Alumni

It was a productive semester for students looking to attend graduate school as the Honors College wrapped up its Pre-Law and Pre-Health Professional, Academic and Career Programs. Both programs, one of which made its debut this semester, played a role in helping prepare students for what they can expect when it comes to graduate school. “From my point of view, it was very helpful and very informative,” said government student Madeline Landes, who attended all of the Pre-Law P.A.C. sessions this semester. “I would recommend this because I think it’s a very informative program.”

When the Honors Institute debuted with 59 students in 2013, no one could have known how far it would come just eight years later. As the University prepares to celebrate another graduating class, the Honors College will celebrate its own impressive accomplishment — surpassing 1,000 graduates. “It’s great that we’ve reached this milestone of 1,000 graduates, we are thrilled and ready to celebrate; but, this is definitely not the last chapter in our book,” said Honors College Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli. “There is plenty more to come, and we’re excited to keep challenging ourselves and our program to rise to the occasion.”

There was no shortage of inspirational redemption stories at Wednesday’s Phoenix Rescue Mission Signing Event as three of four scholarship recipients signed their letter of intent to attend the University in the fall. The recipients, who have completed the nonprofit’s Recovery Program, include Amanda Jaramillo, Jacqueline Mix, Brian Farretta and GCU 2019 alum Jesse Dalla Riva. “These people have had some significant challenges and they’ve taken the first step now, they’ve gone through the Phoenix Rescue Mission Program, they’ve come out of it successfully and they’ve started their new life,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “For us to be able to offer them this opportunity to take their life now to a whole new level is a blessing.”

When Will Gonzalez hears others say about another person, “Oh well, that’s their lot in life. That’s what they are,” he disagrees wholeheartedly. “I think you can intercept people at different points in their lives,” he said. “I think there is the potential for redeeming.” It’s what makes the city of Phoenix prosecutor so passionate about his work in the community, particularly in schools. His work has included everything from presenting teen dating violence programs to advocating for restorative justice in public schools and bringing a $3.6 million Boys & Girls Club to one campus. It’s also why Gonzalez, a GCU alumni and Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, was recently named the Phoenix Union High School District Alumni of the Year.

Seven awards were distributed Thursday night in the GCU Film Festival, held outdoors to celebrate a year’s worth of students’ hard work during a uniquely challenging time. “What I really liked about the films we got this year is that I think they represented making lemonade out of lemons,” Film Department Director Lisa Tervo said. “There’s so much creativity and so many interesting turns that they took to be able to create these films against so many obstacles that it was amazing to see what they were able to do.”

The pandemic wasn’t going to keep the GCU community from celebrating alumni, students and their families. That determined spirit was the catalyst for this year’s virtual Homecoming and Family Week. For the first time, the two events have been combined to bring together everyone in the GCU community for a week filled with tours, livestreams, watch parties and access to GCU archives.

Homecoming will have a different look this year, and not just because of the pandemic. It’s being combined with Family Weekend, which had to be canceled last fall, and will start Monday with a special Chapel featuring GCU alumnus Nick Ely, Lead Pastor of Christ Church Central Phoenix. There will be online events available for alumni and GCU friends to view all week.

Araceli Wills delivered such a powerful talk as a student speaker at Winter Commencement, it was only natural to want to hear more from her. So we asked her to write the My LopeLife for the February issue of GCU Magazine, and she graciously agreed — and wrote an equally strong piece. “My hope is to shed light on the power of perspective and how it can serve as a testament of who God is and how He’s able to raise you out of the ashes of this broken world,” she wrote.

Students in GCU’s Dance Department hear some of the success stories that have come out of the program, and last week they got to work with one of those people. Richelle “Ricki” Stevenson, who graduated in 2015, is now with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet and came to campus for a residency. “There’s just such strength and talent in this program, it makes me very excited to be an alumni and also very excited about coming back now,” she said.

The Honors College leaders showed last year that their teamwork goes beyond their work duties — five of them earned graduate degrees. Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli finished work on her doctorate, while Program Managers Dennis Williams, Cathleen Daly and Anna Cofrancesco and Program Development Specialist Faith Beatty all received their master’s degrees. “I feel as though this story illustrates the support we have for one another both personally and professionally,” Naegeli said.