We are now heading over to the courtyard of the Colangelo College of Business. Here, we have Maya waiting for us. She’s a GCU alum, and she’s gonna talk about the community impacts beyond the classroom here at Grand Canyon University. Maya, you are on.
– Hi, everyone. I’m a second-generation Latino. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and my parents are originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. One of the most profound memories I have while attending Grand Canyon University is being able to experience the growth and development. There’s so much collaboration between professors and students. You get one-on-one coaching from professionals who have so much experience in the field. It’s amazing to be able to knock on their door and have a conversation with them. Every professor is there to help you through the process, and they encourage you to work in small learning groups. GCU offers an excellent curriculum, where you learn how to start a business from beginning to end. Entrepreneurship is highly encouraged in the university between staff and students, because they’re dedicated to the success of the students. My story is a true example of GCU’s commitment to community growth and job creation. The Colangelo College of Business has helped me and prepared me to stimulate my ideas and creativity and bring those personal business plans to life. In August of 2019, I opened my first business called Sleep Simple Co. It’s a furniture store and mattress store. With GCU’s rapid growing community of residence halls and apartments, they needed mattresses. My professors and the Colangelo College of Business dean, made it possible for me to pitch a business proposal to supply GCU with mattresses from my family business. Not only has Grand Canyon University purchased thousands of mattresses from our company, we’ve had the great opportunity to support West Phoenix local business expansion. GCU’s partnership has enabled us to provide jobs to members of our community. We started in an 11,000 square foot building. and this year our growth has become exponential, and we moved into a 30,000 square foot building. I feel so accomplished being able to support the community and provide more jobs in West Phoenix. So this is my story. Alex, back to you.
– Maya, that was great to hear how GCU supported your business, which in turn supported the surrounding community. It’s incredible. That was really fun. Keep up the great work and congrats on all your business success. Cheers, Maya.
Okay, everybody, let’s kick this episode off by hearing first from the university’s president. Mr. Brian Mueller is a visionary and innovator in an industry slow to adapt to change. Since Mr. Mueller joined GCU about 13 years ago, the university has experienced unprecedented growth. Enrollment on the Phoenix ground campus has increased from roughly 1000 to over 22,000, while online enrollment has grown exponentially to more than 90,000. He is a force, and he is excited to share the vision of Grand Canyon University with you all. President Mueller, the floor is all yours.
– Thank you, Alex. It’s great to be here today, and thank you for your interest in Grand Canyon University. A lot of people are asking, how did this miracle in a desert happen? Really, 13 years ago, we came here with the idea that, could we create a private Christian university that would be affordable to all socioeconomic classes of Americans. It would require a whole different way to think about the economics of higher education. We came here for that purpose. We actually went to the public markets 13 years ago. The public markets actually liked our idea and they invested in it. We brought it back to Phoenix with the idea of creating a hybrid campus. To be honest with you, it worked out way better than we thought. In the fall, we’ll have 25,000 students on our campus in Phoenix, we have 90,000 students studying online. They’re leveraging a common infrastructure, and we haven’t had to raise tuition for 13 years, Grand Canyon University students now take out less debt than the average state university student. What happened then, is that we had this period of unbelievable growth. Academically, we came here with three colleges, less than a hundred academic programs, and today we have nine colleges, over 270 academic programs, including in very difficult and rigorous academic areas like engineering, computer science, information technology than natural sciences. We’ve invested almost $1.5 billion into the campus, and it’s been ranked the seventh nicest campus in the country, and the growth just isn’t stopping. All of those things then, led to the development of an incredible community. In fact, I will tell you, if I line up 10 kids today and say, why’d you choose Grand Canyon? Nine out of 10 they will say, it’s the strength of the community. We teach in very small class sizes. We hire professors based upon their ability to teach the material, but we also hire them based upon their ability to build relationships with our students. We have a very vibrant campus culture. Spiritual activities like chapel, where we have as many as 7,000 students there. We probably have the largest intermural sports club program in the country, huge outdoor rec program. We have students in music, theater, dance. Those are all ways for our students to get connected, to build relationships, to build a network of friends. The most important thing that’s happened here though, is that the university is grown up in the middle of a immigrant community that has a lot of needs. A lot of these people are asylum seekers. They’re just getting started in America. We decided that our faith expression was going to be lived out by pouring into the lives of these immigrants. And it’s our students and our faculty, and their willingness to participate in all that, that is our faith expression. And that’s what we’re trying to do here. We’re very grateful for how things have gone for us. We’ve been extremely blessed. In return, we try to bless the community, but I want you to hear it from our faculty and staff, and especially our students. And so with that, let me throw it back to Alex.
– President Mueller, you are an inspirational leader in every sense of the word. We thank you for sharing all that with everyone. You’re like a rock star here on campus, and I can see why everyone from the students, to the faculty, to the parents, all love you. Thanks again. Cheers, Brian.
Okay everyone, next, we’re heading just down the road from campus to the gorgeous beaches of Melbourne, Florida where Maria Sagastume, is waiting for us. Now, here’s a young woman who finished her bachelor’s, and master’s degree at Florida Tech, and is now working on a PhD in human centered design. She’s a serious student, who’s seriously into having fun in Florida’s sun. And Maria is going to walk us through the amazing location here in Melbourne. Maria, how are you? Take it away.
Hello everyone, welcome to Melbourne, Florida. Melbourne is located on the Space Coast of Florida. We are centralized in a great location where you can explore all of the cool places that Florida has to offer. Whether you want to go to the amusement parks in Orlando, the NASA Kennedy Space Center, or big cities like Miami or Tampa, they’re all a car drive away. However, there is no place like Melbourne.
Melbourne has so much to offer. Whenever I want to go out to eat, find a cafe to study, or even do some shopping, Downtown Melbourne is my go-to place. It is a charming strip with locally owned, and unique restaurants and shops. Florida Tech even has a panther mural located in the heart of Downtown Melbourne, where you can stop by for some really cool pictures. However, one of the best hangout spots is the beach. It is located 10 minutes away from campus, or 30 minutes if you’re biking, or rollerblading. There are so many beach parks for you to go to. Whether you want to play volley ball, go surfing, or just relax or hang out with friends, there is a place for you to go. The weather is perfect all year long allowing us students to enjoy outdoor activities all the time.
Beyond going to the beach, Florida Tech students love to go to the pier, the springs, or visit the natural trails that we have around here. One of my favorite things to do, is to rollerblade by the crossway. It has an amazing view of the Indian River Lagoon. Once you’re up there, you can actually see the ocean peeking from behind the barrier island. It is a great spot for you to watch the sunrise or sunset. The waterways not only provide great views, but a great place for you to go kayaking, paddleboarding, or even surfing. You can also encounter manatees, or dolphins, or even sea turtles hatching at the beach. Ocean engineering, and marine science students are even lucky enough to use the lagoon, or the beach as their classroom. They come here to get hands-on experience, and work on research projects.
Also multiple organizations from Florida Tech, take advantage of the beach, and the lagoon like the surf club, or the fishing club. The Space Coast is a hub of innovation and technology. We’re home to a wide variety of aerospace and engineering companies that Florida Tech students get the opportunity to work with. I, for example, have been working for a local medical company, called Medicomp, for three years. It is a great opportunity for me to meet other Florida Tech alumni, and also increase my network and get valuable experience for my future career.
All of these things come together to make Melbourne the best place for both relaxing, and studying. You will definitely enjoy your time here, and make great memories as you discover all of the cool things that Melbourne has to offer. Now, I’m off to enjoying this amazing place. Back to you, Alex.
Maria, that was great. The location here at Florida Tech is fantastic. Everyone loves perfect weather, and beaches, and you all certainly have that right here. Thanks again, Maria.
Next, we’re heading to meet the one and only Carson Ingram. He is the Student Body President here at Fort Lewis and it’s gonna take a few minutes to tell you about the housing and dining options here on campus. Mr. President, the floor is all yours.
Thanks, Alex. Mr. President has a nice ring to it. I wish more people would call me that. Now, let’s talk about student housing first. We have a lot of great options to choose from.
If you want a traditional college experience, you can choose Camp, Crofton or Escalante. You’ll have one roommate, a bathroom at the end of the hall and it’s a great place to meet a lot of new friends. But if you like your personal space, we have a lot of suite style options on campus just for you. Bader-Snyder, Cooper, West and right here at Animas Hall. Each of these share a bathroom with four different people and they come in single bedroom styles and double bedroom styles. Big shout to all my friends over in Bader B, that’s where I stayed when I lived on campus.
No matter where you choose, all of the options are amazing. And the staff there are there to help. They generally care about their job and they wanna see you succeed, whether you lock yourself out of your room or you just need someone to talk to. Of course, going to college isn’t all just about school. A lot of great events are planned on campus and a lot of them happen right inside of the residence halls, pizza parties, tie-dye mixers, open mic nights. These events helped me make new friends, adjust to college and really enjoy my first year experience.
And of course, while living on campus, we all have to eat. The San Juan Dining Hall and the Rocket Grill are great places to go if you wanna get a quick bite or sit with your friends and talk while you have a great meal. The San Juan Dining Hall has multiple options, every meal. So, there’s always something for everyone to eat. If you have any dietary restrictions, don’t worry about it. The dining hall will work with you to make sure that you can leave with a full stomach and a smile on your face.
And if you’re wanting something quick and easy in between classes, we have three great coffee shops to choose from, Animas Perks, Berndt Hall and Jones hall. They’re great places to stop if you wanna get a coffee and a bagel and it gets you back to class in no time. That’s housing and dining here at Fort Lewis College. Alex, back to you.
Mr. President, that was fantastic. Thank you for giving your personal tour into the housing and dining available here at the Fort. Thanks again, Carson.
Now let’s meet Prachi who is studying international relations with a minor in political science and also getting certificates in Latin American and Caribbean studies, European and Eurasian studies, human rights and political transitions and Peace Corp Prep. Wow that is an impressive resume, take it away Prachi.
Hi everyone, it’s an honor to talk to you today about how to create a just peaceful and prosperous world. I was born in Venezuela, but my whole family is from India. What can I say, I’m living the best of other worlds. I got the chance to travel to India when I was 12, and I saw how women were oppressed how they couldn’t express themselves freely, go to school or even sit in the same tables men do. From that day, I decided I will strive in the best of my abilities to help them, because I want them to experience the same freedom and opportunities I’m blessed to have today in my life. My work is driven by passion for helping and compassion for people. I believe that all of us were created at the image of God and we should support each other. As a daughter of two Indian parents, I realized that I need to prepare myself in order to make a difference. My American dream has started here at FIU. I have the opportunity to travel to different places just as Alabama, Boston, and LA, and create my own community in Faema. My goal is inspire and empower women. We offer mentoring, worship, live webinars and ally resources. And so far we have helped more than 1,200 women around the world. As a Hamilton scholar at FIU, I work as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, creating and funding my own policy proposal called the Aasha Hope Program, which authors the domestic violence in the South Asian community. My policy has granted a woman in that community, educational resources, shelter, childcare through NGO and community-based solutions. All these experiences have helped me to create a just peaceful and prosperous world. I believe that if I can inspire someone, that person can inspire someone else and like this we can start a change reaction. Well that is my story, thank you so much for listening and get back to you Alex.
Thank you so much Prachi for sharing your story with us. You’re doing meaningful work, makes us feel positive about our future congratulations, cheers Prachi.
Okay everyone let’s head over to the beautiful Biscayne Bay campus across town. Nicole is waiting for us there near the kayak launch. She’s gonna share her work as a PhD student in aquatic and landscape ecology. Her love for all things water has led her to some pretty cool field research at FIU, which is a top three public university in the country for researching and educating students on life below water. Nicole, you are on.
Hello everyone, my name’s Nicole Strickland, I’m a fourth year PhD student here at Florida International University. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had an obsession with fish and anything related to the water. It’s kinda hard not to growing up in Michigan surrounded by the beautiful great lakes. Well, this curiosity developed into a passion drive for a quad biology. I always knew that I wanted to study environmental science, but didn’t know anyone close to me who was doing it as a career. When I was attending my undergraduate university, I was talking to a professor about applying to graduate school and he mentioned me a colleague who was conducting conservation and research in the Everglades. He even mentioned that they flew helicopters to remote sites. I told them I’m in and where do I apply? Here at FIU, I have the very special opportunity to work in the aquatic ecology lab. In our lab we study population and community dynamics and conduct monitoring studies throughout the Everglades through like data and information on how restoration affects different parts of the ecosystem. One program that benefits from our data is the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan or CERP, which is a major restoration initiative that is trying to restore historic water flow back into the Everglades. This program is one of the largest hydrologic restoration projects ever undertaken in the United States. I get amazing opportunity to travel to different sites using helicopters and air boats and conduct experiments in the middle of beautiful wetlands. Sometimes if you’re lucky you get to see an alligator too. If wading through wetlands isn’t for you, then that’s okay because FIU has a vast array of majors and graduate school programs ranging from biochemistry all the way to Marine biology. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing professors and had unique opportunities that I would not have anywhere else. I feel proud of all that I’ve accomplished here at FIU and look forward to all my future findings from my research. I hope my stories inspire others to not be afraid of putting themselves out there because you never know who you might inspire on your way of achieving your goals. Thanks for listening, now back to you Alex.
Nicole that was really cool. Wading through wetland sounds like tons of fun, and helping save the Everglades right in your own backyard is amazing, I can’t wait to read about your findings in the future thank you for sharing your story, take care Nicole.
Okay, everyone, we have another impressive FAU student for you to meet. Aiden is a business management major with an emphasis in entrepreneurship. He’s gonna share his story of taking an idea and turning it into a business with the help of the resources FAU offers to student innovators and entrepreneurs. This is gonna be a good one, Aiden, you’re up, my man.
– Welcome to sunny South Florida, a boater’s paradise. I grew up on the water whether it was boating, fishing, or surfing, and I knew I wanted to attend a school that fit for me and my future. With most of my life being spent around the ocean, it was only proper that I build my career around it. Thus, my entrepreneurial mindset took over. When I had the idea to innovate the boating community, like any startup business, the early stages of development can be quite scary. But FAU gave me the tools and resources I needed to create my startup business, Marine Connex, a platform that connects boaters with qualified marine service vendors. Taking a leap with my idea into several entrepreneurial programs such as the FAU Wave, the Business Plan Competition, and the FAU Tech Runway, I began to see a future for me for Marine Connex. I applied and was accepted into the FAU Wave program. This program helped me get my idea up and running. As I developed further, I was accepted into the FAU Business Plan Competition. I stood up in front of a room of investors and pitched my idea, not as a student, but as a professional. I won first place and $10,000 to begin investing into my idea. FAU has done so much for me and I’m gonna go ahead and leave you with one more piece of advice. FAU provides students with so many opportunities to be successful, but it’s up to you as the student to take advantage of those opportunities and to make it happen. Back to you, Alex.
– Thank you, Aiden. Boca Raton has a long history of innovation as home to centers credited with the advancement of modern computing and airborne radar, so it’s fitting that a school founded in this region of ingenuity provides unmatched opportunities for students to turn their dreams into reality. Thanks again.
All right, everyone. Now we’re heading over to Lopes Way. Here, we have Noah Wolfe waiting for us. Noah received his undergraduate degree here in Christian Studies, and is currently getting his master’s degree online while serving as the Director of Alumni Relations. Noah is gonna share an exciting story about what opening doors and opening arms means right here at Grand Canyon University. Noah, it’s all yours.
– Hey, everybody. My sophomore year on campus, I was in a course that was discussing the negative effects of poverty on our society. And there was one class period in particular, where we were watching a video of a middle-aged African-American woman who is sharing how her community had been dramatically impacted by low incomes, violence and drug abuse. As I began to pay closer attention to the words that she was saying, I started to realize that she happened to be from the exact same neighborhood that I was born into, a place full of very little hope. Statistically speaking, college can be difficult to access for a lot of people. It’s challenging for those who were born into environments, similar to mine to pursue higher education, but as I reflect over the course of my life, there have been countless individuals and organizations who have chosen to stand up to statistics and advocate for equal opportunity. Grand Canyon University, without a doubt, has proven themselves to be one of these organizations. This place is so special to me because it is a champion of inclusion, community and equal opportunity for all. Regardless of where we come from, everyone here is valued as a child of God that is wonderfully made. Together, We remain unified through the belief that Christ death and resurrection brings us in as one incredible family. During my time on campus, I had the ability to interact with so many different types of people from so many diverse backgrounds. Our students, staff, faculty, and alumni represent all socioeconomic classes of Americans, and in my opinion, that is something uniquely special to this place. GCU is teaching people, not just how to live together, but how to thrive together, how to collaborate with one another on some of our communities most challenging problems so that we can make a difference. All of this is coming from a place that says, if we work together and remain unified under key principles, we can make the world a better place. I’ve never experienced a culture like this, a Christian community of people who are deeply committed to serving one another. My senior year, I had the privilege of serving in the role of student body president, and today I get to serve as our director of Alumni Relations. I could not be more grateful to be a part of a workforce full of thousands of individuals who are passionate about the purpose of coming alongside people and helping them find theirs. As our alumni base continues to grow at an incredibly rapid rate, our hope is to build supportive programming that leaves a legacy, and allows people to remain connected and engaged to their purpose and the university for years to come. I would highly encourage anyone who is looking for an advocate in the world of higher education to consider GCU. We are building a community here that is committed to cheering you on towards a higher purpose, and all of that is being fueled by a simple concept, that together we can pioneer the world of private Christian education with America’s promise of equal opportunity for all. That’s my story. Lopes up. Back to you, Alex.
– Noah, your message about how GCU is teaching the students, not just how to live together, but how to thrive together is awesome. You can feel that energy all around campus here. Thanks again for that, Noah.
let’s now head over to the crosses on campus to meet Bethany. She received her undergraduate degree here in Christian Studies, and is now pursuing her master’s in counseling. And Bethany is gonna speak about freedom and faithful leadership here at Grand Canyon University. The story she has about deciding to come here is just awesome. Bethany, please take it away.
– What’s up everybody. I am so excited to share my story on how I decided on GCU. I was in my senior year at a small Christian school in Colorado Springs, and I had dreamed of going to a big Christian university. I was student body president, I was in honors, and dual enrollment courses each year in high school with a very high GPA. This presented me with the opportunity to apply to even Ivy League universities, as well as obtain multiple scholarship offers. However, months later, my parents and I were on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona to visit Grand Canyon University. And the first thing I noticed, was the Latinx culture. There were Mexican restaurants and mom-and-pop shops. That’s true in my multicultural loving heart, my striving for missions. Fast forward to a few days of getting to know campus, and my parents and I were invited to a chapel service, where the speaker was talking about the life of a warrior woman, and giving credence to the power that women in leadership have. This kept tugging at my heart as I thought about the possible opportunities and experiences I could have here. So, I decided to attend GCU to pursue my undergraduate in Christian Studies with the intention of then going on doing master’s in counseling. Throughout my time as a student in the theology program, I was given the freedom to explore at my own pace, and I had a plethora of options around campus to further engage in my faith. One of the best parts about my experience as a student, was getting to truly connect with the kids in this neighborhood, through my student worker position, which eventually turned into my full-time position here at GCU while I work on my master’s in counseling. I was given the opportunity to lead GCU’s Thunder Vision program, which teaches college readiness to middle school students from neighboring Title 1 schools. These kids likely have never thought college would be an option for their life, but once they come to campus and they hear what we have to say, it changes everything, including themselves and their family’s lives. Yes, I went into this program to change these kids’ lives. Man, these kids have changed my life just as much. My husband and I love this neighborhood so much that we decided to move into it and become a part of this culture. I wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for GCU, and I know there’s so many other people who have had these life-changing experiences here. It’s almost magical. I have loved to telling my story to you guys about my time here at GCU, and now, Alex, it’s back you.
– What an incredible story. Your excitement for GCU is contagious. Thank you for opening up and telling us that awesome story. That was a lot of fun. Cheers, Bethany.
Okay everyone, now, we’re heading to Crawford Green. Without a doubt, the center of campus activity. Here, we have Tanner Crampton waiting for us. He’s a junior with a double major in aviation management, and air traffic control, with a minor in unmanned aerial systems. Pretty impressive, Tanner. And he’s very excited to share with us what Florida Tech life is all about here on campus. Tanner, how are you? Take it away.
What’s up everyone? Welcome to Florida Tech. We are proud to be one of the most diverse campuses in the State of Florida. One of my favorite things, is that there’s always something going on, on campus. With over 165 clubs, you’ll be sure to find your new family. Personally, I love being social, I love being involved, all while having strong academics. Florida Tech gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that.
It all starts right here on the Crawford Greens, the heart of campus. From your first event at orientation, to your last at Grad Bash at graduation, you will have made so many memories to love and cherish. You never know what might be going on around here. There are so many different types of events, but my favorite, is the local farmer’s market. They have local vendors, farm animals, food trucks, and my favorite, the hummus stand. When your busy day is over, you can head on over to the Panther Plaza where we have many movie nights, or to South Gate Fields where you’ll find our intramural sports practicing, or Greek Life posting their philanthropy events. Doing all of those activities works up an appetite, or at least it does for me.
Head on over to The Rathskeller, or Black Kats Kafe, where I like to grab a bite to eat with friends, listen to some music, sing some karaoke, and of course, play some games. What makes it all so enjoyable though, is the relationships and friendships you make along the way. We have clubs from every area of interest, from e-sports, to radio stations, music, theater groups and so much more.
Where I’ve made most of my memories, and friends, is when I chose to join Greek Life, where we pride ourselves in community, leadership, and of course, brotherhood, and sisterhood. It’s evident to me that you’re not only here for the classes and labs that prepare you for the future, but for your college experience as a whole. My advice, be bold, and remember to make your college experience unique. Remember to keep an open mind, be outgoing, and be you. Alex, back to you.
Tanner, that was fun. Great job. With all the clubs, and orgs, and other ways to get involved, it sounds like there’s always something to do here at Florida Tech. Maybe that’s why every person I meet seems super happy to be here. I love it, what a fun campus! Thanks again, Tanner.