Alumni

Jim Carter was a kid from south Phoenix who had no clue where he was going to go. Then he met Dr. Dave Brazell, who was starting a baseball team at what was then Grand Canyon College. Brazell invited him to try out. That led to him graduating with a degree from GCU then going on to become an attorney and a judge.

There are families that are heavily involved in Grand Canyon University, but the Knotts family has taken it to the next level. Three of Bill and Jenny Knotts’ four children are GCU graduates, and the fourth is a current student.

Time after time over three days of commencement, Grand Canyon University volunteers sought to make the experience special for the graduates. One of the ways they do it is the “tunnel walk” after each ceremony — applauding the grads as they walk out of the Arena after the ceremony. It was just one of many memorable moments.

The MBA program at Grand Canyon University was so beneficial to Mario B. Avery, it played a key role in his success with projects he tackled as mayor of Fairburn, Ga. — such as a fall festival that grew to attract 25,000 people. “It would have been virtually impossible for the city’s staff and myself to successfully manage an event this size without using some of the valuable tools I acquired from GCU,” he said.

Jerome Garrison is one of the top basketball players in Grand Canyon University history, but he’s scoring some far more important points through his work as the athletic director at Imagine Avondale. He wants to build a gymnasium there.

There was laughter, a few tears and a stirring sense of pride Saturday during Grand Canyon University’s Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The event celebrated five new inductees with long, successful careers and a passion for giving back to the community.

Nothing keeps graduates connected to their alma mater more than a group created just for them. At GCU, that group is the Phoenix Lopes Alumni Chapter, which is getting ready to celebrate the return of thousands of alumni to the campus this weekend for homecoming

When alumni gather Friday and Saturday for homecoming, there will be more of them than ever. Like the Grand Canyon University campus, the numbers for the biggest event of the year — in terms of attendees and activities — keep expanding.

GCU honored 300 employees, named to the 2017 All-Star Team, on Tuesday with a lavish banquet and an inspirational speech from President Brian Mueller. The honorees represent leaders, innovators and thinkers whose front-line expertise is considered invaluable to the growth of the University.

Julie Napier Boto, 2001 Grand Canyon University business and marketing graduate, and her husband, Thomas, have created the delightful animated “Owlegories” app and video series to spread the Gospel.