P15
September 2013
Nicole Kostyk:
Inspired by sister’s struggle
Nicole Kostyk
will add grace to the GCU nursing
program this fall.
Nicole spent most of the last two years in hospitals
with her younger sister,
Grace
, who was diagnosed
with cancer in 2011 and has undergone numerous
chemotherapy treatments and spinal taps. Nicole
stayed by her sister’s side and gained a new
perspective on life.
After observing the positive impact of nurses on
Grace, Nicole decided to pursue a nursing degree.
“I saw how the nurses worked and how they made
a difference with Grace’s treatment,” Nicole said. “I
really liked the way they worked with her. It made
me feel more comfortable with the situation.”
Nicole, 18, said the trials associated with a family
cancer diagnosis served as her motivation to
help others.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to do something
in the medical field and, yeah, it’s scary, but it will
be cool to be able to help,” she said. Her goal is to
become a pediatric neurologist.
Grace, 8, served as the honorary race starter for
GCU’s Run to Fight Children’s Cancer in 2012. The
annual event is a 5K/10K race and cancer survivors’
walk starting on the GCU campus, with proceeds
benefiting the non-profit Children’s Cancer
Network and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
GCU’s former community outreach manager,
Jose Moreno
, who oversaw the cancer run through
the University’s Office of Communications and
Public Affairs, said Nicole’s experience and passion
will help her make an impact in the College of
Nursing and Health Care Professions.
Nicole “has had to live and breathe it through her
high school years,” Moreno said. “When it comes to
a medical student in nursing, from her experience,
she can empathize (with them), not just sympathize.
“She has had to learn and live with what these
people have to go through. Now she can pay
it forward.”
■
Justin Owens:
New start, new heart
A passion for helping others led
Justin Owens
to
become an Antelope.
As a second-year senior at Westwind Preparatory
Academy in north Phoenix, Owens volunteered his
Sunday evenings to feed the homeless. He said he
chose to attend GCU because of its devotion to
local outreach.
“I really want to continue (GCU’s) mission and make
that stronger,” said Owens, who will pursue a
degree in sports management. “I knew (GCU) had a
strong community outreach program and it allows
me to keep up what I’m doing.”
As a high school student in Baltimore, Owens’
lifestyle reflected the crime-saturated area where
he was raised. He reached out to family friend
Tim Hightower
, a former Arizona Cardinals
player, for guidance.
Owens took Hightower’s advice to seek a better
situation, earned a scholarship to Westwind Prep
and moved to Phoenix in 2011 to live with his sister,
Daya Foster
.
Foster said she was hesitant at first, telling Owens
he had one chance to change or he would be sent
back. But she wasn’t surprised when he began
helping others.
“He was always helping others ever since he was a
little kid,” Foster said. “What I was most surprised
about was how quickly it grew and how others
wanted to help.”
Owens, 19, said that the loss of close friends – one
from cancer, the other murdered – convinced him
to change.
“I snapped and knew I needed to help people,”
Owens said. “I made up in my mind that once I got
to where I can help people, I want to do it.”
Owens turned down basketball scholarship offers
from other universities to come to GCU, where he
is not planning to play his sport.
“I fell in love with the campus and everything that it
had to offer,” Owens said. “I felt like GCU was the place
I needed to be, to reach the goals I want to reach.”
■
Danielle Wiemeyer:
She’s with the band
One freshman who will be making noise on campus –
and is encouraged to do so – is
DanielleWiemeyer
.
Wiemeyer, who goes by “Ellie,” will be part of the
Thundering Heard pep band this year as a clarinet
player. The band, which plays at all GCU home
basketball games in addition to concerts and other
campus events, has more than 90 members this
year, nearly half of them new.
Wiemeyer, 18, arrives after an illustrious four-
year band career at Mountain Ridge High School
in Glendale that included all-region and all-state
honors and selection as one of 150 high school
band All-Americans.
She also graduated with an unweighted 4.0 GPA,
served as captain of her cross country team and
competed twice at state, as a sophomore (track
and field) and junior (cross country).
Wiemeyer plans to pursue a degree in nursing
along with studying clarinet and participating in
the new GCU wind ensemble. She said she hopes
her involvement in band will help in her transition
to college life.
“I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people
in pep band and contributing to the ’Lopes school
spirit,” she said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be
able to have the opportunity to continue music.”
Paul Koch
, GCU’s director of bands, said talented
new players such as Wiemeyer will make a good
band even better.
“Ellie comes from one of the better programs in the
state,” Koch said. “She reached a certain level and
wanted to keep that going into college.”
Koch said he was “blown away” by Wiemeyer’s
audition to join the band.
“Ellie came in and played, and I was like, ‘Good
grief, Ellie,’” Koch said. “She is a pretty good
clarinet player.”
■
