Grand Canyon University welcomed four new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame during a ceremony held as part of the university’s Homecoming weekend. The event recognized alumni for their professional achievements and service to the community.
The inductees included Britné Hart, principal of John F. Kennedy Academy of Inquiry; Zachary Haptonstall, CEO and co-founder of Rise48 Equity and Rise48 Communities; Dr. Rachel Behling, vice president of IT Operations and Support at Honeywell; and Dr. Matthew Shores, medical director at Grand Canyon University.
Cherylann Galdi, senior director of annual giving Alumni Relations, commented on the significance of the recognition: “We are thrilled to welcome all our inductees back to GCU,” she said. “These hand-selected individuals stand out from the rest. They proudly represent GCU’s alumni community due to their professional achievement and their commitment to living out the GCU servant leadership culture.”
Deans from each college introduced the inductees and presented them with plaques while sharing remarks about their resilience and contributions.
Britné Hart completed her master’s in elementary education at Grand Canyon University in 2016 after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a prelaw concentration from Spelman College. She began her career as an elementary teacher before becoming an instructional coach and later serving as assistant principal for grades four through eight. Hart emphasized her dedication to fostering connections within her school community: “Because of GCU, I was able to attend school, night classes and teach at the same time,” she said. “My career has flourished within the past 10 years because of GCU. It has been a vessel toward my dream.”
Zachary Haptonstall earned his MBA from Grand Canyon University in 2016 after working as a news anchor and sports reporter. He now leads Rise48 Equity, which specializes in multifamily investment transactions totaling more than $2.5 billion since its founding. Reflecting on his induction, Haptonstall stated: “This is a great honor,” he said. “You see how much it’s (GCU) developed and grown in the last 10 years since I graduated, and you can tell it’s getting better and better. I am really humbled to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Dr. Rachel Behling received her doctorate in organizational leadership with an emphasis on organizational development from Grand Canyon University in 2016. As vice president at Honeywell, she oversees global IT operations supporting critical business systems and serves as Global Women in Technology mentorship chair to promote women’s advancement in technology fields. She also contributes to GCU by coaching doctoral students: “It feels like I never left GCU,” Behling said. “It has been 10 years, and I feel like the door is always open. Going through the program was life-changing, and to be able to share this with my family, it is an incredible honor.”
Dr. Matthew Shores graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grand Canyon University in 2000 before completing medical training at other Arizona institutions including St Joseph’s Hospital and Arizona State University for his fellowship in sports medicine. He founded Sports Medicine Express for athlete care access before becoming director of sports medicine for FastMed: “This is a real honor,” Shores said.“I was here 26 years ago, and the campus is so different in terms of how big it is, the number of buildings and students, but a lot of it feels the same.I am taught the same Christian, educational and community support values.”
Grand Canyon University operates as a private Christian institution based in Phoenix that offers undergraduate and graduate programs across disciplines such as nursing, business, healthcare—and provides both on-campus or online learning options according to its official website. The university emphasizes Christian values throughout its academic environment according to its official website.
