Colangelo College of Business

Burger-and-fries fare? Pizza and tacos? It’s a recipe for culinary heaven for most college students. But sometimes even college students look to healthier options, particularly now, when everyone is trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. While the campus does serve up burgers and fries aplenty, there are a lot of ways to eat healthy, from visiting the Lopes Training Table to stopping by the Herd Stop salad bar.

Nine months later, the Oscar Frayer bulletin still is shocking. “What? How could that happen? Not now!” was a typical response to the news that the GCU basketball star, his sister and a friend had been killed in an auto accident just days after he played in the NCAA tournament. Thankfully, 2021 was filled with happier moments, in particular the opening of the GCU CityServe warehouse, the awarding of more Students Inspiring Students scholarships, the energy of Lip Sync and other major events, and the inspiration of so many students and staff. Here are our favorite stories. They might be yours, too.

When Alison Smith graduated on Friday, she took with her the knowledge she was taught at the Colangelo College of Business — knowledge she already has applied. Smith earned an internship with Morgan Stanley last summer, and that’s where she’ll start her career. “All this knowledge is only as good as what you do with it,” she said. “It’s more about the character of how you’re bringing it into the world as opposed to just the fact that you know it.”

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Friday afternoon ceremony of Winter Commencement at Grand Canyon University featured graduates of the Colangelo College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, and College of Theology. Read the story about the event’s Commencement speaker here and see a slideshow below. For more Winter Commencement news, click here to view a slideshow from the Friday evening ceremony and here to read about that session’s student speaker. 

The Christmas tree at Canyon 49 Grill was lit up Tuesday night, and so were Kylie Amber Buere’s emotions when she was named as one of three winners of the David R. Landau Hospitality Scholarship. “Oh boy, I’m going to start crying,” Buere said as she talked about writing her winning essay and what her parents did to help her enter the industry. The $1,000 award isn’t the only prize for Buere, Victoria Hang and Jeremiah Breeden — they also will plan a dinner for hospitality students next spring.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau Jayce Candrea won the GCU Canyon Challenge on Friday for his startup, Washed Clothing. Panashe Bvundura and Nicholas Garrido took second, and Joshua Helm was third.  

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Jayce Candrea’s startup, Washed Clothing, won the Trinity GCU Canyon Challenge on Friday afternoon. The business is designed to provide T-shirts for the homeless. “I’ve heard a number of students say, ‘I need to weave my faith into my business.’ Jayce found a way to weave his faith into his work and is changing the world,” Canyon Ventures Director Robert Vera said.

The Canyon Challenge will have a sponsor and a new name when it returns Friday afternoon in Canyon Ventures. Five entrepreneurs will compete for $5,000 in prize money in the biannual competition.

The Colangelo College of Business came up with an innovative way this fall to teach Sports and Entertainment Management students about the fastest way to get a good job in the industry — sales. The first Sports Sales Academy, taught by local professionals, met for five weeks to demonstrate techniques and then have students practice them. “This is how you’re probably going to start, and if you understand revenue generation for an organization, that can take you so many ways,” said Dr. Mark Clifford, CCOB Assistant Dean and Director of Sports Business.

Ruben Hernandez once ran the streets near GCU, getting into trouble and painting graffiti late into the night. But then he was sentenced to serve community service. His assignment was at a church, and his redemption began. He went from high school dropout, to art school graduate before arriving at GCU. Here, he practiced his art in Thunderground and learned business acumen as an entrepreneurial studies major. He was hired to paint a large mural in the lobby of the Antelope Reception Center, and his creation is fitting: the Grand Canyon.