ASGCU student body president Tucker Hudson and vice president Dianne Carla Mae Nasibog welcomed students and parents to Acacia Hall as part of Grand Canyon University’s Welcome Week activities. The two leaders began their roles early in the academic year, with Hudson addressing local television news crews about GCU and the week’s events before speaking at a student and parent orientation at Global Credit Union Arena.
“I remember being in your seat just a few short years ago, feeling very excited about this next chapter of my life, but also very nervous about the unknowns and starting a journey away from home,” said Hudson, who is from Mountain House, California. “So if you’re sitting here today and feeling those same emotions, just know it’s totally normal.”
Since his campaign for president of the Associated Students of GCU last spring, Hudson has frequently spoken to students about Spiritual Life events, meetings, and Chapel. He encouraged new students to engage with their faith during their time at GCU.
“In the busyness of Welcome Week, and all through the entire school year, I would encourage you more than anything, dig deeper in your faith. I promise you won’t regret it,” he said. “We are excited to see you in Lope country and even more excited to see what the Lord is going to do in your lives.”
Vice president Nasibog urged students to get involved on campus and emphasized ASGCU’s role as a resource.
“Last semester, Tucker and I ran on a campaign that was rooted in three main ideas: cultivate new experiences for students; integrate students more into the conversation with the student government; and elevate resources already made available to students,” she said.
Hudson and Nasibog plan to participate in multiple events throughout Welcome Week, including tabling sessions and the Ignite spiritual gathering on Wednesday night.
“We are here to help them and listen to their voices,” Hudson said in an interview regarding their efforts to connect with incoming freshmen.
Jeremy Mack, director of Student Engagement at GCU, highlighted the importance of these early connections between student leaders and new arrivals: “They want to meet all the new Lopes and share in many of their experiences as they make GCU their new home. As the year moves forward, they know the importance that these early relationships have on building a strong community for all Lopes.”
The ASGCU team began preparations earlier this month by training alongside other student government members. Their work included team-building exercises and organizational planning for events throughout the academic year.
“We want to hit the ground running,” Hudson said. Their responsibilities began shortly after their April inauguration.
Hudson studies communications at GCU. Nasibog is majoring in government after moving from Alaska; she was born in the Philippines.
The student government leaders started working on campaign promises even before summer break. While projects such as adding ice machines across campus or launching “mentoring fairs” are still underway, they have already introduced crowd meters at campus gyms—a response to feedback collected by Nasibog during her previous term as a senator. According to Campus Recreation Director Matt Lamb, live gym counts will now be posted hourly using existing technology via GCU’s recreation portal so that students can better plan workouts around busy times.
“I’m excited about working with our team. We have a lot of new faces, so it’s exciting to see how far ASGCU can take this after us,” Nasibog said.
Hudson added: “It’s really exciting to do it alongside a bunch of humble and servant-minded leaders, getting to advocate for students and making sure everything we do is representing Christ, while walking alongside each other not just in our professional lives but in our faith journeys.”
Grand Canyon University recently projected record enrollment numbers for 2025-26 at 133,000 students (https://news.gcu.edu/gcu-news/gcu-projects-record-enrollment-of-133000-students-for-2025-26-academic-year/).
