Academics

After being a stay-at-home mom for most of her four children’s lives, Chalise Williams was inspired to go back to college after watching her children get their degrees. Williams traveled from New Jersey to Arizona to attend Friday morning’s online commencement ceremony, where she received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral health.

Isaiah Slemons spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals, so he knew what he wanted to do with his life — help others as others helped him through his medical challenges. He graduated Thursday with his Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering and is one of about 40 biomedical, electrical and mechanical engineering scholars who became GCU’s first engineering graduating class.

Two days before commencement, 57 design students filled four classrooms in the College of Fine Arts and Production Building on Tuesday to display their portfolios for their peers and families at the Senior Design Showcase. Animations, photography, marketing designs and numerous other forms of artwork allowed viewers to get a better idea of who these students are. “Everyone’s setup is their own,” Elizabeth Segura said. “Every year you have something different. There’s different people, different things that they have to offer. I think it’s pretty cool every year to see the variety.”

Adriana Quintanares moved to the United States when she was 4 years old, not speaking a word of English. She remembers her immigrant parents buying her a dictionary and looking up every word — every single word — to help her understand her homework. “My family, of course — and God — have kept me going,” said the GCU biology junior. Juan Colorado-Alvarez spoke about those school lunches no one seemed to like very much. He looked forward to them; sometimes those school lunches were the only meals he would eat. His immigrant parents, who worked two jobs each, constantly struggled to make it paycheck to paycheck. Quintanares and Colorado-Alvarez, a junior accounting major, reached deep and shared their hardships and how the Students Inspiring Students scholarship changed their lives at Tuesday’s SIS scholarship reception.

Honors College students gathered in GCU Arena on Saturday night to celebrate all of their achievements during the 2018-19 academic year. Assistant Dean Breanna Naegeli said the Honors banquet is one of her favorite events of the year. “It allows us all an opportunity to take a moment to reflect upon and acknowledge all the exceptional work and efforts of our students. These students not only take Honors courses and commit to the rigor in the classroom, but they continually go above and beyond outside of the classroom as well,” she said.

Students and faculty made their way to the Colangelo College of Business lobby Friday to watch the inauguration of ASGCU’s new leadership, led by President Samuel Yonan and Executive Vice President Bret Malkin, and bid farewell to 2018-19 President Noah Wolfe. “I’m excited for what they’re going to do. They’re going to do a great job,” Wolfe said. “We’ve had a great run and got a lot of stuff done, so I feel confident to hand the baton off to some wonderful people. I’m looking forward to what’s in the future.”

Learning and Living Communities are designed for GCU freshmen who prefer to share a residence hall room, suite or floor with students of similar academic interests. Along with the connections they make organically, there are organized activities in Juniper Hall, the building housing six LLC’s: Honors, Colangelo College of Business (CCOB), College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), psychology from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), and nursing and athletic training through the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions (CONHCP). “It has a different feel,” Kayla Warren said of her freshman year in Juniper. “It is academically centered, where we were all in the same mindset.”

English/professional writing major Jordan Radcliffe said StartleBloom is important because it assures that “student creativity has a voice and an outlet.” About 40 student-created literary works, such as poems and short fiction, are included in the latest edition of the literary review. The StartleBloom team handed out copies of the publication Wednesday on the Promenade.

Washington High School senior Juan Ballez has watched his father struggle with mobility in his hand and, for years, wished there was a way he could help. Now, on the cusp of graduating, he thinks he knows a way — by becoming a biomedical engineer. His dream of helping people, like his father, came closer to fruition Tuesday at GCU, when he found out he was one of 43 students in the neighborhood surrounding GCU to receive the Students Inspiring Students scholarship. “It feels like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Juan after receiving the scholarship, which covers four years of tuition and books. “… I was determined. I was like, I can’t have my parents pay for it (college). I don’t want that burden on them.”

Mark Snyder, President of Snyder Nationwide Real Estate, spoke to graduate and Hospitality Management students Thursday about he injects his faith into the business world. “I’m going to do what’s right every time,” he said. “I pursue God daily. God’s the kingmaker, not your talents.”