Next, we’re heading to the Orlando Melbourne International Airport, home to FIT Aviation. Florida Tech’s very own flight training facility. Just a short drive from campus, this is where students like Greg Dunn, a junior majoring in aeronautical science with flight, become pilots. Greg is going to talk to us about flying planes here at Florida Tech. Greg, you’re on, take it away.
Hey guys, one thing that sets Florida Tech apart from other colleges, is that we have our own flight school. Florida Tech is home to one of the most respected collegiate aviation programs in the country. As long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. And as you can probably hear, I do have a Jamaican accent. Which means me leaving my small island, and finding that one college that would have made my dreams a reality. That was Florida Tech.
Here we are, at Emil Buehler Center For Aviation Training & Research, which is located about 10 minutes away from the Florida Tech campus, at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. This facility is home to FIT Aviation, also known as Florida Tech’s flight land. As a flight student, my day starts off with me waking up approximately an hour and a half before my flight, and heading to the flight land. I then get checked in at this bird, and my instructor is usually coming out to get the lesson started. This is usually around 5:30 in the morning. So my takeoffs are two hours of course, into the sunrise. This is a breathtaking scene.
Florida Tech has their students to dive head first into their majors. This was extremely important to me, as one of my biggest fears was having to wait over a year to fly. This was not the case at Florida Tech. Soon after arriving on campus, I remember getting a text message from my instructor saying, I had my first fight in the preceding days. Being able to fly so quickly, made me know that Florida Tech had my best interest at heart.
Learning to fly here in Melbourne, Florida is amazing. Not only do we get to take advantage of over 300 days of pristine weather, but we do get one of the best approaches in the world. We fly over the land, fly over sea, we even fly over campus. We have a variety of top of the line, single and multi-engine Piper training aircraft, and an award-winning maintenance department known for excellence in safety and service.
Another thing that I really appreciate, is that Florida Tech are not only here for the students, but they’re here for the community. The team here at FIT Aviation has done everything from flying hurricane relief supplies to The Bahamas, to helping our locals who transport our endangered animal from Texas to here. Florida Tech students are part of something bigger than themselves. In my experience, Florida Tech’s flight land is a tight-knit community of really caring aviators, who want to see the community grow. I urge anyone who has the slightest dreams of becoming a pilot, to take a look at Florida Tech’s program. I can promise you, you won’t regret it. That’s it for me, back to you, Alex.
Greg, I love how you have always wanted to fly planes, and are now making that dream a reality right here at Florida Tech. That was fun, great job. Cheers, Greg.
Okay everyone, you are going to love our final segment. We’re heading just down the road from campus to the headquarters of Larsen Motorsports. Here, we’re going to meet up with Loghan Ashline. She’s in junior, majoring in business administration, and has quite the passion for the world of racing. And she’s going to tell us how all the opportunities at Florida Tech come together by connecting students’ academic interests, with their career goals, often leading to dream jobs. Loghan, please take it away.
Hello everyone. There are so many reasons to choose Florida Tech. For me, it’s the opportunity to get career experience working at a unique organization that I wouldn’t be able to find at any other university in the world.
I chose Florida Tech so that I could get involved with Larsen Motorsports. They design, fabricate, and race jet dragsters. And they’re an official university partner. As a freshman business major, I started interning here at the Larsen Motorsports headquarters. It was so amazing to me that I can start getting career experience with a world renowned race team, as a first year business student.
After my first semester, I received a paid position here at Larsen Motorsports in their business, and marketing department. Every day, I get to work closely with the company owners, Chris, and Elaine Larsen, as well as fellow students, to help bring these fire-breathing dragsters to life. Larsen Motorsports is just one example of the kinds of unique companies that Florida Tech students get to work with. I have friends who are working at internships all over the Space Coast.
As for me, I’m getting the experience of a lifetime being able to apply the business and marketing skills that I learn in class every day, to my job here at Larsen Motorsports. When I travel with the team to races, I even have the privilege of putting my boss, two-time World Championship winning driver, Elaine Larsen, on the start line. I am living my dream here at Florida Tech, and every day, it just keeps getting better. Florida Tech has given me the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to intern, and work at my dream job. Alex, back to you.
Loghan, that was amazing. What you are able to work on at Larsen Motorsports is simply incredible. I’m jealous, and I hope I get to come watch one of your races soon. That was awesome. Thanks again, Loghan
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.
You all are gonna be inspired by this next student’s story. We’re heading over to the GCU labs to meet Erik Yost. Erik is a freshman majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Management. What this young man is doing to change the world for good using his engineering skillset is absolutely mind blowing. Eric, the floor is all yours.
– Thanks, Alex. Hey, everyone. Throughout my life, I’ve always felt the need to go and serve the world in the name of the Lord. I’ve always loved engineering and entrepreneurship from a young age, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my skills specifically. In high school, I was heavily involved throughout campus as student body vice president for sport varsity athlete, robotics mentor, and a leader in the engineering and entrepreneurship program. I focused my skillset on our ISS program, an elite engineering program, where students were able to send their research projects onto the International Space Station. I worked on multiple different teams, and eventually sent six different projects into space. My primary project was focused on microbial fuel cells. Fuel cells are able to take any form of organic waste and convert it into electricity. We were able to take this project to the American Society of Gravitational and Space Research, and win first place, which was a huge accomplishment. From there, I started to work with NASA on sustainable energy research. I felt my calling to use my skills in engineering to help better the world. When I started looking at colleges, I learned about the Discover GCU trips. I just knew I had to participate. These trips are so immersive, and you get to experience firsthand, what it means to be a Lope. During this all-expenses-paid on-campus experience. We learned about that dynamic academic programs offered across GCU’s nine colleges, connected with GCU’s vibrant campus community and explore different ways to connect with current students, faculty and leadership. On this trip, I was introduced to GCU’s engineering program, entrepreneurship initiative, a strong sense of Christian community, and a place I could truly thrive. It was awesome, and I fell in love with GCU. Once on campus, I started my LLC, generate a biotechnology company, focused on building my fuel cells through the entrepreneurship initiative, so I’m able to fund my nonprofit, and help better the world around me. Here on campus, I’m also starting a program called STELLAR, which allows GCU students to send their projects to the International Space Station. Here at GCU, you’re able to join any club or program and grow your skills and glorify God. You can impact your local community globally, or even the universe. There’s such a multidisciplinary aspect between the colleges, where students are able to learn real life skills and apply all around their life. And I pray that I’m able to glorify God in all that I do, that He’s able to use me as a vessel through my clubs, business and leadership. Back to you, Alex.
– Erik, it is so profound to see you use your passion and experience with biotechnology to help make the world a better place. It’s all very impressive. Thank you for sharing that, we’ll see you soon. Cheers, Erik.
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.
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.
Now let’s hit over to meet Andrea Northup. She’s at GCU alumni, graduating with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Entrepreneurial Studies. She is now working for Habitat for Humanity, and she has a great message to share about what conscious capitalism means at GCU. Andrea, please take it away.
– Hi, everybody. My name’s Andrea, and I graduated from GCU a couple of years ago, and now I work for Habitat for Humanity here in Phoenix. When you’re a business student, one of the main values taught to you is this idea of conscious capitalism. And what in the world is that? At GCU, business is meant to have a higher purpose. Instead of just looking to earn a profit, business is meant to care for and serve its local community. As a student and now Habitat, I’ve been able to witness this idea of conscious capitalism firsthand. Every year, I see staff and students coming out to volunteer, and staff give financially towards these different prepare projects. The beautiful part about this relationship is that it’s a hand up, not a handout. Families actually contribute roughly one-third of the repair costs, and they also contribute a certain amount of sweat equity hours towards the completion of the repair. Every single year, GCUs staff and students come out to volunteer, and it’s such a blessing to see them interact with the different families onsite. There’ve been multiple times families have said, I can’t believe complete strangers would come and help me build on my own home, or seeing these students out here reminds me that God is still here, and that they’re still good in the world. There is even one time that GCU staff came out, and this family brought out a frying pan and made burritos for everybody that had showed up to volunteer that day. It’s these small moments that make me realize, the value just isn’t in the repair, it’s in the bringing people together to help make it happen. In these past six years of partnership, GCU has been able to serve over 300 unique families, completing over 800 repairs, contributing over 26,000 volunteer hours, and allocating over $3.8 million towards neighborhood repairs. And this idea of conscious capitalism isn’t something that just stops at the college of business. It’s embodied from the top down. Multiple times, I’ve witnessed President Brian Mueller come to volunteer on site unannounced. When he comes, he just grabs a paintbrush or a shovel and begins working alongside the next volunteer. Now, before Habitat in GCU, I participated in several different community service projects around the world. By seeing GCU and Habitat partner together, I’ve been able to learn that to love your neighbor, you don’t need to cross the border, you just need to take a drive. As business students continue to graduate from GCU, you’re going to see more businesses care for and serve their surrounding community. It’s a movement that has impact, and it’s a movement that I’m proud to be a part of. Alex, that is conscious capitalism. I’ll pass it back over to you.
– Andrea, the purpose-driven work you’re doing with Habitat for Humanity and GCU is so uplifting. That is beautiful. Thanks again for sharing your story. See you later, Andrea.
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.
. With creativity at its heart, Columbia’s programs are also grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. All students complete a rigorous core curriculum, which includes classes in a broad range of subjects, including history, literature, science, writing, and math, along with a few classes unique to Columbia. Here’s sophomore film and television major, Jewel, to share her academic experience.
– Hello, everyone. I grew up in Chicago and I’ve always loved how creative my city is. When I was just nine years old, I found my true calling after participating in a film and journalism program. From there I learned more about photography, videography and even journalism. I then created my own photography and videography company in 2018, becoming an entrepreneur at 16 years old. With all my prior film knowledge, I knew I needed to get to evolve in my career during a college, and Columbia College Chicago is the place to be. Although I’m a film and television major with the minor photography, I love that Columbia offers a liberal arts experience. I’m learning how to form a short film properly while also getting perspective on Chicago’s Latinx culture. In my first semester I learned about the years of philosophy study in asynchronous class, meaning that I was able to take the coursework on my own time. Having coursework classes within my schedule educates me far beyond my major while also teaching me business etiquette and industry skills. In my first year I also use our library’s database for research purposes, but also dug up some more information about philosophy just out of my own curiosity. I even use some professors office hours to better myself and my work. Not only is Columbia a 30 minute drive from home, build learning from faculty, connect with students from all over the world and being able to evolve my career for the next three years are some things I love about Columbia. Also love that within some of my classes, I’m able to use hands-on equipment while also working alongside professionals who are active in their industries. FYI, I maintain straight A’s my entire first year and ended with a 4.0 GPA. Even while maintaining straight A’s, I stay super involved in the campus community. I’ll be one of this year’s orientation leaders, the Vice President of a new group called Soul Sisters and I’ll probably squeeze some more activities into my schedule too. Going to Columbia is unlike any other school. Here you’re able to engage with the world around you while also gaining knowledge in whatever industry that you choose, which for me is film and television. Even pursuing my minor, I’m able to connect with other creatives while also enhancing our photography skills. Everyone at Columbia is able to grow so much within just one semester, and here you’re able to make friends while doing it. So far my college education has been way more than learning techniques for a job. I developed lifelong skills, such as adequately communicating, staying engaged with my work, completing tasks on time, and knowing how to edit what I make, operate cameras and capture great pictures. Columbia is a significant investment, but it’s one of that my parents and I will treasure forever. That’s it for me. Tell us what’s next, Alex.
– Thanks Jewel. It’s inspiring to see a student like you who’s taking full advantage of everything Columbia has. Thank you for showcasing the depth of Columbia’s academic experience, that was excellent
2021, ASL English Interpretation graduate, Kirsten, is here to tell you firsthand how essential it is to connect with your faculty.
I especially miss the ASL Center, a place where ASL students can go practice their signing and hangout. Faculty members come to and hang out with us so we can build those relationships outside of the classroom. Angie Malcomson and Diana Gorman are two professors that made a huge impact on my life. I don’t know if I would have graduated without them. Diana was my linguistics professor. I’m deaf and hard of hearing, and it was in her classes that I first experimented with hearing aids, and I also had my very first interpreters. She made me feel comfortable and accepted the entire time. With Diana I learned the love of the language. Angie was my interpreting professor. Her classes made me fall in love with interpreting all over again. She always worked hard with us to make sure that we could turn things in if we weren’t doing super well. I will always appreciate her flexibility during the pandemic and putting an emphasis on making sure that we were taking care of ourselves. Angie, also helped me learn how to advocate for myself and made sure I understood that I deserved access to education just like everybody else. She is the person that saved me when I needed one last credit to graduate. Immediately, she said that she would do an independent study with me and it ended up being one of the best experiences that I’ve had. Aggie always pushes me just enough to be the absolute best that I could be. The amount of care that Columbia faculty members put into their students continues to blow me away. In the ASL Department, our professors work hard to find deaf events in the community that we can go to, so we can network. We also get mentors in our practicum one class, so we can get industry experience and meet professional interpreters. Our professors work hard to make sure that we are as prepared as possible.
Kirsten, thank you so much for showing us the power of relationship building with your faculty. It’s obvious Columbia’s professors are dedicated to sharing their knowledge and experience with their students. Thanks again.