Community

It was a night of celebration and heartfelt emotions in the GCU Arena. A large gathering of scholarship recipients, graduates and their families at the Students Inspiring Students Scholarship Reception heard what the program means to neighborhood students and community. Freshman SIS scholar Arianna Torres was overcome as she thanked her parents. “Mom and Dad, I love you guys both so much. Thank you for all the sacrifices you guys made to put me in the position I am in today,” Torres said.

Alexa Herriman had plenty to talk about: swimming in the Special Olympics, her Batman-Wonder Woman comic book and her Scooby-Doo stuffed animal. She also has someone to talk to about all those things, her new L.O.P.E.S. Buddy, Jaclyn Turner. Turner is one of six GCU students matched with students at the new L.O.P.E.S. Academy at the Cardon Center, a two-year program for adults with mild intellectual or developmental disabilities who want a college experience. Buddies accompany L.O.P.E.S. Academy students to Chapel, lunch, basketball games and other activities. “I have a friend to chat to,” Herriman said about her new Buddy. “I kind of have a plus-two to chat to.”

STEM educators who are movers and shakers when it comes to teaching math and science were on campus Saturday to celebrate the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The awards are the highest honor in the nation the government gives to educators in those disciplines, with winners receiving a certificate, trip to Washington, D.C., and $10,000. The event honored finalists for the 2021 and 2020 awards. But more than that, it was a way for Presidential Awardees to share ideas, support each other and build a community of high-level math and science educators.

GCU students’ monthly forays into the community to fulfill Habitat for Humanity projects resumed in earnest Saturday when members of the men’s basketball team did most of the labor for a yard project at a nearby home. It was a welcome return to normalcy after the pandemic forced the number of projects and workers to be downsized, but it also was a valuable experience for the team. “I think it’s a great lesson for them to learn,” said Ryne Lightfoot, Director of Player Development.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau Members of the Grand Canyon University men’s basketball team were hard at work Saturday morning off the court — they provided the labor for the first Habitat for Humanity project of the academic year.  

At an open house Thursday, GCU officially debuted its CityServe HUB, a 35,000 square-foot warehouse that will be the distribution site for household goods from major retailers such as Amazon and Costco. Those in-kind goods — everything from small appliances to furniture, printers and diapers, to name a few — will be disbursed to community partners that will put them in the hands of families in need. “To be able to do it on a college campus so you can mentor college kids on getting into this mindset, this worldview of helping the less fortunate? It’s fantastic. Praise God,” said Barry Meguiar of Meguiar Wax, a major CityServe supporter..

Online criminal justice student John Herold always felt a sense of emptiness every time Sept. 11 would roll around. It was on that day 20 years ago that his brother, Gary, lost his life. He was working on the 98th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower and was helping co-workers out of the building after the neighboring North Tower was struck by a plane. The South Tower would be hit by a second plane just 17 minutes later. John, whose two daughters, Marisa and Gia also attend GCU, plans to be at the GCU Army ROTC flag-placing event Saturday morning at Cypress lawn to honor those lost during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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