Antelope Intros is a recurring GCU Today feature that introduces some of our new employees to the people around them in a way that is fun and informative. Employees are eligible to be featured in the month following their orientation.
DENISE MATUS
Job title: Immersive Simulation Facilitator
Job location: Main campus, Natural Sciences Building
What attracted you to GCU? I did my BSN and MSN-Ed at GCU. It was such a fantastic experience, I set a goal to become a faculty member. I believe in the Christian values and mission of GCU and want to help others find their purpose.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I kickbox four to five times a week at a kickboxing studio close to my home in Gilbert. What started out as a fun little thing to get pink boxing gloves has now become a serious passion for me. I have four pairs of gloves -- pink, hot pink, purple and silver. The hot pink and silver are 16-ounce gloves because the 12-ounce gloves became too light for me. My favorite combos are roundhouses, hooks, spinning back fist and superman punch. My boyfriend has started to kickbox with me now and said, “I will never make fun of those pink gloves again!” The couple that kickboxes together stays together! I enjoy traveling, either by cruise ship or Harley.
What are you passionate about? I love being a nurse. I was a neonatal intensive care nurse (NICU), and that is my true passion. I enjoyed caring for the babies and their families. One special thing I did: I made a scrapbook for the parents of every baby that I cared for so they could put pictures in it and keep it as a reminder of how far their little one had come in their journey.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I enjoy going to theatrical events, such as plays, musicals and concerts.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: When I was younger I did theater and acting. I won a national advertising campaign for Purina One Cat Food and was featured in a variety of national magazines, such as People, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, etc. I also am a gastric sleeve patient and have lost and kept off 110 pounds for almost three years.
What are you most proud of? My work as a nurse, either at the bedside carrying for the tiniest patients or helping new baby nurses to grow.
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IAN SCHETTLER
Job title: Technical Support Assistant II
Job location: Main campus, Kaibab Building (I'll be moving soon to 27th Avenue, Building 66)
What attracted you to GCU? The beautiful campus and the wonderful people who populate it!
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? Attempt to create video games in the comfort of my home or spend time with my friends and my pup wherever we see fit. Also, when the sun is being kind in Phoenix, fishing and hiking are always therapeutic to me.
What are you passionate about? Visual and interactive storytelling! That’s my fancy way of saying I love video games. To me there isn’t a better feeling than creating something from the ground up and being able to see what it is you have created. There’s a massive amount of possibilities to be expressed this way, and I love to see how they affect the people who play them.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I’ve always loved the artwork downtown. Whenever I visit central Phoenix, I can’t keep away from scoping out the wall paintings.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: Unpopular opinion: I think cake tastes nasty. I rarely crave sweets or dessert, but if I do get a craving I’d have to say I go for ice cream or frozen yogurt. But when I do, I tend to eat it too fast and give myself a wicked brain freeze.
What are you most proud of? Meeting the people I have in life. They all contribute to who I am as a person, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
