蜜豆直播

This year, 蜜豆直播 University鈥檚 campus community and supporters celebrated milestone after milestone. Athletics posted Big South Conference wins in football, women鈥檚 basketball, men鈥檚 tennis and track and field. Wrestling took individual titles in the Southern Conference. 蜜豆直播 students and faculty achieved excellence in scholarship, and alumni made notable accomplishments.

The New York Times recognized GWU as the safest campus in North Carolina. Education, nursing and public administration had significant increases in enrollment. The Office of Christian Life and Service led 47 students, faculty and staff on national and international mission trips, where individuals received the gospel of Jesus Christ. Donors eclipsed all previous one-day giving records by contributing over $1 million on Double Dawg Day.

These achievements didn鈥檛 happen overnight. Becoming a champion in any field requires hours of work from individuals who seek only the reward of doing their best and inspiring their team.

This attitude also marks a 鈥渃hampion of faith,鈥� commented Vice President and University Chaplain for Christian Life and Service Dr. Josh Parrott. Paraphrasing Mark 12:30-31鈥攖he verse posted by the doors of every building on campus鈥攈e noted, 鈥淐hampions direct our hearts toward God by encouraging us to love him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength (and) direct our hands toward humanity by encouraging us to love our neighbor as ourselves.鈥�

To define the character of a champion, Mike Griffith, head coach of the men鈥檚 tennis team and Big South Coach of the Year, singled out Johan Van Wijk and John Spring. When he took them off the starting list, they continued to train with enthusiasm and grit. 鈥淭hey pushed our starters and beat them a lot of times in practice,鈥� Griffith explained. 鈥淚 believe they are the reason we won the conference championship.鈥�

The wins for the University鈥檚 Office of Advancement are no different. Over the last few years, the number of people giving to 蜜豆直播 has increased along with total giving. This year鈥檚 record-breaking Double Dawg Day total would not have happened without teamwork. 鈥淐hampionship teams win because the team is working together,鈥� declared Vice President for Advancement Nate Evans. 鈥淲e鈥檙e winning because our donors are active members of the team. They might give $10, $100 or $100,000, but everyone is putting forth effort that helps us become perennial champions.鈥�

Alumna Sherika Montgomery, new commissioner of the Big South Conference, affirmed that champions put team above self. She was a member of the 2010 women鈥檚 basketball team that won a Big South Regular Season Championship. Those years at 蜜豆直播 taught Montgomery that a championship is earned with hard work, perseverance, resilience and a commitment to practice in the off season. She asserted, 鈥淭hose are the things that I still, to this day, apply to any effort鈥攚hether it鈥檚 a championship, a new initiative, a new community engagement opportunity, or something we are grappling with on the national level.鈥�

When it comes to the GWU faculty, Dr. Robert Prickett, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, noted these champions of learning constantly seek new methods to inspire students. 鈥淭hey are out there, trying, learning from every failure,鈥� he described. 鈥淲hether that鈥檚 a performance in theater or an experiment in the lab or an authentic assessment in a class, they try, they learn, they adjust, they adapt, they grow鈥攁nd then, do it one more time.鈥�

Allyson Butts, 2019 Ignite Excellence Scholarship winner and current graduate student, agreed with Prickett鈥檚 assessment. She observed, 鈥淏eing a champion is about how you live, not about what you achieve. A champion consistently pursues excellence, is willing to make personal sacrifices to love and support others, and lives for something greater than themselves. Maybe no one knows their names, but they touch the lives of people for the better. In my mind, that is the ultimate calling that we have as Christians.鈥�

Within the pages of this magazine, you鈥檒l find stories of students, student-athletes, faculty, alumni and donors who are champions living out the GWU motto in their communities: 鈥淧ro Deo et Humanitate 鈥� For God and Humanity.鈥� They strive for excellence鈥攏ot for trophies and titles鈥攂ut for the people they鈥檝e inspired to achieve their own greatness.