Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Kharlo Ramirez Aleman wanted his grandmother to see this, so she traveled from Mexico and was wheeled near the front of Global Credit Union Arena on Thursday night. She wore a fine dress to see her grandson accept a Canyon Rising Scholarship to Grand Canyon University that seemed improbable long ago.
Grandmother Isabel Morales was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis at age 30.
“Every time the doctors told her she would not be able to walk and would be on bed rest the rest of her life, she said, ‘No, I’ve got to be able to live and see my grandkids’ success,’” Ramirez said. “So I wanted to have her here to show that it was all worth it and to thank her for the resilience she had throughout the years.
“I want to make her proud.”
Pride was prevalent among the family members of 305 recipients of the Canyon Rising Scholarship, triple the number awarded in the program formally named Students Inspiring Students (SIS). Its scope widened from high-achieving students in need from the nearby neighborhoods to all of Arizona, bringing the total offered the scholarships to more than 1,000 since 2016.
Many had stories like Ramirez, the Raymond S. Kellis High School graduate who was the student speaker to hundreds of family and friends at the Canyon Rising Scholarship Reception.
“I don’t just carry my own hopes and dreams, I carry the dreams of my mom, my dad and many generations who came before me that never had the privilege to step onto a college campus and pursue a higher education,” he told the crowd.
His parents, he said, faced extreme poverty throughout their youth. "My father, the oldest of six, dropped out of high school to work, and my mother began working a full-time job at the age of 15 to support a younger brother and sister and a mother who could no longer work.”
Mother Isabel Aleman had her phone camera steadily aimed at the stage to watch her son speak, while his father, Jose Ramirez, beamed with joy. For a time, the family was homeless, looking for jobs in California and Texas, before finding one in Phoenix in 2010. He is a carpet installer today, and the family was able to settle into a home.
“He’s doing better than us. He is doing more things than we expected,” said Jose Ramirez, who joined the whole family in moving Kharlo into Prescott Hall last week, as 100 of the scholars were offered not only full tuition but room and board for the first time. “We were excited to see him fly on his own.”
Isabel Aleman urged her son to stay off the streets by their home near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road, so he joined nine sports, everything from volleyball and martial arts to cheerleading.
“Even if they didn’t have food for themselves, they always made sure I was fed and given the most opportunity I could get,” he said in an interview.
It’s one of the most heartwarming nights on campus, as donors in attendance see the gratitude and potential in young people to change the trajectory of their families' lives.
Ximena Favila, who last year was awarded a Students Inspiring Students scholarship, asked in her opening prayer that the Lord fill these new students with peace and strength when they feel stress, and thanked Him for the gift of higher education.
Afterward, Favila called it a huge blessing to say the prayer and be a GCU student.
“I came from Mexico about six years ago, so it was uncertain for me to attend college. I am not a United States citizen, but Grand Canyon University said we have got your back. They allowed me to pursue my career,” she said of majoring in biology in hopes of one day becoming an orthodontist. “I thank God for every single one of their lives, because I know He has a purpose for them at GCU.”
The scholarship program expanded this year and is increasing its efforts in career counseling to get students on track for jobs when they graduate, said Jennifer Mitchell, director of K12 and Collegiate Advancement.
“Because SIS was so successful, we tripled our numbers,” she said. “We went big.”
GCU President Brian Mueller said in his address that it’s important to the university that the community surrounding it grows along with it, joining students from around the country and world in the ability to get a college degree here.
“The opportunity you are going to have that maybe your parents or your grandparents didn’t have, you now have,” he said. “There are going to be challenges along the way. What I want to say to you is, this is a rare opportunity. Stay with it.
“This night is important, but it’s not the most important night. You are going to walk across this stage tonight, but the most important time you are going to walk across it is receiving your diploma and graduating.”
Each student walked the stage to get a certificate signifying their scholarship to hoots and hollers from family members, who joined them for refreshments afterward.
“I am so proud of my daughter. She is a hard worker and so smart; I see her every day and night,” said Angeles Carrera Estrada. “Being able to go to school is a blessing for our family.”
Itzel Atienzo Carrera wants to be a special education teacher.
“I knew from when she was little that she would be a teacher,” her mother said.
What many students said while filling the stands to take a photo with Mueller was that they already feel like they belong at GCU, even though the journey for their families was often long and hard.
“You only get university one time,” said Kharlo Ramirez Aleman, who sat beside Mueller for the photo. “It’s about making connections. In this room right here we might have the next generation of doctors, engineers, lawyers and business leaders. You never know who you will run into, so I want to make the best of it.”
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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GCU News: Sisters in scholarship and in life
