Photos by Ralph Freso / Livestream
Scout Sneller learned perseverance two years ago while building his door-to-door window cleaning business in his hometown of Sioux Falls, Iowa.
“You’re definitely going to get some doors closed on your face, but that was one thing my dad always emphasized – the value of a dollar and the hard work that it takes to get that,” the Grand Canyon University finance major said just a few days before he took the stage as this morning's student commencement speaker, complete with a Rubik's Cube in hand (more on that later).
He remained motivated despite the rejections, even enduring humid conditions for four hours without a sale. His mindset? “Just one more door.”
“I think that correlates to faith a little bit, too,” Sneller said. “That's in the Bible, picking up your cross daily. It's not just pick up your cross on Sundays and then help the rest of the week. ...We need to be feeding ourselves daily, spiritually.
“Here, too, at school, there's always something new to learn every day. There's always something going on that you can get better at, 1% better each day. That kind of taught me the value of hard work and dedication. And then seeing the blessings that God has been able to give me, being able to speak to people, being able to work on sales.”
During the last three years, Sneller founded and sold a foam rental machine company and window washing business and expanded his finance and leadership skills at GCU's Colangelo College of Business. He recently served as director of theology on the Student Managed Investment Fund team and was part of the exchange-traded fund research team for Faith Investor Services.
He also is an Ingram Honors College student – he's part of the first to graduate from the Honors College under its new name. And he worked alongside fellow students and Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona at Lopes Go Local events.
During this morning’s commencement speech, the first of 13 ceremonies over two weeks, Sneller spoke about how the Lord is preparing everyone, though they may not realize what for. He referenced David, who was a shepherd before people sang songs about him and was glorified after defeating Goliath.
“Everyone thought that David was the underdog, but really, he had been training his whole life for that,” Sneller said. “It’s one of those things, especially at GCU, where it has been training us, knowingly and unknowingly, to be ready for the future. That's one thing I'm super thankful for, the opportunity that we've had to grow. That way, once we leave these four walls of campus, that we're ready to go make a difference for the kingdom.”
Not only did he speak about David, he did something amazing during his speech: He solved a Rubik's Cube.
"Life is much like this cube. It doesn't stay solved for long," Sneller said, adding how our plans in life get scrambled, how we must learn patterns, and that when we fail, we must restart.
He used the cube to illustrate that we all have different paths but must keep the same center. That, "If we keep our eyes on God, the pieces will fall into place."
The pieces fell into place for Sneller during an internship last summer at Baird Investments, which has led to a full-time job with the international financial services company in his hometown. He hopes to become a licensed financial adviser within two years.
“What truly sets Scout apart is the entrepreneurial drive he's demonstrated by founding and running two successful businesses,” finance professor Alan Klibanoff said. “That assertiveness, combined with his servant-leader spirit, is exactly why it comes as no surprise that Baird Investments recognized his talent and secured him before graduation.
“Scout doesn't just meet the bar – he raises it.”
What might seem like a challenge, such as trying to build a business by knocking on the doors of strangers’ homes, Sneller views as preparing for future opportunities.
Honors courses, for instance, reinforced his belief that “we’re capable of doing a lot more than we think we are.”
One of those courses was in humanities. It turned out to be one of his favorite classes because it encouraged him to think and consider minoring in philosophy (he stuck with business analytics).
He became more involved in Ingram Honors College events through Shane Feichtinger, sector head of industrials for the Student Managed Investment Fund.
“Scout exemplifies what it means to be an honors student – driven, disciplined and deeply committed to excellence,” Feichtinger said.
Ingram Honors College Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli noticed. “As a standout finance major, he consistently pairs intellectual rigor with integrity, positioning himself as a future leader of both impact and character.”
Sneller began completing home renovation projects as part of Lopes Go Local through GCU's Local Outreach, which empowers students to volunteer and mentor in the community. His involvement dates back to his freshman year in fall 2023 (Sneller graduated in three years). Through Local Outreach, he also served as a leader for the campus's Colter Commons Ministry, which connects students to the facility's older adult residents.
“Something so simple, just as painting a house, has a lot more meaning and value that people see,” Sneller said. “Just being able to talk to the homeowners, hear their stories and what they have going on, and then for us to be able to help with something that they've been wanting to do but they've had to put off because of other things."
Sneller referenced 1 John 4:19: “We love because He loved us first.”
“I think Lopes Go Local is a really good way to kind of express and share the love that was first shown to us,” Sneller said.
Sneller has been business-minded since his middle school days, when he sold snacks and trading cards at recess and expanded to fidget spinners.
He got the idea to start a foam machine rental business while on a trip to Mexico and ordered the equipment through a company in Arizona. He applied for a limited liability company designation after his high school graduation and rented the equipment for birthday parties and city events for two summers.
With most of that business tied to weekends, Sneller started his window cleaning business, Crystal Clear Windows, and hired some of his foam business employees to assist.
He enrolled at GCU as a business management major but switched to finance during Thanksgiving break his freshman year, and he expanded his acumen by minoring in business analytics.
After lining up an internship with Baird, Sneller sold his two businesses and devoted his time to enhancing his finance skills. That paid off. He was able to work for Baird once a week out of its Scottsdale office this school year.
Sneller almost didn't enroll at GCU. His father and three of his four older siblings attended Iowa State, three hours from Sioux City, and Scout said he was 90% committed to ISU.
But something didn’t feel right, and someone sitting behind him at church asked, “Have you heard of GCU?”
“In that moment, something clicked in my head,” Sneller said. “I need to go there. The Lord needs me there.”
Sneller paid his tuition and lodging before even visiting GCU for the first time.
Once he arrived on campus a month later, he thought, “Yep, this is amazing. I love it.”
Building a “rhythm” based on faith, friendships, finance and service fortified Sneller’s feelings toward GCU, and those feelings are reciprocated.
“Scout Sneller is the kind of student who makes teaching deeply rewarding,” Klibanoff said.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
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