Enrolling at bustling Grand Canyon University to study business was a stark contrast to what George Henry had been accustomed to on his parents’ farm in Maxbass, North Dakota.
“I didn't know what to expect,” Henry said. “The whole reason I came here is because I grew up in agriculture and grew up completely surrounded by it. I wanted to come here just to learn business from a totally different perspective, and everything that I learned in agriculture and everything that I've learned here, it all relates straight back to agriculture for me, which is terrific.”
Learning is what helped Henry develop into a multifaceted businessman as he graduates Friday from GCU with a degree in business management from the Colangelo College of Business.
“He is a supremely hard worker, salt-of-the-earth kind of man with clear organization skills,” said Tim Kelley, chair of entrepreneurship at GCU.
Henry’s observation skills helped him ascend from a quiet freshman to director of Canyon Angels, a student-run angel investment group with more than 70 investors that has funded 74 ventures that have exceeded more than $7 million in investments.
Henry also was a finalist in the Canyon Challenge competition last December, pitching his Summit Ag Commodities business.
If that was not enough on his plate, he stayed close to his North Dakota roots by buying a robust farm during his sophomore year at GCU. He returned home on September weekends for harvest.
And last month, he spent two weeks training to take over an insurance brokerage company after graduation.
“That actually came through agriculture as well,” Henry said. “Our neighbor on the farm (Dennie Stratton) introduced me to the company that he works for.”
After asking questions about the insurance business, an opportunity to take over the office arose, and Henry was all in – even with his farming duties looming.
“It is a challenge, and learning that has been a big challenge, because I knew nothing about insurance when I started studying for my tests a few months ago,” Henry said. “So that has been a large change, but a lot of it is business.
“It's just getting things done one thing at a time. And a lot of what we do is work with farmers, too, and the insurance side. So having that background and understanding the equipment, the infrastructure and the land, that's really helped me on the insurance side.”
Henry learned about GCU through his brother Max, who graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and is an account executive with the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns’ G League affiliate.
In addition to asking his older brother questions about GCU, he noticed how passionate Max was when giving tours of the campus to prospective students.
“He had a lot of high regard for the school,” George Henry said.
And Max was just as flattering in his praise of his younger brother’s fearlessness.
“One of the things I admire most about George is his ability to jump into things without having to know every detail first,” Max said. “I think that’s a trait a lot of people wish they had. And to be honest, even though he’s my younger brother, I’ll go to him for advice on a lot of things because of that trait. He just knows how to dive in and get after it and pick it up as he goes. I think it served him very well.”
George took a deliberate climb to the top of Canyon Angels' leadership ladder.
“At first, I hid in the back of the classroom,” Henry said. “I just wanted to learn as much as I could and just soak up all the information that I could. And I'm glad I did that, because there's so many people surrounding that organization that know so much more than I do, and especially at that time.
“And even to this day, there's so many people that come in, and they know so much more than I do. To get to learn from them and just listen to them, it's been tremendous support – that's everybody from Tim Kelley through all of our investors and all the other student analysts that we have.”
Henry relished the chance to learn an array of business, from medical tech to retail, as well as nuances, such as shipping, in a brief time to become experts or talk to experts on each industry.
“(Henry) has earned the highest trust,” Kelley said. “His humble leadership and great team-building skills have led to the continued success of Canyon Angels. We are truly lucky to have him.”
Henry credited his parents for playing a role in everything he has been involved in. He and his brother learned about the value of hard work while working on a farm at an early age and being surrounded by helpful neighbors, relatives, friends and landlords.
Although his Summit Ag Commodities business did not win the Canyon Challenge, the opportunity to pitch a product was invaluable.
“That was something that I'd never done – speak in front of that many people before, and especially with that many bright minds in the room. That was a huge learning experience,” Henry said. “And it’s something that I think anybody that has the opportunity to do that should pursue.
“Public speaking is not my forte, but through the experiences here at GCU, I've become much stronger at that. I still have a lot to learn about public speaking, though.”
Max Henry is not surprised his younger brother is returning to North Dakota shortly after graduation because of his love for the farm and the lifestyle. And he does not doubt his brother's ability to manage a farming and an insurance office.
“At his age, that’s a tough one,” Max said. “But if anyone can do it, it’s him.”
And he will be keeping an eye on GCU from 1,600 miles away.
“I'm excited to watch the business school as it expands and continues to grow with great people like Tim Kelley and Robert Vera (Canyon Ventures founding director). They've been my two huge influences here for me, among others.
“And God's got great things in store for the future of GCU.”
GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
***
Related content:
GCU News: Onetime aspiring golfer makes the cut as Commencement speaker
GCU News: Women in Business co-founder will leave legacy after GCU graduation
