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.
JACLYN "JACKIE" GEAR
Job title: University development counselor
Job location: King of Prussia, Pa.
What attracted you to GCU? A University development counselor visited my husband at his place of work, a charter school in Philadelphia, which made me curious about GCU in general. My husband, Rich, enrolled and had a great experience, not to mention his UDC was the only person to convince his to go back for his master’s — all of this made me a huge fan of GCU! I’m excited to continue my career in higher ed in a new focus and help and support others the way my husband was helped and supported.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I’m a boy mom – what’s not fun about that? We have two boys – Liam, 6, and Connor, 5. We play hard, get dirty and always are on the go. Life sure will be boring once they grow up and don’t need me anymore!
What are you passionate about? Causes. We raise awareness through social media, raise money, walk and volunteer for all of the causes that affect me, my family and closest friends — Crohn’s, M.S., epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and breast cancer.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? Being so new to Arizona and the Valley area, I really don’t know yet! But I’m heading out for commencement this weekend (Rich is graduating this weekend), and I'm excited to check out some things.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I’m a huge dog lover and have a soft spot for rescues of all dog breeds. We have two rescues now, and I look forward to rescuing senior dogs in the future, once our children are old enough to really understand and appreciate all the good in rescuing senior dogs.
What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of being the very difficult but rewarding combination of a mother, wife and professional. No amount of schooling or preparation can totally prepare you for this combination. Some people are awesome at this, some people struggle, and I like to think I’m great at just treading water. Some days are simple and some days are the exact opposite of that!
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ROGER D. PORTER
Job title: University development counselor
Job location: Alaska
What attracted you to GCU? My love for education and the GCU Christian worldview.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? Hunting, fishing, hiking and camping just outside my front door. In the state of Alaska it is not unusual to see a black bear or a moose walking in your front yard. Every steam/creek (and there are hundreds just in the city limits) during the spring and summer months are filled with salmon swimming upstream to spawn. The region is marshlands filled with every variety of bird you can imagine. At the foot of these tundra and lowland marshes are the Chugach mountains (pronounced CHEW-gatch). This mountain range and national forest, the largest in the United States, boasts hundreds of trails for riding fat tire bikes, cross-country skiing, or just a good old fashioned hike to the top of the peaks. Waterfalls and frozen glacier ice is everywhere. Camping can be done literally across the street from my home. The forest is about 300 hundred feet from my front door, and the park beyond actually has a campground facility with more than 50 camp sites.
What are you passionate about? My passion is making a difference in a person’s life other than my own. Through education, not only are you impacting a person positively for a lifetime; it affects those around that person and ultimately society as a whole. I cannot imagine doing anything else.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I am familiar with Phoenix and enjoy hiking trails just outside of town or taking a road trip to Flagstaff for some much needed cooler temperatures. My brother, his wife and three sons live in Queen Creek, and I try to go as often as possible. Now, with my new employment, I can go more than anticipated.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I have an artistic side and can paint or sketch a photorealistic image just from observing that image in real life or from a photo. As a young man I was an avid sketcher using pencil and color pens, mainly to draw my favorite superheroes from the comics I would read. I did several types of media in high school when I took an art class. My first love was pencil and paper, and to this day I can look at a still-life object and draw it to near photo quality with eye and hand, a perishable skill and one I do not take enough advantage of these days.
What are you most proud of? My recently found ability to have effective emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to think about outward actions both vocal and physical before acting on them and deciding the best option for the present environmental situation. I have been sharpening this skill set regularly and am always learning how to better handle situations with the best words and behavior overall each time life throws a curveball. You no doubt have heard the expression, "Open your mouth and insert your foot." E.I. helps me keep my feet in my shoes and a smile on everyone’s face, including mine.
