College of Humanities and Social Sciences

One graduate responded to discussion posts while she was in labor. Another had to take a leave of absence during Hurricane Harvey but pushed through. Still another continued on her journey after her mother passed away from West Nile virus a few months after her father died. Despite all that life threw at them, GCU’s online students reached the finish line and completed their degrees.

When Bianca Peña started a job at a nonprofit, she knew to move forward in her career she needed an advanced degree. So she started on her journey to earn her bachelor’s in behavioral health science. But it would be a hard road for Peña, who paused her studies when her 14-year-old sister, Nancy, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and later when she became the caretaker for her mother. Peña also was recently diagnosed with autism. Many times, she wanted to give up, she said. “I would try to convince myself I don’t need this degree.” But on Monday, she walked across the GCU Arena stage and accepted her diploma, fulfilling her promise to her sister.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Monday morning ceremony in Spring Commencement at Grand Canyon University featured the conferring of doctoral degrees and also was for graduates of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Here’s a replay of the ceremony.

GCU News Bureau They came, they saw, they conquered. And, they gave a Lopes Up or two during their four-year academic journey at Grand Canyon University. Now they’re leaving the nest and moving on to their next steps as they graduate (some 30,000 of them) in 11 ceremonies over six days. Here is how traditional ground students, whose Commencement ceremonies were Thursday and Friday at GCU Arena, commemorated the big day on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kris Gesink (@kgesink77) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Makenzie Meier (@mak.meier) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Garrett Firth (@garrett_firth) View this post on Instagram A post shared by GCU SIS Scholarship (@gcusisscholarship) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Christian Diaz (@iam.cmd3) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ms. Michelle ?? (@_chxlle_) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Garrison Godard (@garrisongodard) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maria Sparling (@mama_sparling) View this post on Instagram A post shared by vincent king ? (@vincentkinng) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodge_Vader98 (@dodge_vader98) View this post on […]

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.  

The first Commencement ceremony rekindled the joyful tradition of handing out diploma sleeves to graduates as they walk across the GCU Arena stage. Just because it will happen over and over for the next week, don’t think it gets old to the administrators who do the honors. Dr. Meredith Critchfield, Dean of the College of Education, said she smiles so much, her face hurts after a ceremony.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau Spring Commencement at Grand Canyon University kicked off Thursday night with the ceremony for traditional graduates of the College of Education and College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The student speaker was Dalton Curtis of CHSS. Read the stories here and here. Here’s a replay of the ceremony.  

The biggest takeaway from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Senior Showcase on Wednesday was one word: Help. Students want to help people. Dozens of future social workers, psychologists and counselors, lawyers and police, writers and communicators, showed off their projects that will help society. “They just want to help,” said instructor JoAnn Dunlap of her social work students.

The L.O.P.E.S. Academy at the Cardon Center wasn’t going to end the academic year with a whimper but with a bang. So when leaders of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences decided to organize the college’s first Senior Showcase, the L.O.P.E.S. Academy was all in. Participants of the program, which gives young adults with mild intellectual or developmental disabilities a college experience, presented their research projects at the event alongside GCU’s other students.

Her seventh-grade teacher told her that her writing was awful. But Paige Walker kept at it, fought through her dyslexia and the death of a friend, and endured. Her poem is included in this year’s upcoming edition of the GCU student literary review StartleBloom, which will be unveiled Wednesday with other student projects at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Senior Showcase. Walker said writing helped her “sort through all my thoughts” and her story has one surprising ending.