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Photos by Elizabeth Tinajero GCU News Bureau The Friday morning ceremony of Fall Commencement featured master’s graduates of the College of Education.    

The hooding of the College of Doctoral Studies graduates Thursday afternoon included five GCU faculty members — Dr. Emily Pottinger, Dr. Stacy Vaught, Dr. Alicia Kozimor and Dr. Tracy Vasquez from the College of Education and Dr. Ben VanDerLinden from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. CDS Dean Dr. Michael Berger couldn’t recall that many faculty in one Commencement. “It’s great to educate our own community and watch them be successful at the hardest thing you can do in academia,” he said.

Andrew Campbell traveled from New York to GCU to walk the stage at Commencement on Friday morning. But afterward he wanted to thank a person he had never met in person. Annalit Crosby was his GCU Student Services counselor, and when he was ready to quit because he was overwhelmed with jobs, a family and studies, she helped him through. “I want to thank God for Annalit Crosby,” he said.

The Honors College has grown so much in the last eight years, one day dedicated to service events wasn’t enough. This week, it hosted its first Commitment to Service Week, providing an opportunity for multiple Honors clubs to volunteer at nonprofit organizations. “We just wanted to integrate service much more heavily and integrate this initiative into the college this semester,” Honors College Program Manager Anya Cofrancesco said. “We just decided to go big and make this a huge campaign. It’s been incredible to see their (students) compassion and just rolling up their sleeves and getting into the community.”

Photos by Rick D’Elia GCU News Bureau The Thursday morning of Fall Commencement featured graduates of the College of Education (bachelor’s); College of Fine Arts and Production; College of Humanities and Social Sciences (bachelor’s); College of Nursing and Health Care Professions (bachelor’s); College of Science, Engineering and Technology; and College of Theology.       

Corrine Martinez Santanelli was amazed that she was chosen to be the student speaker at Fall Commencement. Listen to her talk, and you shouldn’t be surprised at all. She told the story of an encounter with God convinced to leave behind a 10-year job in a strip club and seek a new life that has resulted in ministry, marriage and a degree from GCU. “If you’re ever feeling not smart enough, not popular enough, not loved enough, whatever you think you’re not enough of, remember that God is true to His word,” she urged her audience.

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Wednesday afternoon ceremony of Fall Commencement at Grand Canyon University was for master’s graduates of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  

Photos by Ralph Freso GCU News Bureau The Wednesday morning ceremony of Fall Commencement at Grand Canyon University was for online graduates from the Colangelo College of Business.    

Alexis Sowell has seen the need for mental health during troubled times while working as a dispatcher for emergency rooms. The suicide calls were numerous. She wanted to do more to help, so the Mesa native studied in GCU’s new Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and is among the first cohort to walk in Fall Commencement Oct. 13. “I grew so much individually,” Sowell said. “To help others, I had to work on myself. You learn from clients. They bring self-awareness, too.”

Grant Friedberg has dealt with depression and anxiety issues ever since he moved with his parents to Singapore and Australia as a child. He twice tried to attend college but couldn’t adjust to the on-campus experience. Then he discovered GCU’s online program, and Wednesday morning he was in GCU Arena to celebrate a bachelor’s degree he never believed was possible. “These past four years at GCU have easily been the best of my life, and that is mostly because of the success I have had during my time as a Lope,” he said.