Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Dads: Rumor is, they can be the stoic kind.
Tough to crack.
Brick walls.
But not today.
Today, Travis Hamele hugged daughter Adison tightly after an emotional pinning ceremony that commissioned her into the student body at Grand Canyon University. With that pin, she crossed that threshold into that next phase of her life.
Then her dad let go and allowed her to disappear into the sea of students streaming outside for orientation, separating her and the rest of the new students at Grand Canyon University from their parents, who remained in Global Credit Union Arena for a parent session.
It was a symbolic separation today, but for most of the parents assembled in the arena, that separation would be more than symbolic as parents leave the campus, and their children, so they can start their milestone journeys as college students without them.
It felt like that for Travis, who drove 26 hours from his family's home in Wisconsin, hauling bedding and clothes and bathroom caddies, to meet wife Ginni and Adison, who flew into Phoenix.
When they go, she’ll be majoring in forensic psychology and will be part of the Honors College. She'll be joining clubs, meeting new friends. They’ll call her on the phone to ask about her day, and they’ll have faith she’s flourishing.
“I loved it. It was great. It was amazing,” Travis said of the commissioning ceremony, the first of three during Welcome Week, designed to prepare GCU’s new students and their families for the road ahead.
“I got chills,” said Ginni, who hung on every word of GCU President Brian Mueller.
“I could have never predicted this. What God has done,” said Mueller of his 16 years at GCU. He spoke about the university’s place in west Phoenix – about the university’s place in the world.
We don’t own the university, he told them, “We are stewards of it,” and shared a bit of GCU's history as it celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
He spoke about how the university had a chance to move to a less disadvantaged part of Phoenix but how leaders decided to stay right here. "We were going to live out our faith right here in this community,” Mueller said, and GCU is doing that through partnerships with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and through initiatives such as GCU CityServe, which helps families in need.
That’s what Ginni Hamele took to heart.
“I got chills on how GCU is affecting the community outside of it … to affect it the way it has by just growing great humans,” she said.
She hopes for that kind of growth for daughter Adison.
Mueller continued to speak about some of GCU’s big numbers, such as the 22 advisory boards helping GCU “stay extra contemporary as far as where jobs are going." He shared that GCU touts one of the largest intramural programs in the country; 400 music, theatre and dance majors; and how the university was named by Niche in 2024 as the 24th best college campus of 1,500 college campuses in the country.
And all that’s happening in the fifth largest market – the fastest growing market – in the country, he said.
Mueller’s advice to students: “Get organized and get serious right away,” he said. Courses are rigorous. Get to know your professors. Meld the world of work and the world of school together as closely as you can.
Provost Dr. Randy Gibb, the campus’ chief academic officer, told parents how GCU’s students live out their faith by serving others and how the university wants to bring about human flourishing.
One way to do that is to fulfill your purpose in life; find what you are called to do.
His advice: “Don’t go it alone. Earn your learning. Start now.”
“Don’t say, ‘I’m just a freshman,’” Gibb said. Begin building that professional brand.
University Pastor Dr. Tim Griffin led the commissioning and pinning ceremony in which students were challenged to become “innovative thinkers, effective communicators, global contributors and transformative leaders who will change (their) communities by placing the interests of others before (their) own.”
They were challenged to learn about the Christian worldview, grow their faith in Jesus and practice empathy.
He also shared one of the themes of orientation, “Grounded.”
“It can be easy to lose your way around college. We want to make sure you’re grounded,” he said.
That was a comforting message for Derik and Julie Hickerson, who drove from Washington to help son Zachary, a computer engineering major, move into his campus apartment.
“It’s encouraging Zach will have a spiritual background,” Julie said of that faith foundation at GCU.
What she’s excited about the most for him, that he’ll grow into the man he’s meant to be and that the GCU community will help get him there.
“I’m excited that he’ll mature in his life and in the choices he makes,” she said, with hope in her voice.
At one point during the ceremony, the lights in the arena dimmed and a series of questions appeared on the arena’s big screens. Parents and students were asked to use their cameras' flashlights to light up the arena when they answered “yes” to a question.
“Any future teachers?”
“Anyone excited to get involved in life groups or Chapel?”
“Anyone excited about being a part of the biggest party in college basketball?”
“Anyone kind of nervous?”
Light after light illuminated the arena.
“Did you see all the lights around you?” the last question appeared on the screen. “You are not alone.”
GCU senior writer Lana Sweeten-Shults can be reached at [email protected] or at 602-639-7901.
***
Related content:
GCU News: Freshman enjoys spirit of move-in during university's milestone 75th year
GCU News: Welcome to the club, all 110 of them
GCU News: Welcome Week operations mastermind helps keep things running smoothly
