Alumni

Ian Youngblood, a former GCU rugby player and nurse in the Canyon Health and Wellness Clinic, volunteered to work in New York when the pandemic hit. Near the end of his stay, he was struck down — not by COVID-19, but by a brain cancer with a slim survival rate. “At 29 years old, nobody expects to get news like this,” he said. But he’s determined to fight it.

When she started her undergraduate career in the College of Fine Arts and Production, Rachel Schumacher just loved to act. Now, four years and exposure to the different areas within theatre later, Schumacher has accepted a full-ride scholarship in lighting design from the University of Connecticut and plans to begin this fall.

GCU alumnus Joey Hermosillo powered through like he usually does. He took a few Ibuprofen for a headache, then headed to Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, where he’s a charge nurse in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit. But by the middle of his shift, he didn’t quite feel like himself and, a few days later, he found out he tested positive for COVID-19. All he could think of was getting back to work so he could continue to do what he does best — help his patients.

The Pineda brothers, Josh and Jake, have used their GCU degrees in Digital Design with an Emphasis in Web Design to get off to a strong start in the field. But that’s not where their similarities end. Hardly. They hung out together when they both were on campus, and now they share their common interests when they travel.

What makes Dr. Brandon O’Neil’s doctoral degree so interesting is where he conducted his dissertation defense: via Zoom while he was on Air Force deployment in Saudi Arabia — and, on top of that, under the threat of a missile attack. Fortunately, it all went well.

GCU graduate Branden Murphy was appointed to the Nevada Board of Nursing at age 32. But that’s hardly his most impressive credential — he and his wife, Kristine, have adopted three children who have complex medical conditions.

Aaron and Jocelyn Reina are using their Colangelo College of Business degrees to help their family operate Colados Coffee and Crepes. In particular, they have applied the GCU culture to create a to bring together the staff.

The GCU Library has uploaded to its website a new feature that’s worth a long. nostalgic look. The Historical Archives Collection is filled with photos of life at Grand Canyon College from 1949 to 1984. “We knew we had some treasures, but we didn’t know how much,” said Nita Mailander, Director of Library Services. “… There was a lot of treasure.”

When a teaching job for Dr. Steven Mohler (pictured) depended on approval of his dissertation, the College of Doctoral Studies sped up the process. Mohler praised the work of his committee, led by Dr. Kevin McClean. “He was very helpful, very supportive and went to bat for me several times at the college to make sure that the process continued on,” said Mohler, who got the job.

The postponement of Commencement wasn’t going to stop the College of Doctoral Studies from celebrating its spring 2020 graduates — it just had to get creative. Friday morning, it hosted a virtual celebration of its graduates.