Colangelo College of Business

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The parents of GCU students Chelsea Valladares and Kelli Ingle, who died in a car accident earlier this month, accepted posthumous degrees on their daughters’ behalf Friday in Spring Commencement at Grand Canyon University. Fausto and Erica Valladares came to the stage in the afternoon ceremony, and Rick and Kristi Ingle — with Fausto and Erica joining them and some students displaying Kelli Ingle’s initials on their mortarboards — were likewise honored in the evening. Here are replays of Friday afternoon and Friday evening. 

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Friday afternoon ceremony in Spring Commencement at Grand Canyon University featured traditional students from the Colangelo College of Business and the College of Theology. The student speaker was Estephanie Torres of CCOB. Erica and Fausto Valladares, whose daughter Chelsea died in a car accident earlier in the month, were presented a posthumous degree on her behalf. Here’s a replay of the ceremony. Read related stories here and here.  

Photos by Rick D’Elia GCU News Bureau The Friday morning ceremony in Spring Commencement at Grand Canyon University awarded bachelor’s degrees to traditional students. Here’s a replay of the ceremony.  

Business professor Dr. Moronke Oke said becoming a member of Delta Mu Delta “must be earned by faithful, earnest toil, by serious application to studies and persistent application in scholastic work.” it was a feat achieved on Thursday by 110 students who were inducted into GCU’s Eta Chi chapter of the international business honor society.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The lives of GCU students Chelsea Valladares and Kelli Ingle were commemorated Wednesday in the Celebration of Life on the Quad. Speakers included the women’s mothers, Erica Valladares and Kristi Ingle; Erik Nelsen, GCU’s Director of Spiritual Life; and Stephen Wahlstrom and Holly Neely of Residence Life. Here’s the story.  

The shock of the auto accident that claimed the lives of GCU students Chelsea Valladares and Kelli Ingle still hasn’t worn off, but the Celebration of Life on Wednesday evening in the Quad made certain that their impact at GCU and Pure Heart Church won’t be forgotten. The story of their truly special friendship and faith was commemorated with a moving ceremony that included talks by their mothers. “I challenge you to honor Kelli’s life, and Chelsea’s, by loving with your whole heart,” said Kelli’s mom, Kristi.

For the first time, the presentations at Monday’s Learning Community and Research Symposium were from five different colleges. Each one highlighted students’ heart for service and their desire to make their communities better — exactly the vision GCU President Brian Mueller has. “Brian talks so well about the vision of the University, but also the five-point plan and what we’re doing in the community,” Provost Dr. Hank Radda told the audience in his closing remarks at the event. “I don’t think you could have better representation of that occurring in a very real way.”

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau GCU students took advantage of another opportunity to listen to Jerry Colangelo on Monday in the Colangelo College of Business Building. With him onstage were Bridgette Abbott of GCU’s Finance and Economics Club and retired Phoenix sports anchor Jude LaCava. Here’s the story.  

GCU students regularly show how much they listen to Jerry Colangelo — they act on his advice. Three of the attendees in the Colangelo College of Business lobby Monday gave examples of things they have done as a direct result of what they heard from the college’s namesake. “It’s really spoken to me and touched me on how I do my daily life and how I want to do my future,” junior Ryan Batawala said.

It was called “Power,” and the sixth annual TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity on Friday night was another powerful example of what GCU students can accomplish on their own. The move back to GCU Arena produced a record crowd of 1,100, and the nine talks included one by another GCU student, Erik Yost. They had a plan and executed it perfectly. “If you had been in the room with us eight months ago and you heard our initial vision, this was our vision come to life,” TEDxGCU President Havilah Houston said.