- The first time you rode a bicycle without your parents holding the back of the seat.
- The first time you caught a fish on your own fishing line.
- The first time your child began to sound out words and read by themselves.
- The first time you realized Jesus died for your sins and loves you personally.
- The first time you got to drive your parent’s car.
These “firsts” elicit joy and warmth in our hearts and minds as we recall the moment’s excitement. So, it is here on our campus that students experience some profound moments for the first time.
Some of our students are the first in their families to ever go to college!
We hear students express that considering higher education was never part of their upbringing, as no one in their family had pursued that in the past. Yet, the global statistics show that education is one of the most influential factors in eliminating generational poverty and cycles of negative behaviors. These students often can’t envision how they could possibly pay for college and do not realize how financial aid from multiple sources can make it possible.
The power and influence of donor scholarships is transformative!
Because generous ministry partners give to this work, students can receive scholarships to finance their education. The gap between what is affordable and what it costs for us to offer a strong, biblically-permeated education is where the Grace scholarships are applied. When our enrollment and financial aid members talk with students about scholarships available to them, it makes such a difference to all of our first-time college students. These students depend upon such scholarships to finish their studies and graduate.
Students give testimony at our GCU Commencement Services about how exciting it is to be a college graduate for the first time. Many of our students from around the country tell us they never imagined they could graduate from college until Grace supported them and guided them to completion. They talk about the academic guidance, the care and knowledge of the faculty, and the assistance of the enrollment advisors and financial aid team to help them find a way to pay for their educational pursuits. Family members from around the country come and applaud them and take plenty of photos with them in celebration of their happy accomplishments.
In just two weeks, we will hold our annual Commencement service and experience these exciting times with each of our graduates who fulfill our mission statement,
Graduating Courageous Ambassadors for Christ Who Make an Eternal Impact Wherever They Go.
Please pray for these new graduates as they experience the joy of finishing this stage of life and move on to serve Christ in their new jobs and vocations for the first time. Some will serve in ministry positions or social services, and others in businesses and organizations. All of them are worthy of our prayers.
Thank you for your prayers and financial partnership at this crucial time. Grace Christian University could not continue this work without you and other partners who give and pray. Because of you, hundreds of students can joyfully experience college graduation for the first time.
Please consider making a gift to Grace Christian University, especially if you have not done this at all in 2024. There is real joy and blessings in giving for the first time!
GIVE TODAY
Ken B. Kemper
President, Grace Christian University
