Alumni

Hundreds of College of Education students attended commencement Saturday afternoon to accept degrees that for them mean far more than a paycheck. Their degrees let them make the world a better place one child at a time. “It’s up to us to put in their minds positive thoughts. I want to be part of that,” said Leleatha Mitchell. “Each one, teach one.”

The GCU Foundation Run to Fight Children’s Cancer honored and celebrated the cancer-fighting superheros — from the littlest cancer survivors to the largest corporate donors — at a heart-felt banquet Thursday at the Canyon 49 Grill. Race Director Debbie Accomazzo thanked everyone who contributed to the raising $90,000, and the recipients, Children’s Cancer Network and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, returned the gratitude.

Christina Wagner and Mike Munoz are two GCU alumni who continue to make a significant impact on the University. Wagner is director of arena marketing and sponsorship fulfillment, and Munoz teaches online philosophy, ethics and spirituality in nursing at GCU.

Phoenix Police Commander Lori Burgett counts her 2002 GCU degree in Public Safety as one of her most proudest achievements. “Getting a bachelor’s degree was something I wanted to accomplish, and it was something I needed to move ahead,” said Burgett, a 29-year police veteran who oversees 175 officers in the Community Relations Bureau. She was one of few women in the Phoenix department when she joined in 1987.

If you’ve been to an Arizona Diamondbacks home game, you’ve seen Vanessa Ramirez at work. Turn on Channel 12 in the morning, and there she is. Tune your radio to 104.3 FM in the middle of the day, and you hear her voice. There’s more, but she loves what she does — all of it. “I am the Energizer Bunny,” says the 2003 Grand Canyon University graduate.

Photos by Brandon Sullivan GCU News Bureau Grand Canyon University alumni returned to campus Saturday for a day that included a brunch, a golf tournament, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the Kick-Off Party and a tailgate before the basketball game that evening. There even were go-kart races.  

Five highly regarded Grand Canyon University graduates with remarkable careers and a strong record of giving back to the community were inducted into the GCU Alumni Hall of Fame on Saturday in a stirring ceremony that invoked laughter, the Bible and tears.

Five Grand Canyon University graduates will be inducted into the GCU Alumni Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon for the professional and community contributions. Michael Rochelle, Kimberly Doolittle-Tobey, Tim Carter, Michelle Knapp and Jackie Schiller will be enshrined in a ceremony on the fourth floor of the Student Union.

Photos by Slaven Gujic For employees and students it was a midweek, guilty pleasure on a bright, sunny Wednesday, the kind of perfect weather that might make visitors wish to relocate here. For GCU baseball players, it was a chance to play against major league players, stand on the same field with stars and compete with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The spring training exhibition game was part of the rotating annual Collegiate Baseball Series between the Diamondbacks and Arizona’s three NCAA Division I baseball programs. This matchup will happen again in 2020.   

Alumni are bringing memories, school spirit and friends to GCU Homecoming 2017. Whether a student on campus or online, all graduates are invited to festivities, beginning with a mixer happy hour on Friday and ending with a Lopes men’s basketball game Saturday against the University of Missouri—Kansas City.