Grand Canyon University

Ruben Hernandez once ran the streets near GCU, getting into trouble and painting graffiti late into the night. But then he was sentenced to serve community service. His assignment was at a church, and his redemption began. He went from high school dropout, to art school graduate before arriving at GCU. Here, he practiced his art in Thunderground and learned business acumen as an entrepreneurial studies major. He was hired to paint a large mural in the lobby of the Antelope Canyon Center, and his creation is fitting: the Grand Canyon.

Jason Cantanese, a math teacher at Pueblo Del Sol Elementary School in Phoenix, learned early in his career that the school didn’t offer algebra. He knew his students needed it to succeed, and he came up with a creative way to make it happen. Cantanese was one of four panelists at the College of Education’s Virtual Dean Speakers Series Wednesday, and his story revealed why he wanted to teach, a theme of the event. “If you are in a classroom and see a problem, don’t wait. You can be part of that change,” he said.

Most of the Promenade was lined with tables set up by school district representatives Tuesday, eager to hire GCU’s aspiring teachers. Nearly all of the recruiters were at the Lopes Leap to Teach & Lead career expo were from Arizona, but Mark Vingoe stood behind his table covered with a map of Alaska. Sure, the temperature was 4 degrees below zero there on Tuesday, an 85-degree difference from the GCU campus. But they need teachers, and he was promising adventure.

About 20 GCU students picked up trash on Saturday and discovered the treasure of community. The students volunteered for the fifth Love Our Community Street Cleanup, a neighborhood mobilization effort by several organizations. “It was a great team effort with so many from the community coming together to make a difference,” said Dana Drew Shaw, GCU Director of Government Relations, who helped spread the word about the event to the campus community.

The last of seven makeup Commencements was Monday, so it’s an opportunity to show just how GCU helped graduates make up for the pandemic’s delays, to make up for lost time and to make their mark on the world. Several thousand online students marched in waves onto campus with pride throughout the fall. The stories of people from all over the world reminded us of the determination of many who came to campus.

Separated only by generations and many wars, GCU ROTC cadets who marched in a Veterans Day parade were struck by the sweep of history on Thursday. Viviana Mora, 19, leaned down to hear the stories of Ginny Davis, 99, a World War II veteran. The GCU sophomore got emotional, thinking of the veterans honored at Paradise Peak West retirement community who served our country more than 75 years ago and sang before the flag she carried.

It was perfect timing for senior Alani Perkins. The senior is taking the Law School Admission Test this weekend that could get her into law school, and the organization that makes the test, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), was on campus Tuesday with a presentation full of tips. But LSAC’s Angela Winfield came to GCU to primarily talk about increasing diversity in law schools; she is Black, blind and made it big in the legal profession. “Seeing her reminds me I can do anything I put my mind to,” Perkins said.

“We came here 13 years ago and we thought we had a plan, but who could have guessed the plan would have turned out like this?” President Brian Mueller said of GCU CityServe, the University’s most overarching, ambitious, sweeping initiative in the scope of its missional work in the community. This spring, GCU became the first university partner for CityServe, and in the fall it started receiving in-kind goods from national retailers at the campus’ 35,000-square-foot capacity warehouse. Those household goods, everything from furniture to diapers and outdoor equipment, have made it to those in need, such as Congo refugee Salima Kalonji in Buckeye and to residents of the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Globe.

GCU alumnus Kennent Sandoval was discouraged. He had a lot of students at Maurice C. Cash Elementary School who wanted to join band but not enough instruments. He wished for more and made the wish to the right people. The Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers granted him $2,500 in its program that supports teachers who often use their own money to equip classrooms. Sandoval joined 38 GCU alumni granted wishes last week and several who shared their wishes in a celebration on Zoom with COE leaders.

Homeowners on Saturday got a big surprise. Not only did about 200 GCU students descend on their homes to complete landscaping and painting projects, but some of them also received household goods from the University’s new CityServe warehouse. Students fanned out into the neighborhood this weekend to work on home improvement projects at nine homes. The renovation blitz was part of Serve the City, the first Serve the City since COVID hit in spring 2020. “It’s nice to see everyone out here doing it (volunteering) for the same reasons: to show the love of God to others,” said one of the student volunteers, Brooke Alaniva.