Photos by Ralph Freso Slideshow
Once a Lope, always a Lope.
Grand Canyon University welcomed its graduates to campus for a Homecoming weekend full of throw-back festivities and family fun on Friday and Saturday. More than 500 Lopes returned to their alma mater, ranging from graduating classes as early as 1977 to as recent as 2023.
Homecoming weekend was full of sentiment and nostalgia that began Friday evening when an alumni social hour helped them reunite with old classmates, roommates and colleagues. Laughter and chatter filled the room as they embraced one another with big smiles and joyful expressions.
The reunion continued Saturday morning at Breakfast with Thunder, where families got to share a meal with their favorite mascot. Along with GCU dancers and cheerleaders, Thunder greeted the families and took photos with kids.
The theme of the weekend left Logun Lundquist, a 2019 graduate, reflecting on the impact the school has had on his life.
“I came here from out of state as a student. Now, my whole career is here, my friends are here, my family even moved here. GCU brought me here to Arizona and now my whole life is here,” said Lundquist.
While the school looks forward to welcoming back its past students, it looks forward to celebrating and honoring the achievements of those students even more. A significant staple of the Homecoming weekend is the annual Hall of Fame ceremony.
Four esteemed alumni were inducted into GCU’s Alumni Hall of Fame based off their impressive achievements, catalyst presence in the community and unwavering loyalty to the University.
2024 Hall of Fame inductees are:
Shawn Boskie, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics, 2018, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Canyon Productions;
Wendy Greenland, Master of Business Administration, 2016, Chief Executive Officer, Openforce;
Courtney Ophaug, Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Leadership, 2009, Chief Executive Officer, Banner Estrella Medical Center;
Steven Valero, Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2021, Senior Director of Platform, Data, Reliability and Engineering, Keap; Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Move Forward.
“They are doing amazing things to represent GCU in their careers and communities, and we are so blessed that they would come back and let us celebrate them,” said Cherylann Galdi, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations.
After the ceremony, inductees got a chance to walk down memory lane by touring the campus and discover all the changes the school has undergone since their time as students. Seeing new buildings, more students and the overall expansion of the campus, many alumni were impressed by GCU’s growth.
Homecoming festivities continued at the alumni-exclusive tailgate on the Quad before the men’s basketball game. Hot dogs and hamburgers sizzled on the grill and footballs flew, as children ran from one carnival ride to another. Upbeat music filled the air and alumni showed off their event T-shirts.
This made Hope Carr Briscoe, a1984 graduate, feel right at home.
“The campus was bare bones when I was a student,” said Carr Briscoe. “But they have kept the heart of the school. GCU was really significant to me back in the day. Being in this environment that had a solid Christian influence, really saved me from some awful choices. I am so excited to see kids here today that are following God and are not ashamed of it. The Christian influence in the heart of the city is priceless.”
The pep band, dancers and cheerleaders led a rally in front of the arena.
“The band is my favorite at GCU. They are so electric and they do an amazing job,” said Matthew Simek, brother to a GCU student and future Lope.” The fans make me really excited to be a Lope one day because they are so loud and take time out of their day just to come here. The GCU spirit is strong and I love the energy.”
The tailgate also included the return of the derby cart race. Hosted by the Associated Students of GCU and built by the Society of Women Engineers Club, eight carts competed in the race, won by Multicultural Office’s Daniela Chavira and Amani Kibinda.
Sporting all purple swag, parents, siblings and grandparents held their phones out to film the fun and take photos with their students.
Homecoming wrapped up with a last men’s basketball home game, where seniors were recognized for their hard work, dedication and loyalty to the school and were welcomed into the alumni family.
“The attitude of the graduates makes GCU really special,” said Richard McMahon, a 1977 gradute who was been a season ticket holder for years and loves being around GCU students. “You can spot them anywhere. Their personalities are unique, they have a real positive attitude and are very cheerful. It’s an awesome school.”
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
