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GCU MAGAZ I NE • 7
M
any people say that the best years
of their lives were spent on a college
campus. The spirit, the sense of self-
discovery, the lifelong friendships —
they wrap together into an enduring,
beautiful memory.
But events of the last several years have created
an even more special feeling at Grand Canyon
University. Almost overnight, it has become a
large, fast-growing, impactful university that still
maintains its small-town feel.
It has a vibrant downtown, with a variety of
restaurants and stores and people everywhere.
Coffee shops. Sports events with top-quality
venues. Plays and concerts. Places to exercise,
relax and socialize. A chapel. A hotel.
A golf course. A bowling alley. A post office.
Swimming pools. Soon, it even will have a beach
volleyball stadium.
Everyone talks about it. Students. Faculty.
Staff. Visitors. As new building after new
building has sprung up, so have new gathering
spots, new activities and new additions to the
culture. And the sense of purpose that pervades
the campus only gets stronger as it gets bigger
— as demonstrated by GCU's $1.1 billion annual
economic impact in the community and its
commitment to transforming the neighborhood.
In this issue of GCU Magazine, we explore why
the 17,384 students who populate it and the 3,650
employees who work here feel so strongly about
it. Welcome to Lopeville, a town within a campus,
a campus within a city. We’re glad you came.
Phoenix has a new ‘town,’
and it sure has grown
on its residents
RISING