(Editor's note: This story is from the May 2016 issue of GCU Today Magazine. To view the digital version of the magazine, click here.)
Story by Jeannette Cruz
Photo by Darryl Webb
GCU Today Magazine
Brittany Holen is already a leader well beyond her years. And she plans to keep it that way.
Considering that the sports management major was a member of Grand Canyon University’s Honors College and Delta Mu Delta and was one of the leaders of the women’s golf team, it’s no surprise Holen, 21, was named one of nine Outstanding Senior award recipients for the graduating class of 2016.
“I’ve always done as much as I could inside and outside of myself without spreading myself too thin,” she said. “It’s pretty much who I am.”
Born and raised in Omaha, Neb., Holen played soccer, basketball and golf in high school but concentrated her passion and determination on golf when she came to campus in 2012. She finally walked on to the team as a junior after getting cut her sophomore year.
“My teammates had years of experience behind them, so I had a lot of catching up to do,” Holen said. “I was the first at practice and the last one to leave. It wasn’t easy.”
Holen, daughter of parents who work in the pharmaceutical industry and older sister of Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen 2014, said she credits her family for her ability to thrive without fear.
“Growing up, my parents traveled three or four nights a week, and I was left in charge to take care of my younger sister — that taught me to care for someone other than myself,” Holen said.
But, in doing so, Holen also learned another valuable lesson: balance.
“Even while they worked, my parents still had time for us. So because of them I learned that you can pursue your dreams, your passions and still make time for what’s important,” she said.
During her time at GCU, Holen provided more than 200 students with opportunities to gain experience in the world of sports as Sports Business Club president, assisted in operations of the Chris Paul Basketball Camp in San Diego during her internship with Position Sports, created content for the Basketball Hall of Fame social media accounts, and traveled across the country to assist with Nike brand activation.
This summer, Holen is looking forward to interning at the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Oregon before starting her MBA in Project Management at GCU, which she plans to complete by September 2017.
“I know that’s kind of pushing it,” Holen said. “But I’m pretty open to where God takes me. He is the one who opens and closes doors, so anything can happen.”
Contact Jeannette Cruz at (602) 639-6631 or [email protected].
