
Fla., to complete her master’s degree in education. The
decision to go back to school was part of a process of
rediscovering herself after the split fromher first husband.
Timothy’s offer was simple: If Amy agreed to finish up
her master’s and then get her doctorate degree as well,
he would leave the military.
“I would have agreed to anything at that point just
to have him home safe with me, and I did,” Amy said.
“Now, I have to live up to my promise.
“He sacrificed a lot. He loved being in the Army. In
exchange, he pushed me to be even better than I was
and pursue a dream I never even began to dream.”
Amy finished her master’s degree in August of 2011
with a 4.0 grade point average – just two months after
having her first child,
T.J
., with Timothy. (Amy also had
three children from her first marriage:
Matthew
, 15,
Megan
, 12, and
Michael
, 8.)
She began her doctorate at GCU in March 2012, when
a slew of new obstacles suddenly came her way.
• Megan was diagnosed with pars planitis with
cystoid macular edema, an eye condition that can
lead to loss of vision. She is currently in remission
after many trips to see specialists.
• Michael broke his arm that summer (“Having an
8-year-old with a broken arm and a pool in the
back yard is not a fun mix,” Amy said).
• Amy and Timothy then decided to fight for
custody of Timothy’s son from a previous marriage,
Jeremy
, a process that initially took a year to
resolve and involved many trips to New York, only
to end up back in court again when Timothy’s ex-
wife appealed. (“That case just ended in October,
and by the grace of God, we won again.”)
• And, finally, during the past year, Amy was
dealing with her own medical condition. She had
been having pain and bleeding related to severe
endometriosis, a violent cervix and an enlarged
uterus. That required a hysterectomy and the
revelation that, medically, there was no way she
should have been able to conceive T.J., let alone
carry him to a full term. (“We call him our miracle
baby,” Amy said.)
Through all of that, Amy never wavered on her
education and the deal she made with her husband.
And Timothy, who now works for the Daytona Beach
Police Department, has been her biggest supporter.
“There were many times I said, ‘This is ridiculous. Why
am I trying to do this right now? It’s too much trying
to deal with everything,’” Amy said. “But my husband
always said, ‘I’ll take care of this, or I’ll take this child to
see a specialist.’ There were so many times that we were
travelling in the car to New York for a hearing and I’d
have my laptop air card getting my schoolwork done.
“Timothy always puts things in perspective, figuring out
what the barrier is – whether it’s time or patience or
motivation. And he’s always there for me.”
Amy works for Volusia County Schools in the online
learning department, teaching English for grades 6-12
and college readiness classes for advanced seniors. She
is on pace to complete her doctorate in March 2015 –
three months before Matthew will graduate from high
school (“I have to beat him!” she said).
She also sings on her church’s praise team, taxis her
children to various activities, cares for her now-19-
month-old T.J., volunteers with Timothy’s police
department, runs three days a week and makes cakes
as a side business.
“More importantly, I can proudly say through all of this, I
have maintained my 4.0 GPA,” Amy said. “I don’t know if
I’man inspiration, but I do know if I can do it, anyone can!”
■
GCU Today Magazine
is a
quarterly publication of the Office of
Communications and Public Affairs at
Grand Canyon University.
Written and Edited by
DOUG CARROLL
Communications Director
602.639.8011
MICHAEL FERRARESI
Senior Writer
602.639.7030
BOB ROMANTIC
Senior Writer
602.639.7611
COOPER NELSON
Junior Writer
602.639.7511
Cover Photo Collage andDesign by
DEANNA FUSCO
SoHo Southwest
ForegroundCover Photography by
DARRYL WEBB
University Staff Photographer
602.639.6375
Office of Communications
and Public Affairs
Bill Jenkins
Vice President
On the Cover
Olivia Baumgardner (left) and
Grace Kostyk, cancer survivors and
former starters of the GCU Run to
Fight Children’s Cancer
Grand Canyon University
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
– by Bob Romantic
PERSISTENT
PERFECTION
Nothing keeps Florida
online student from
maintaining 4.0 GPA
Through all of the curveballs that life has thrown
her way, Amy Blowers is proud that she has
maintained straight A’s.
P3
March 2013
I
online
A
Graduation to have separate
Arena ceremonies in May
– by Bob Romantic
Photos by Jak Keyser
Commencement 2013
at GCU Arena
Traditional students
Thursday, May 2, 10 a.m.
College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Thursday, May 2, 3 p.m.
College of Arts and Sciences, College of Fine Arts and
Production, College of Education, College of Theology and
Ken Blanchard College of Business
Non-traditional students
Friday, May 3, 10 a.m.
College of Arts and Sciences, College of Theology
Friday, May 3, 3 p.m.
Ken Blanchard College of Business
Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m.
College of Doctoral Studies, College of Education
Saturday, May 4, 3 p.m.
College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Note:
Registration deadline for commencement is March 29.
Go to
.
An w
