2 0 • GCU TODAY
A
rizona Sen. John McCain arrives at Grand Canyon University
Arena for a night of basketball, and a group of his interns,
all GCU students, huddle around him as though they’ve
done this before.
McCain gathers his thoughts to tell them about his busy day — he
has attended several events in the Valley and taken part in a political
conference call — but he says he’s well aware they’ve been busy, too.
Almost effortlessly, he commends them for their hard work, then talks
with each student one by one.
“To me, they’ve been inspirational,” McCain says. “They are
enthusiastic, they are committed, and that has been one of the most
uplifting experiences of all of my time in public office. They are the key
to the future of any political party, and having them engaged is not only
important to this campaign, but future campaigns.”
No wonder the 31 students love working for McCain at his spacious
campaign headquarters in central Phoenix, a venture they began in
October. Sure, they enjoy the new friendships and bonds they’ve made,
the free campaign swag, and even the sugar loads. But the best part is
getting to know McCain personally.
“McCain is like our grandpa — he’s fun, he’s talkative and he tells
a lot of grandpa jokes,” says Brenda Crawford, a junior Justice Studies
major. “The more I spend time with him and learn about him, the more
I appreciate all of the work that he does.”
Freshman Colson Franse says he finds the senator’s personal stories
encouraging.
“One story we got to hear was about how McCain spent over five
years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam — it was very difficult to
hear about it, but it is also very heartfelt how he fought for our country
and still continues to serve it,” Franse says. “It is phenomenal to see a
man with his character and his integrity.”
Lots to do
From making calls to answering phones, collecting data, recruiting,
managing digital content and implementing projects throughout
the week, sophomore Cathleen Daly says there is never a dull day at
McCain’s headquarters.
GCU students say working for Sen. McCain checks their
political boxes — it’s educational and fun
B Y J E A N N E T T E C R U Z
Internship gets
their vote
