Hall of Fame

It’s been a year like no other, and that notion is especially true in regards to this year’s GCU Hall of Fame recipients. Rachel Winkler, Scott Van Newkirk, Garth Bailey and Dan Snyder were selected to be added to the growing list of impressive alumni who are making an impact in their fields. From business to the health insurance industry, each recipient holds an impressive resumé and an even more impressive journey. “I feel like your education is just the start,” Van Newkirk said. “Nothing is going to be given to you, and how you prepare your work ethic through school is going to carry on into your career.” Reprinted from the April issue of GCU Magazine.

The pandemic wasn’t going to keep the GCU community from celebrating alumni, students and their families. That determined spirit was the catalyst for this year’s virtual Homecoming and Family Week. For the first time, the two events have been combined to bring together everyone in the GCU community for a week filled with tours, livestreams, watch parties and access to GCU archives.

It was a year of firsts for GCU’s 2020 Homecoming Celebration, and based on Alumni responses, may not be one of lasts. Along with the beloved homecoming traditions such as the Derby car races, the homecoming tailgate and the Hall of Fame ceremony, alumni also got to participate in a Campfire and Cocktails social event at Canyon 49, an Alumni Reunion Mixer at GCU Arena Hall and a Golden Lopes Ceremony at the tailgate. “We’re really trying to build out some lasting traditions at the university and a reunion is something that I think resonates with a lot of people,” Alumni Relation Specialist Brianna Bell said.

The Homecoming festivities wouldn’t be complete without the induction of some very special Lopes into the GCU Hall of Fame, scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday in the GCU Arena Hall. Making a difference in the lives of future generations was a common theme for this year’s group of inductees, professionals who have spent their careers doing just that.

Saturday’s Hall of Fame ceremony showcased several of GCU’s most inspiring stories from alumni who have made a impact on their communities and careers throughout the years. One of this years inductees was Reginald Freeman, who received his masters from GCU in 2008. Since Freeman has surpassed numerous milestones in the Firefighting field and continues to give back to his community in Hartford Connecticut. This year’s other inductees included Randi (Johns) Riggs, Hagir Elsheikh, George Holm, and Sharky Baker.

Hagir Elsheikh, one of five inductees into the GCU Hall of Fame on Saturday, is a domestic violence activist and TV and radio talk show host in Pennsylvania and has founded a staffing agency and a nonprofit that helps victims of violence. But long before she accomplished any of that, she had to flee the political violence in Sudan and survive domestic violence in her own life. She was an online nursing student before getting her degree in 2012, and she visit campus for the first time Saturday.