Grand Canyon University Alumni E-Newsletter: July 2016 from Grand Canyon University Office of Alumni Relations of Tuesday, 4 October 2016 "October 2016 Grand Canyon University Alumni News."

Grand Canyon University Alumni E-Newsletter: July 2016 from Grand Canyon University Office of Alumni Relations of Tuesday, 4 October 2016 "October 2016 Grand Canyon University Alumni News."

OCTOBER 2016



We all know the importance of good leadership, but what about followership? Dr. Rob Koonce, a GCU doctoral graduate, has written a book on the subject. He shared his views recently during residency at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix.

The Alumni Hall of Fame celebrates and honors the accomplishments of our most distinguished graduates. Nominate yourself or someone you know who exemplifies the GCU spirit and meets the Hall of Fame criteria. This is your final opportunity to submit nominations for the Alumni Hall of Fame class of 2017!*Nominations have been extended past Oct. 2, but please make your submission(s) at your earliest convenience.

Working in a team setting is almost inevitable in today's corporate culture. Therefore, it is incredibly important to understand group dynamics and how your interactions impact the effectiveness of the group. There are steps you can take to improve your own communication and teamwork!


FEATURED VIDEO: Generation of Lopes
With more than 100,000 alumni, Grand Canyon University is proud to feature outstanding alumni and their children who are now GCU students as well. These featured alumni reflect on their GCU experiences that helped influence their child's decision to attend. See what our freshmen have to say about what drew them to GCU as they open up about our Christian-focused atmosphere, supportive community, beautiful campus and their hope for the future.


OCT. 6 Masterworks Concert
First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix OCT. 6
Houston Lopes Chapter Event
Dave & Buster's in Houston, TX
OCT. 8 Senior Class/Alumni Night with GCU Soccer
Student Services Lawn OCT.
12,13 Student Spotlight Dance Concert
GCU's Thunderground
OCT. 16 Lopes on the Road in Seattle
Championship Field of Seattle OCT. 26 Thrive Conference for Families in Business
GCU Arena


It's official: Grand Canyon University has its own independent police department. GCU is in the process of certifying 25 officers with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) as part of its 177-member police force. Not only will it make the campus even safer, but it will also free up the Phoenix Police Department to work more in the surrounding neighborhood.

More than 1,200 students each month find purpose in local volunteer work by participating in GCU's popular Local Outreach Ministries. From helping the homeless to mentoring middle school students, a few young alumni are leading students to find peace and joy by giving to others.

If you're part of the GCU community, you'll want to bookmark this site! The slick GCU.TV website is live, and already it's full of videos featuring campus events. It's also the new home for the excellent "Trending Faith" series and "Finding Tatum's Purpose," a new documentary that peeks into behind-the-scenes life at GCU by following freshman Tatum Sorrelman throughout her four years at GCU.



Men' s Basketball

Former GCU standout and alum Larson signs with Saint Chamond Former GCU standout Larson signs with Saint Chamond

PHOENIX – Former Grand Canyon men's basketball standout Killian Larson has signed a pro contract to play for Saint Chamond in France. Larson played for the Lopes for two seasons (2012-14) and became GCU's first-ever All-Western Athletic Conference First-Team honoree in 2013-14.
Larson, who started his collegiate career at Dominican, made a smooth transition to GCU. In his first season with the Lopes, Larson started 30 games and averaged 11.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg. He would improve the next season, his senior year, by leading the NCAA in rebounds per game and ranked third nationally with 21 double-doubles.
Larson's senior year included 17.2 ppg and 11.6 rpg. He finished his GCU career with 358 rebounds, the fifth highest single-season mark in school history.
The Puyallup, Washington, native most recently played for Liege Basket of the Belgian Basketball League.
With Saint Chamond, Larson is expected to start alongside teammates Kinu Rochford (Fairleigh Dickinson, 2013), Stephane Gombauld, Eigirdas Zukauskas and Bennet Davis (Northeastern, 2007).

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Men's
Soccer

German: A Kid from West Phoenix
German: A Kid from West Phoenix
Lopes View provides GCU's student-athletes a platform to express their lives through stories within their sport, academic studies and community outreach.
GCU student-athlete Damian German is a member of the GCU men's soccer program. In August, in the first game at the brand new GCU Stadium, it was only fitting that the kid that grew up 10 minutes away from Grand Canyon University would score the first goal at the new stadium. This is German's message to everyone that grows up on the west side of Phoenix.
DAMIAN GERMAN / SOCCER
Walking out of the tunnel for our first game of the season, in front of 6,402 fans--the most fans to ever attend a college soccer match in the state of Arizona--was the best feeling I have ever had in my life. Not only was I representing my school and my teammates, but I was also representing West Phoenix.
Sitting inside the tunnel, you could hear the fans cheering and screaming for us. We walked through the smoke and as soon as it cleared it felt like the entire city of Phoenix was there to cheer us on. Walking out, I was nervous and right before the whistle started I still had jitters but when I realized they were there for us, I knew I wanted to put on a show for my hometown.
Representing West Phoenix is something I have always taken great pride in. Growing up in the roughest parts of Phoenix, I never imagined getting an education at a university and most of all representing it by doing what I love.
For as long as I can remember, I always had a ball in my feet. I remember always running and kicking the ball around the house with my mom screaming at me for breaking things or tipping stuff over. My parents were always working so they never had time to get me onto a team. At that time, we lived in small apartments on the south side of Phoenix, where I had a couple of friends with whom I would go outside and play soccer with.
From that group of friends, two of them played on a soccer team that I always wanted to join but couldn't because my parents never had time to take me. One day, without letting my parents know, I jumped in my friend's car and went to their practice.
When we arrived, I met the coach and told him how I wanted to join the team. He looked at me and said, "You're very small". That's all I could remember him saying because at the time I was nine years old. I was small compared to the other kids, as most were two years older, but he still gave me shot. I did something that practice that caught his attention because he let me stay and join the team. I have loved the game ever since.

German walking out of the GCU tunnel against UCF. (Photo/David Patten)
My freshman year, I attended Maryvale High School. At that time, my mindset was leaving to Mexico to try to make it professionally, not caring about school. My parents, knowing they would never be able to afford for me to go to college, never talked to me about it or made me look into it. They were never harsh on me with my grades. The way I saw it, as long as I had a passing grade, it was good enough.
It was an amazing feeling to be the first player to score at GCU Stadium and I want to motivate any other kid that comes from the west side of Phoenix.
Since I never had someone tell me about college, I was just thinking about soccer. Living in the Maryvale county area, distractions increased and danger was always present, but I never fell into those temptations or followed in some of my friend's footsteps because it was the "cool thing to do" or because they had materialistic things I didn't. I was just focused on my goal and wanted to do it my way, not caring what anyone had to say.
Not many kids from West Phoenix get the chance to play Division I soccer. But often, they don't have the opportunity to go to college, and I want to change that. Maryvale can be one of the toughest places to grow up, but it made me who I am and I am proud to have graduated from Maryvale. We are changing the image of West Phoenix and proving to people that we can go to college and succeed at the highest level.

German talking to reporter Kate Longworth after a 4-2 win over UCF. (Photo/Brandon Sullivan)
It was an amazing feeling to be the first player to score at GCU Stadium and I want to motivate any other kid that comes from the west side of Phoenix. I want to show boys and girls that growing up in my neighborhood, you can achieve anything you want to as long as you have good people around you and stay focused on achieving your goal.
I'm so proud to see kids from my neighborhood in the crowd at GCU Stadium when I am playing. I hope they see me and realize that they too can play for Grand Canyon one day.

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Women's Basketball

Lopes teach basketball skills to local families at Christ Church of the Valley

Women's Basketball

Imani Suber
Lopes teach basketball skills to local families at Christ Church of the Valley

The GCU women's basketball team spent their Saturday at Christ Church of the Valley volunteering with local families, intermingling with kids and teaching basic basketball skills. The Lopes participated in the community outreach sporting event for the fourth consecutive year at the Peoria campus.
'We've done this for four years now," assistant coach Milee Karre said. "It's been an amazing event. We're really happy that CCV brings us out every fall."
GCU's primary role was to teach fundamental basketball skills to kids and families. The student-athletes had the opportunity to teach as well as spend quality time with children. The Lopes conducted running, dribbling, passing and shooting drills. They also facilitated team work exercises.
"Our girls come out and spend time with the kids and have fun with it. They enjoy intermingling with other kids and other parents," Karre added. "It's really cool to see the parents and siblings getting to do a lot of fun things that they don't normally get to do. So we're just excited to be a part of that."
A cornerstone of head coach Trent May's program is community service and outreach. The student-athletes pride themselves in fulfilling one of GCU's missions to give back and help the surrounding communities in the valley.

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Baseball

Bull: The Grind

Lopes View

Austin Bull
Bull: The Grind
Lopes View provides GCU's student-athletes a platform to express their lives through stories within their sport, academic studies and community outreach.
GCU student-athlete Austin Bull is a member of the GCU baseball program. Following his freshman season at Grand Canyon and first summer baseball experience, Bull talks about how 'The Grind' made him a better person physically, mentally and spiritually.
AUSTIN BULL / BASEBALL
Freshman year: a year defined by new experiences and how one adjusts to them. This past year, learning the routines, faces and responsibilities of college was, for me, a constant endeavor. In terms of baseball, it didn't exactly end at my post-season exit meeting with the coaches. And it surely didn't end as I collapsed into my own bed at home after the three-month season. I was about to experience for the first time the second half of what teammates and coaches were calling "The Grind".
Earlier in the year, Coach Stankiewicz called me into his office. When he gave me the opportunity to go play summer ball in southern California, I was ecstatic. Even better, I was going to make the trip with another fellow Lope and teammate, Zach Malis. It was going to be baseball, beaches and temperatures actually less than 100 degrees. And on top of that, combined with the season, my time in the California Collegiate Summer League would be the first time I would truly understand what playing professional baseball feels like.

Bull was named to the All-WAC team as a freshman for the Lopes in 2016.
I noticed a few things right off the bat. There was not as much free time as I thought! Coupled with morning workouts, my body did sometimes feel exhausted. I was eating more turkey sandwiches and PB&J's than I had ever eaten before in my life. California traffic was pitiful, and the host family dog wished I wasn't there (until the last week). I was becoming proficient at ping-pong, but these were just superficial things and as I would come to know later, the summer had more in store for me than I thought.
Of course I improved as a player. Tony Gwynn once said in his Hall of Fame induction speech, "If you want something, you can't be afraid to ask." In my own way, I enjoy seeking the wisdom of great hitters like Ted Williams, Wade Boggs and coaches like Tom Robson through their books. It was just me, my books and time. A good combination for learning. And this gave me the ammunition I needed to make adjustments on the field.
My time in the California Collegiate Summer League would be the first time I would truly understand what playing professional baseball feels like.
But what I appreciate more, however, are the bonds and relationships that I formed with different people. People in any given situation can make of it what they choose. Luckily for me, the people involved with my summer team really invested themselves to make the experience a good one.
And it all started with my host family. Wiffle ball. Backyard barbeques. Late night talks before bed. Water slides and Nerf gun wars. Winning over the family dog. I do not know if the two Coppock boys or the two Grand Canyon boys enjoyed each other more. It was hard at the end to leave because, after just two months, we had become family.
One thing I have noticed about baseball is that every team I play on is unique. This team was one of the most enjoyable ones I've come across. We represented almost every level of college baseball, region and vernacular in America.
But something was special. The team really did care. We cared about each other, and we cared about how we played. Sure, it was summer ball, and it was not the real season, but I liked how each guy put their best foot forward. It was an attitude from the beginning, and we had one of the better summers that the program has had yet. And for that I am proud.

Bull spent his summer playing in La Mirada, Calif. for the So Cal Catch. (Ashley Turner / So Cal Catch)
And within this group of guys, I think most can all say we gained one thing: perspective. Playing on the So-Cal Catch, a Christian, faith-based summer team, I personally was reminded that it is important to label my priorities and then live accordingly.
I was challenged to pursue my faith more. We were also given the opportunity everyday to pour into each other's personal lives. Through Bible studies and small group discussions we grew to know, love and respect one another on levels that, if not for the environment, would not have been reached. And this I think made my time here worthwhile and a success.
While being away from home and my family was certainly not ideal, through the grind of the summer, I learned more about how to endure physically, mentally and spiritually. I had my fair share of practice dealing with failure as well. But I was reminded of the need to enjoy myself.
As Rickey Henderson once said, "Once you can accept failure, you can have fun and success." When I allowed myself to do this, things fell into place, and I played better.
People told me this summer would be a grind. But all it did was grind down my outer layers and expose the areas that I needed to improve. At the conclusion of my first year in college baseball, my back pocket is full. It is full of experiences that I can use as reference in the future.

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-------"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."(2 John 1:6)

Grand Canyon University

3300 West Camelback Road

Phoenix, Arizona 85017, United States.
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