GCU Today Magazine - November 2017

a man God is using to spread His word, and Colangelo wants to be a faithful messenger. “The wins, the losses, the successes, the failures — I want to be an encourager to people,” he said. “Here’s what I did. That doesn’t mean that’s the right way for you, but there are some basic things that I believe will help you along your journey.” He knows which chocolates are best. Constant collaboration The CCOB building is an incubator of inclusiveness, an entryway into entrepreneurship. To borrow an old sports axiom, if you ain’t collaboratin’ (with the faculty in CCOB), you ain’t tryin’. “They’re so approachable,” said Catherine Xiong, a senior majoring in finance and economics. “The level of support that is happening, I don’t think it can be touched anywhere in the United States,” said Braeden Scheer, a junior majoring in entrepreneurial studies. Scheer was one of several students who received regular counsel from the CCOB faculty as they formulated a startup, Storage Together, that won the Canyon Challenge entrepreneurial competition as well as an international event in Spain. The members of the team tell stories of faculty members being accessible at all hours, even at home, and doing whatever they can to help student-conceived businesses — and students — thrive. “These people could get paid hundreds of dollars an hour for consulting, but they’re teachers — you just go to them and get free advice all the time,” said Jedidiah Woods, a senior majoring in business administration. “These personal relationships that I’ve made with these professors have been invaluable. “When I see freshmen coming in, I tell them, ‘This business degree will become priceless if you seek out all the opportunities that are here.’” Most prominent in the entrepreneurial hub are three faculty members who have done it all in the business world — Tim Kelley, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Economics, and instructors Paul Waterman and Jon Ruybalid. Leading the way is Gibb, who gained considerable operational experience during his 26 years in the Air Force. “You can walk into Randy’s office, you can walk into Paul Waterman’s office, you can walk into Tim Kelley’s office and talk to them about what’s going on in your business,” said Josh McGuire, a senior majoring in finance and economics. “I think that’s what has helped Storage Together get to where it is now.” Everything in CCOB, with its emphasis on both co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, is geared toward real-world experiences that will put students in position to get internships and jobs. It starts — but doesn’t end — in the classroom. “I think we have two things going for us,” Gibb said. “One, our teachers teach — they’re not doing random research. Two, the amount of time and effort and passion that our faculty have for service in doing things with the students outside of class is incredible.” The list of CCOB clubs includes IDEA (Innovation, Development & Entrepreneurship Association), Sports Business, “Mr. Colangelo has always set out to do the best and be the best at whatever position he was doing at the time and then put everything else in God’s hands. As business students, we can be ambitious. We can be the next Fortune 500 CEO, but it’s the guys who try to be the Fortune 500 CEO who sometimes don’t end up where they want to be in life. Guys like Mr. Colangelo went out and pursued what God has for them and tried to be the best of where God has them in the moment.” BRAEDEN SCHEER, CCOB student “Mr. Colangelo not only delivers, he over-delivers on everything he does. When you do that for 50 years with integrity and honesty, you see the incredible impact it has had on this community.” BRIANMUELLER, GCU President “To always do business with high integrity, treat people the way you would like to be treated. I would always say, ‘Gee, what would Jerry do in this situation?’ It made my life very easy because he was a great role model.” TOMAMBROSE, former Phoenix Suns executive “‘Your word is your bond.’ He says it consistently, pretty much every time I’ve seen him talk. Whenever he says that, it means a lot more than when somebody else might say it. I think that level of credibility is what stands out to me, as something I’d like to achieve, too.” JOSHMcGUIRE, CCOB student “Jerry treats people with respect, and he’s an optimistic guy who believes that you can get people to work together and accomplish great things. He cares about doing things for the right reasons, and he’s pragmatic about it – you have to be. He keeps a sense of perspective in things he does, and that helps him build coalitions.” PAULWESTPHAL, former Phoenix Suns coach GCU MAGAZ I NE • 1 3