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.
ROBERTO CORRAL
Job title: University counselor
Job location: Building 71
What attracted you to GCU? I am new to the area (from California), and I had seen many commercials and advertisements about GCU. I had even looked into transferring to this University as a student because of the values and principles it sets forth. I just knew that I wanted a career helping students grow through higher education and while in school, I became passionate about helping students accomplish their educational goals. When I moved to the area, I already knew that GCU was the first place I would look to start my career.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I am still learning the different areas within the Phoenix region. I love being outdoors and hanging with friends. During the weekend, you will find me out by the pool and with some sort of food to BBQ. I plan to go hiking, play recreational sports and meet more people once it cools off a bit.
What are you passionate about? I am passionate about helping others and consider myself a leader. I like to help build people up by learning about them and helping them achieve their goals. My passion is in watching others succeed.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I haven’t been out much yet, but I do enjoy sporting events, concerts and the outdoors. I'm sure that it won’t be long until I’m at Chase Field cheering on the Diamondbacks. I also plan to catch a few Cardinals games and have purchased tickets to see Cole Swindell, Jon Pardi and Dierks Bentley later this month, so I am pretty excited about that.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I recently graduated from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, with my bachelor’s in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Sports, Entertainment and Hospitality Management. I graduated with a 3.7 GPA while taking 45 units my first year. I also worked for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Galaxy, the university’s athletic department and was director of the Latino Student Business Association on campus. Some can say that I had an extremely busy schedule; I say that I was working on my time-management skills.
What are you most proud of? My accomplishments. I worked full-time at a financial institution where I didn’t need to complete school to earn good income. I found that I loved helping people accomplish their financial goals, but I didn’t feel as if I was reaching my potential. I decided to invest in myself and leave my job to attend college full-time. It was tough because I still had a year of community college left plus at least two years at my university. I completed my goal in the shortest amount of time possible and also earned a job that I plan to excel in!
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STEPHANIE WOLFE
Job title: University counselor
Job location: Building 71
What attracted you to GCU? Its Christian foundation, for sure! I had been teaching in South Korea for about 10 years and loved being a part of higher education. I want to teach at a university again someday (maybe after I get my Ph.D. at GCU), but in the meantime I wanted to stay somehow connected to the higher education world.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? My husband and I like to be outdoors. That includes hiking, chasing dust devils around country roads, floating down the Salt River or sitting on my hammock with a book, my cat and some coffee.
What are you passionate about? Exploration! I love the way travel and exploring opens us up to new cultures and understandings. We see how life works for people different than us and that it’s not always so different. I’ve been fortunate to travel throughout more than 30 countries in my life, and the experiences from those travels are so incredibly valuable. I want everyone to go out into the world and see. A friend of mine once said (and maybe this is a famous quote, I’m not sure), “To go is to know. To know is to love. To love is to act.” You can’t go out and see the world and not want to make it even the tiniest bit better. This is God’s creation, and He did a marvelous job!
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? My husband and I have been here only three months, so we don’t know very many places. But one of our favorites is at the end of the runway at Sky Harbor, having a picnic and watching the planes come in for a landing right over our heads. We found a website that has air traffic control frequencies, so we listen in on their conversations, too.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I’ve felt the molars of a full-grown cheetah as he was sucking my thumb in South Africa. I’ve had a tiger drool on me as he slept in Thailand. I've had food poisoning while in a hot air balloon in Turkey. I ran a half-marathon along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It’s funny to see these all listed because it makes me seem "cool and worldly," but really, I just saved up money and went and did it like anyone else could.
What are you most proud of? Earning my master's online while in Korea and being able to pay for the entire thing out of pocket. That was tough, and money was tight. But I did it!
