25 / 32
GCU MAGAZ I NE • 25
Juarez had just received his associate’s
degree in liberal arts from Fullerton (Calif.)
College. He had never lived anywhere other
than Fullerton, his hometown, but that
changed during the process of looking for an
elite four-year university, which eventually
led him to GCU.
“During my experience at the community
college, I was well-immersed into connecting
with my faculty and my counselors, and I
had people who poured into my success,”
Juarez said. “Going forward, I felt I still
needed that, but growing up in California,
I found universities to be saturated with
students.”
Juarez signed up for a tour of GCU, but
after his visit, he found he was still on the
fence. Then his tour guide caught him by
surprise when he scheduled him to sit down
with a professor, William Kuehl.
The one-hour meeting was climactic,
Juarez recalled.
He shared his educational experiences
and future plans, and in exchange Kuehl
handed Juarez a tentative schedule and
glimpse into his future at GCU. Then
everything clicked.
Fast forward 15 years, and Juarez still
marvels at how it all evolved.
“That’s the nugget really worth noting.
I’m still working on my emotions, to be
honest, but I knew then that I could own my
education at GCU and seek support when I
needed it,” he said.
Kuehl, a professor and director
of exercise science in the College of
Science, Engineering and Technology, has
experienced GCU at the forefront of change.
He began his career in 1983 as an adjunct
professor for the University’s first Care and
Prevention of Athletic Injuries course.
“I’ve taught a total of 28 classes here, I’ll
be 65 next summer and I have no indication
yet that I’m called to go somewhere else,” he
said with a good-humored grin. “Plus, the
students think I’m good.”
He added that, while teaching now
includes different approaches and methods
than when he was getting started, GCU’s
mission and well-known slogan — “Find
Your Purpose” — always have fit with his
focus. As someone for whom a high school
coach helped him unlock his full potential,
Kuehl is passionate about bringing that
philosophy to light.
Kuehl didn’t set out to be a teacher, but
when he was a 13-year-old benchwarmer
on his high school baseball and basketball
teams, a coach encouraged him to look into
athletic training. After his first course,
Kuehl never looked back. By age 17, he was
working as a conditioning and rehabilitation
trainer for the Phoenix Suns and the Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim (then the
California Angels).
Looking back on how far he’s come,
Kuehl said he learned the true meaning of
education.
“I knew I was good at what I did at a very
young age, and it was because I had studied
all of it,” he said.
Over the years, Kuehl has strived to help
his students through their college degree.
“It’s a God-given thing to realize your full
potential, and I can’t think of another way to
do my job,” he said. “I’m good at taking care
of injuries, but my calling and gift is to be
able to help when students have no clue what
to do — that was Brandon’s situation. He
was in crisis, so I gave him direction.”
Juarez and Kuehl never completely left
each other’s lives after that initial meeting.
As a student, Juarez frequently stopped by
Kuehl’s office. As a professional, he found
himself transferring Kuehl’s teaching
philosophies into his classroom.
Juarez considers himself an introvert,
and Kuehl challenged him to invest outside
of himself.
“You can be reserved, but then you really
are missing out on one of your callings in
the teaching world, which is to serve the
students in your classroom,” Juarez said.
“The way Bill taught made me feel at home.
He didn’t sound like a teacher giving his
students a lecture — there was much more of
an interaction. He’s got that constant smile
on his face and a genuine desire to wish
people well.
“I’ve yet to find what he taught me in any
textbook.”
Brandon Juarez (left) credits
his former instructor, William
Kuehl, for helping him complete
his education and become an
assistant professor at GCU.
The way Bill taught made me feel at
home. He didn’t sound like a teacher giving
his students a lecture — there was much
more of an interaction.”
— Brandon Juarez