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.
SUSANA ELY
Job title: Enrollment counselor, military division
Job location: Peoria
What attracted you to GCU? How much GCU has grown and continues to grow. I learned about GCU through the commercials on TV, and I loved its school spirit and pride.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? Spend time with my yellow lab, Luna, who’s a total goofball. She will be 2 years old in May. We usually like to cuddle or go to the park and play fetch. When I lived in California we loved going to the Huntington Dog Beach, exploring mom-and-pop food venues and spending time with friends and family as well as go to concerts.
What are you passionate about? Family and career growth – my mom’s side of the family lives in California and is relatively small. I have only two first cousins and two older brothers. One has twin boys and the other one has a 5-month-old baby. My inspiration and the person I am closest to in my family is my mom, who raised us on her own. I have a lot of admiration for her, and I look up to her a lot. She is my rock, which made the move to Arizona challenging. My husband, Jesse, and I do not have family or friends here.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I am new to Arizona, so I'm not too familiar with the area. I moved here in May from Southern California with my husband but spent a month in Mexico City, so I have been here approximately six months. I moved here with my husband because of his job. He is at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale as a project specialist for Lockheed Martin. I would like to visit the Grand Canyon and spend time in Flagstaff during the summer because it gets really hot here compared to what I’m used to. I also would like to explore spas and trendy food places.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I plan to visit a new city or country every year for the rest of my life. I was born in Mexico City, so I have visited Mexico numerous times. My top three places that I have visited are Oahu, Hawaii; Washington, D.C.; and Mexico City. I loved all three because of the diversity, but each has its own special charm. Oahu has the beautiful beaches and weather, and I have a special love for the ocean. D.C. had great night life and great food, and Mexico City had a lot of museums and culture. I love learning about new cultures, countries and customs. I speak Spanish fluently but would like to learn a third language, such as Russian, Cantonese or French.
What are you most proud of? My college degree and previous career – I majored in International Business with a Spanish Concentration at California State University Fullerton, which is what sparked my goal of traveling every year. I am proud of my degree because I am the first person in my family to graduate from college and my future children will be first-generation Americans, so I want to set a good example. I plan to earn my master's in Leadership. I am very excited to be working here because I want to continue my career in leadership and hope to be part of GCU's leadership team in the future.
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KELSEY KOSENKRANIUS
Job title: Enrollment counselor
Job location: Peoria
What attracted you to GCU? A GCU recruiter actually reached out to me first, which sparked my interest in working here. After I did more research, GCU's values were the major reason for me to come work here. The transparency of the University is the biggest draw. A lot of other places always have a catch that is hidden somewhere, but GCU doesn’t seem to have one.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? Have you ever heard the phrase adrenaline junkie? That would be me. I love being outside and doing some crazy (and slightly dangerous) stuff. Three of my favorites are cliff jumping, wakeboarding and snowboarding, and I also have gone skydiving.
What are you passionate about? Helping people. Since I was little, I always liked to help my mom (she is a preschool teacher at a private Christian school) with any projects to get her classroom ready for new lessons, mostly just cutting out shapes, organizing scrapbook pages and decorating her classroom. When I got older I got really involved in giving back to the community. In college I joined the community-service sorority Omega Phi Alpha. GCU is all about community involvement, which makes me incredibly excited to have more opportunities to get involved and be a part of the area. Omega Phi Alpha worked closely with the Flagstaff Humane Society, and we put on and helped host a couple of adoption and fundraiser events. We got community-service hours for working with animals – could it get any better?
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I love going bowling with my boyfriend and his family. Am I good? Absolutely not, but I give it my best shot anyway! I usually get the lowest score (my best is about 150). TopGolf in Scottsdale is super fun, too, but I am even worse at that.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: In high school I was part of a group of swimmers and divers who got to compete in China and explore the culture and country. We were there for about two weeks, and it was probably the coolest thing I have done. And, no, I did not win – I got third. Those Chinese divers are crazy good, but I did put up a good fight.
What are you most proud of? I am a born-and-raised Seattle native, so I love my Seahawks and the Pacific Northwest.
