Outreach

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.”

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.”

Setting a $3.2 million pledge goal was lofty in a year of uncertainty, said Dr. Tacy Ashby, Senior Vice President of K12 Educational Development. Yet despite the roadblocks COVID-19 has presented, GCU and GCE employees reached that ambitious objective. “We’re thrilled to have reached the goal, and it is a reflection of the caring and committed GCU community,” Ashby said.

One teacher bought a special seat cushion to make a child with autism feel more comfortable in the classroom. Another grew a garden. The stories of what GCU alumni did with the money granted by Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers are inspiring. The organization sponsored by GCU helps those teachers make their students’ dreams come true, too.

Canyon Urban Farms quickly has become a place of peace and prosperity. It is a favorite destination of the Outdoor Recreation Club with off-campus outings restricted — its members show up every week to care for the raised beds, which continue to supply the community with fresh vegetables. “It’s a meditative activity that wipes away the stress,” freshman Savannah Miles said. “It’s beautiful to make your own produce. Plus, I like dirt. I like playing in dirt.”

College is all about learning experiences, and the Honors STEMists club took learning to the next level when its members built two wheelchairs and donated them to the Neighborhood Christian Clinic. Best of all, the Honors College students got to meet the family of a recipient. “It was just a very raw moment,” said one of the students, Abby Abraham. “They just kept saying, ‘You don’t understand how much this means to us.’”

Office of Financial Aid Vice President Chris Arnold sees firsthand how Allocate to Elevate impacts his community. He remembers receiving a letter, written on grade-school, wide-ruled paper, about trip to the Arizona Science Center taken by a student at a school he supports through the initiative. He passes on that passion for the program to his team, which is always the first to reach 90% participation in Allocate to Elevate. JoAnna Langston, Director in the Office of Financial Aid, said the team doesn’t make the program a backburner item. “You make it a priority item,” she said.

Just before the first COVID vaccines were administered to health care workers on Monday, GCU was the site of a free-of-charge, community COVID Testing Blitz. Almost 800 individuals — about 700 who drove through and 100 who walked up — were tested at Saturday’s event on 27th Avenue, organized by the R.A.P.I.D. Coalition to meet the health care needs of vulnerable and underserved populations, including in Maryvale.

Students volunteers had the chance to roll up their sleeves Wednesday for the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program distribution event at the 27th Avenue complex, an event hosted by GCU in partnership with CityServe International. About 165 students loaded and delivered more than 1,050 boxes of food prepared by Shamrock Farms, each weighing about 30 pounds and filled with everything from meat to bags of apples and carrots, cheese, milk and more. The boxes went to more than 20 community service organizations and churches, which then distributed those boxes to families in need. It was just the first event in an even bigger project with CityServe in which the University would be the Arizona distribution hub for products that will go to needy families.

When social distancing guidelines were set in place to combat the spread of the pandemic, students in the Honors Voices Club and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) came together to formulate a way to still serve their community. They created care packages for students in isolation at GCU Hotel and for health care workers on campus.