14 • GCU TODAY
D
avid White recalled several instances where he could have quit
“slinging” drugs, where he ignored what he later recognized as
warning signs from God.
There were threats from rival dealers, including those with
guns pointed at his face. Once, a highway patrolman with a drug-sniffing
dog pulled White over near the Oregon-California state line, although the
cop never discovered the 10 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle.
As a high school dropout, White faced slaps on the wrist for drug-related
offenses in his native state of Washington. But a routine traffic violation in
2009 in the Tacoma suburb of Gig Harbor permanently altered his path in
life. Officers discovered 18 plastic bags of marijuana and a loaded .38-caliber
pistol. He faced a felony charge of possession with the intent to distribute,
and the possibility of being locked away in prison for five years or more.
Suddenly, White got the message. The Grand Canyon University junior
credited God for sparing him and leading him to Phoenix, where he has
emerged as one of GCU’s most motivated local outreach leaders.
The affable 26-year-old said prison “would have been a blessing.” He
admitted that the angry, arrogant “thug” of his youth deserved to be locked
up. But White took advantage of a chance to recover from drug and alcohol
addiction. He got clean, enrolled in a community college and joined local
Christian programs to aid homeless youth.
White discovered he wanted to study at a Christian university where he
could make an impact in the lives of the less-fortunate. He hoped to connect
Turned
Toward
Truth
Given another chance,
David White lives out his
faith in student outreach
B Y M I C H A E L F E R R A R E S I
DavidWhite hoists his daughter, Gabriella, into the air as his wife
and fellowGCU student, Macarena, watches. White is a community
outreach leader on the main campus.
photo by darryl webb
