EDITOR'S NOTE: The following feature originally was published in the August issue of GCU Magazine, available in the purple bins around campus or digitally.
Jon Zaghloul’s world revolved around two things growing up: playing baseball and writing a sports blog.
He set his mind on achieving his dream career as a Major League play-by-play broadcaster. But after his sports blog blew up and drew national notice, he turned his attention to his career as a sports content creator – a path that he didn’t know would lead him to public service.
Zaghloul is now the director of communications for the city of Aurora, Illinois, and is pursuing an online master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in government and policy at Grand Canyon University.
“I really feel that (God) has put me here and has given me a purpose,” Zaghloul said. “Being persistent and working hard is going to get you to where you will want to be. If you trust in (God) and put in the work, He will put you in a place where you are going to succeed.”
The 26-year-old started writing about sports when he was just 13 years old.
He regularly uploaded his work on Blogger, a free digital platform for creating and publishing blogs. After a few months, his dad encouraged him to launch an official website.
He covered baseball, basketball and football across Chicago. Before he knew it, his “Sports Talk Chicago” became one of the city’s leading independent media outlets with thousands of YouTube subscribers.
It turned into a syndicated radio and television show featured on various stations, where Zaghloul interviewed renowned athletes and community leaders.
“This was my life from 13 to 24. It was a really amazing opportunity to grow and teach myself core principles and tenets of communication,” Zaghloul said.
But when he was baptized at 24, he started to wonder, “What can I do that is more purpose-driven in my life?”
After going through major oral surgery, he said he started to lose the kind of passion for sports he once had and, in 2025, passed the reins of his media outlet to sports analyst Joey Christopoulos.
Beyond sports, radio and TV, Zaghloul found the purpose-driven calling he sought as a civil servant.
He transitioned into government communications after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago in 2022, becoming the digital communications coordinator for the city of Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, with a population of 181,000.
In just a few years, he stepped into his current role as director of communications.
I really feel that (God) has put me here and has given me a purpose. Being persistent and working hard is going to get you to where you will want to be. If you trust in (God) and put in the work, He will put you in a place where you are going to succeed.
Jon Zaghloul, director of communications, city of Aurora, Illinois
Zaghloul regularly appears as a spokesperson for the city, publishes press releases, runs the city’s social media accounts and presents at city council meetings as part of the mayor’s report.
“When I walked into the city of Aurora at 22 years old as a digital communications coordinator, I didn’t really know what to expect," he said. "I was excited to be able to serve the community, but I could not have predicted what has happened so far.”
Zaghloul, an elder at a church he helped start, said his faith is at the forefront of what he does.
Drawing inspiration from Matthew 20:26, which emphasizes the importance of being a servant leader, Zaghloul said his mission is to serve and support his city and continually build a wholesome community with a heart that glorifies God.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed.
Zaghloul was honored with the Digital Government Changemaker Award this year, presented by Granicus, an organization that recognizes public servants for transforming digital government and improving constituent services through the adoption of new technology.
He consolidated city communication channels and grew Aurora’s email subscriber base tenfold, to more than 160,000 residents. He also launched the city’s first segmented weekly newsletter, a type of newsletter that targets the needs and interests of different groups of recipients.
“He juggles a lot, but he makes it look easy,” Zaghloul’s wife, Abigail, said. “It is an honor to watch him. He is really hard working, and it shows throughout all areas of his life.
“Usually at work, he is the one making the plaques and the awards and giving them out. It was really rewarding as his wife to be able to stand there and see him receive something for all his hard work.”
After watching his wife graduate from GCU in 2024 with her bachelor’s degree and learning about the university’s Christian foundation, Zaghloul was moved to consider GCU’s graduate programs.
Because Abigail is a military veteran – she served six years in the U.S. Navy – Zaghloul received tuition benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs through the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance Program, which made the next step in his higher education attainable.
“I had applied to a few schools, but GCU was the only one to get back to me and explain the benefits process,” Zaghloul said. “The only university to define what that program is, how I could use it and what it would mean for me financially.
“To be able to come here for free, thanks to GCU’s support and the VA through my wife, who proudly served our country, it’s really an amazing opportunity. To blend government and a master’s in public administration with Scripture-based education, that hits on two passions at once for me.
GCU News staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected].
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Also from the magazine:
In demand: Why employers keep coming back to GCU
How AI is helping integrate Christian worldview authentically into GCU's curriculum
From embassy work to a Holy Land visit, Lopes lived large this summer
