DIGITAL GCU Today AUG issue

GCU MAGAZ I NE • 7 I grew up in this community. In a family of six raised for the most part by a single mom, it wasn’t easy. We moved around – a lot. The Alhambra neighborhood for a few months. The Garfield neighborhood for about a year. And when times were real tough, at my grandmother’s in the Duppa Villa public housing project. That meant attending a different school just about every year — in fact, 13 schools in all. But, through all of those challenges, we got by. What made the difference was the help we got along the way — the people who went out of their way to make an impact on someone else’s life. I think that’s what draws me to Grand Canyon University. There are a lot of parallels, from the University’s modest beginnings, to the times of near-bankruptcy and now as a vibrant and forward-thinking institution. But, mostly, what sets this university apart is its desire to make a difference in people’s lives. As a member of the Glendale (Ariz.) Fire Department for the past 16 years, a Phoenix City Councilman who represents this district and a candidate to become the next mayor of Phoenix, I had the privilege of speaking at GCU’s announcement in July about becoming a nonprofit university again. When I think about GCU’s history, I think back to 2008. Remember what it was like for all of us? We were in a horrible recession and had to dig our way out of it. Crime rates were up. In the fifth-largest city in the country, the hot spot for crime wasn’t south Phoenix or Maryvale, it was Alhambra – this area. While we don’t want crime anywhere in the city, there was too much of it right here. But GCU, like the people who live in this community, never gave up. It problem-solved. It figured it out, even if it meant changing its business model. There was a mission, and this university is mission driven. It was going to follow through on that mission. In doing so, it has enabled thousands of students to graduate from GCU – thousands of students who have literally put their fingerprints on this community. They have painted walls to get rid of the blight and helped repair and refurbish hundreds of homes on Habitat for Humanity projects. GCU also has invested in the community through its Learning Lounge and Students Inspiring Students initiatives. Children who otherwise never would have thought about setting foot on a university campus now have the opportunity to come here for academic help or even to be a student with a full-tuition scholarship. You bring them in, you help them out and it drives something in those students. We’ve seen it. But the most important thing that GCU has done goes beyond even that. In what used to be a hot spot for crime in the 4-mile radius around the University, crime rates are down significantly thanks to GCU’s partnership with Phoenix Police. Home values in the 85017 zip code, meanwhile, have risen 65 percent in the last three years since GCU started its partnership with Habitat for Humanity. This university is an asset to the country, to the state and most certainly to the City of Phoenix. It’s pretty amazing. What GCU is doing is being felt everywhere. I recently was at a gathering in Los Angeles, sharing the story of Phoenix. I’m passionate about this city, my hometown. As I talked about Phoenix, I started talking about the GCU story and how much has changed – for both the University and the surrounding ABOUT DANIEL VALENZUELA Daniel Valenzuela was elected as the District 5 representative on the Phoenix City Council in 2012, was re- elected in 2015 and is now running for mayor. He has been a firefighter for 16 years, and as his bio states, “Other than being a husband and father, nothing – including being an elected official – has given himMORE satisfaction than being a firefighter.” community. But some things never change. I’m talking about the good things — about what drives people, the never-give-up attitude, the integrity, the humility and the work ethic. What did change – what had to change – were the things that prevented or limited opportunities. Afterward, three GCU graduates walked over and thanked me for sharing that story. They’re so excited about what their alma mater is doing, as am I. The people who run this university, who work at this university, who attend this university, who support this university and who graduated from this university understand something very important: Even more important than investing in buildings and infrastructure, which is incredibly important, you’re investing in people. As one Phoenician who is from this community, I’m grateful. I am a partner and a big supporter. How could you not be? “GCU, like the people who live in this community, never gave up. It problem- solved. It figured it out, even if it meant changing its business model. There was a mission, and this university is mission driven. It was going to follow through on that mission.”