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 both fun and informative. Employees are eligible to be featured in the month following their orientation.
KRISTIN HARVILL-STOUGHTON
Job title: Academic Counselor on the International/Tribal Team
Job location: Tempe
What attracted you to GCU? I have friends and family who have worked with this company for a few years and only heard great things about GCU! I was really impressed at how well the company works with their employees and really strives to bring everyone together as a team in order to reach their goals.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I am an avid video gamer! I enjoy playing games such as World of Warcraft, Diablo III, Guild Wars II and Skryim. I also love playing guitar and listening to music.
What are you passionate about? I am most passionate about animals, specifically those that are endangered. I previously worked at a chimpanzee/Siberian lynx cat sanctuary in Bend Oregon called Chimps Inc. and was able to play a vital role in caring for these animals who were all rescued from substandard living situations.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I enjoy attending concerts at local venues in and around the Tempe area, and going to Tempe Town Lake during winter season.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: Most people do not know that in addition to guitar I have also played the violin, piano, trumpet and French horn.
What are you most proud of? I am most proud of everything my father taught me growing up. He was an outstanding parent who always was there for his children.
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MATTHEW ALLEN
Job title: Enrollment Counselor
Job location: Peoria
What attracted you to GCU? I was initially interested in Grand Canyon University because of its Christian values and stability in the challenging industry of higher education.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I love to work out which I have been able to take advantage of on my lunch breaks in the gym! I also go to LA Fitness on the weekends.
What are you passionate about? I am passionate about music, the ability to change one’s own path, and always embracing that what God has in store is meant to glorify Him, not me.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I like to spend time with my 3-year-old daughter, Hailey, at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. I like to go hiking at Piestewa Peak, and I also love the Biltmore area.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I play a few different instruments recreationally, but the guitar and the piano are probably my favorite two.
What are you most proud of? I am most proud of my little girl for being such a bright, lively and unique little person! She has had several medical challenges in her short little lifetime and has been an inspiration to myself and all of her extended family. She really has fought through more in her first year alive than most people have in a lifetime, and I am so grateful to God that she is here with me. She’s the thing I think about during the day when I’m tired or feeling down, and she’s always the last one I see before resting at night.
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LEXIE TABET
Job title: Enrollment Counselor
Job location: Peoria
What attracted you to GCU? Having worked in education with another for-profit college for three years, I saw nothing but potential for additional growth, professionally and personally, by working for a university like GCU. Knowing some people who work for GCU, they never had anything but positive things to say, which mostly started with, “wait until you see the difference…”. Now that I’m here, I do see the difference. Not just in the “business side” of work expectations, but in the way we talk to and service students; whatever it is, it’s in the air and is what gives GCU employees their energy and life.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? For fun, my fiancé and I go “Goodwill hunting” and sell our wares; books mostly. Every other Saturday, everything at Goodwill is 50 percent off so we’ll spend $20 on a stack of books and/or unopened games and action figures and triple or quadruple our money on Amazon & eBay. I also just love TV; I watch everything from the "Walking Dead" to "A Game of Thrones," from "Dexter" to "Project Runway" and everything in between. Sometimes all the solace I need is a bowl of popcorn, my pj’s and the TV.
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about education… and Star Wars! Education should never stop with formal (traditional) learning; one should always strive to enhance the brain that God gave them. And coincidentally, there’s much to be learned about love and life from watching Star Wars... best, movies, ever.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I really enjoy volunteering at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center way on west Deer Valley Road. It’s a wonderful, natural preserve of ancient Native American petroglyphs and horticulture. They hold a lot of family friendly events that involve Native American jewelry making and selling, food, music, and arts and crafts. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it!
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: Most people don’t know that my dad was Jimmy Buffet’s first drummer, before he ever went to Margaritaville! True story, Paul Tabet, look him up!
What are you most proud of? At this point in my life, I think I am most proud of myself. Four years ago I moved to Phoenix from Las Vegas and in less than a year I lost everything I ever owned to a total-loss house fire. Since then, I have bought a home (all on my own) and rebuilt my life without the narcissistic clinginess to material possessions. You realize that if you were gone tomorrow, everything you have is just “stuff” and it stays behind. Be mindful of who YOU are, be self-aware and enjoy what you have… YOU!
