Colleges

Seven years of teaching and facilitating Bible Study for residents of Phoenix Rescue Mission earned GCU sociology professor Dr. Timothy Larkin the Outstanding Teaching Award for 2018 from the Changing Lives Center for Women & Children, a shelter at PRM. “Such activity for me keeps me seeing with Christ-centered spiritual eyes and experiencing joy,” said Larkin, who provided insight in a Q&A with GCU Today.

Emily Branch didn’t waste any time in her 3 1/2 years here at GCU. Not only did she maintain a full load of classes, but she worked the graveyard shift as an emergency medical technician, delved into undergraduate research on Sonoran desert plants to see if they might hold the secret to the next big antimicrobial/cancer-fighting drug, and even squeezed in an internship with Special Olympics. Not only that, but before walking the commencement stage on Friday to receive her bachelor’s degree in health care administration, she considered three job offers before accepting a position with Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Photos by Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau The Friday afternoon ceremony at Grand Canyon University winter commencement featured graduates of the College of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, and College of Theology.    

God’s plan was set on warp speed for Rachel Robinson, which is why she accepted her diploma at Friday afternoon’s winter commencement just 2 1/2 years after enrolling at Grand Canyon University. Pairing efficiency with excellence, the Honors College member earned a 4.0 grade point average, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology.

What makes a great teacher? It starts with a great education, and Aimee Frank, Victoria Monk and Jessica Gajewski all spoke highly of their experience at Grand Canyon University. They were three of the College of Education graduates Friday in winter commencement.

With a 3.9 grade point average, two internships and short stories and poems published in four literary journals, Cymelle Edwards is an exceptional member of the winter commencement graduating class. She developed her phenomenal writing gifts under the tutelage of several GCU professors, including Dr. Andrea Alden, assistant professor Brian Raftery and author Dr. Diane Goodman, who proclaimed, “I am confident that when Cymelle completes her MFA (Master of Fine Arts), she will emerge as a voice for her generation.’’

Photos by Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau The Friday morning ceremony of winter commencement at Grand Canyon University included graduates of the Colangelo College of Business, the College of Fine Arts and Production and the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions.      

The Canyon Choral Society performed at Carnegie Hall in the spring and has tackled some major choral works, from Handel’s “Messiah” to Brahms’ Requiem. The GCU community choir — the only nonaudition choir on campus — is getting ready to perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the spring and is looking for a few good vocalists to add to its roster.

One of the impressive early graduates at winter commencement Friday morning was Payton Kuhnel, who needed just 2 1/2 years of college to get his Sports Management degree. But that’s only part of the story. Not only was he summa cum laude; he also worked the whole time he was on campus and already has a job in Major League Baseball.

The Eta Chi chapter of Delta Mu Delta, which achieved Star status (top 5 percent of all chapters) in August, added 132 members Wednesday, 24 of whom were on hand for the induction ceremony. “Delta Mu Delta confirms that you have a proven track record of academic achievement,” said Conner Teich, the chapter’s president.