Players to lean on.
 
Despite being from opposite ends of the country, both of our GCU Club Sports April Student-Athletes of the Month, Grand Canyon University Women's Lacrosse player Geneva Berrett and Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby player Jackson Gray, have found themselves "at home" in leadership roles at GCU. 
 
Geneva Berrett: Women's Lacrosse
 
Geneva Berrett is home. Finally.
 
But the five years in-between leaving home in Orono, Minnesota and returning home with a Bachelor's degree in Biology (with a minor in Psychology and an emphasis in Pre-Medicine) from GCU is enough to fill a lifetime. The good news is that the last three years have been a true blessing, and it was GCU that brought them to her after two very rocky years of self-discovery elsewhere.
 
"By that time, I'd decided to quit lacrosse and transfer, but knew I needed to put academics first, and if I played lacrosse again, so be it," said Berrett. "I applied to a lot of schools, narrowing it down to (Arizona State University) or GCU. The faith-based community was what really drew me to GCU."
 
Berrett never expected to be at that kind of crossroads. A lifelong athlete, she'd been a 17-year gymnast and a competitive swimmer before she'd earned her high school diploma. She even made the "B" squad of her high school volleyball team as a setter – even though she'd never played it in her life.
 
Berrett picked up the sport of lacrosse in 5^th grade after watching her older brother play it all the way through college. She tried out herself for the first-ever 5^th/6^th grade women's lacrosse team at her school and played for her father, Bob, for four years, then became a high school varsity lacrosse player in controversial fashion.
 
"It was drama because you're not supposed to try out until my freshman year, but the new (Orono High School) coach changed that and had me try out as an 8^th grader," said Berrett. "No one else was given the opportunity from my grade to try out."
 
That mix of love and adversity in sports steeled Berrett for what was to come. She decided as a junior at OHS that traveling to the east coast to participate in lacrosse tournaments would give her a better chance to find the best fit when she got to college. That was a godsend – especially when COVID shut down everything during her senior season – because she'd given herself the chance to find her "fit". 
 
"My mother handled all the logistics to make sure the right people saw me play," said Berrett. "Junior year is when coaches can reach out, and the most interesting school was Bryant (University in Rhode Island), where I had gone for my official visit. While I was losing my senior year of lacrosse, I was less disappointed because I knew where I was going."
 
That wasn't the only thing that made Berrett stand out from other incoming first-year college students. Not many freshmen find the majors of Chinese and International Business to their initial liking, but there was Berrett, the only freshman in a class of seniors taking 3^rd-year classes.
 
"I minored in biology (which started things off for me in that realm), but the business classes made me realize that wasn't what I wanted," said Berrett. "I switched to Biology and Chinese for spring semester, but I felt out of place. I had a good experience on the lacrosse team, but I knew that a bunch of seniors were coming back for their COVID year, so I wouldn't play for a couple of years, and I moved on."
 
Then began the worst 16 months of her life after transferring to Youngstown State University in Ohio. A bad ankle injury suffered the summer before she arrived. An ensuing reconstructive surgery that got her on her coaches' bad side. A toxic culture within the team that caused numerous players to quit the team. A tragic accident where Berrett found her roommate dead in their apartment.  
 
"I didn't cry, was directing people, and didn't give myself time to mourn," said Berrett. "It was very chaotic, but it taught me I could handle a lot. I think she's my guardian angel. Because of her, I wanted to go into trauma medicine."
 
The traumas kept coming for Berrett, who rushed back to play in the spring until a freak off-the-field accident over Spring Break severely injured her other ankle. Afraid to tell the coaches, she tried to play through it, but the athletic trainer could see Berrett was laboring and sent her home, leading to Berrett deciding she'd had enough. 
 
And we're back to the summer of '22… where the "light at the end of the tunnel"… was purple.
 
"I just didn't want to give up on career the way it ended at YSU, so when I was accepted to GCU, I emailed (Lopes' Head) Coach (Tracy) Ramirez," said Berrett. "I met her and other team members at the GCU Club Fair and signed on. Two weeks into fall ball, I got cleared for the surgery on my other ankle, but this time, going to practices really renewed my love for the game."
 
The adversity wasn't quite over, since in her first game of her Lopes' career against Cal Poly, Geneva blew out her right ankle again. Surgery No. 3. The aftermath this time, though, restored Berrett's hope in her path.
 
"The memory I'm so grateful for is when I was being carted off field, the team huddled up and prayed for me, and I know that wouldn't have happened anywhere else," said Berrett. "I decided that time that I would go to rehab religiously and do everything required. It was a key moment of enjoying lacrosse again and being supported by a team."
 
She's been healthy since, and over the ensuing three years, she's been one of Ramirez's "go-to" players for leadership – on and off the field.
 
"Coach Tracy's the most caring, sweet and supportive coach I know," Berrett said. "I've grown so much as a leader, because now I'm so dedicated to serving people around me."
 
For the past two years, Berrett has not only been a team leader, but also as part of the GCU Club Sports Leadership Class, she speaks to prospective students on Discover trips as well as administrators and coaches from other schools. 
 
"I never thought I'd be so open to talking about my journey," said Berrett. "It's been more rewarding than I ever expected. I realized everyone has their own story, and that's made me so much more empathetic."
 
So in a few years, after she earns her Master's degree in Public Administration (with an emphasis in Health Care Management) from GCU and becomes a trauma or orthopedic surgeon, when you're in the doctor's office and a "Dr. Berrett" comes in to greet you, you'll know how she got there.
 
More importantly, so will she.
 
"In the medical field, I now know the reason why I want to help people. The thing that's stuck with me the most in this journey is servant leadership. I'm now doing this for those I'm charged with supporting."
 
Jackson Gray: Men's Rugby
 
For Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby captain and graduate student Jackson Gray, rugby has done more than keep him busy over the years— it's shaped who he's become.
 
A native of Peoria, Gray first picked up the sport in the 7^th grade, inspired by a childhood friend from New Zealand who was an avid rugby player himself. Soon he was a high school all-American, hoping to play at the next level.
 
"I played pretty much all of the different sports growing up, but I quickly got to a point where I couldn't stay away from rugby."
 
His journey at Grand Canyon University started in 2021— a season shaped by COVID-19 implications. Despite the team only playing two games, Gray found community and purpose.
 
"I've made so many lifelong friends while playing for this team," said Gray. "The culture is made up by the players, and I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by a great group. It's been easy. We have an acronym— IGYB. It means 'I got your back'. At the end of the day, we're all brothers here."
 
That culture has helped fuel the team's increase in competition level over the years. In Gray's time with the program, GCU Rugby has reached the D1A National Tournament and most recently finished as runner-up in the D1A Challenger's Cup. Gray has had as much to do with that as anybody— just ask his coach.
 
"Without Jackson coming back for another year, we wouldn't be where we are mentally, physically, emotionally, or successfully," said GCU Head Coach Sean O'Leary.
 
Though Gray is quick to return the sentiment.
 
"Coach O'Leary is an amazing coach, and I credit a lot of my growth as a man, leader, and player to him and our assistant coach Brent," said Gray. "I'd say that their leadership styles reflect a lot in me, and that's a big part of the culture and professional atmosphere that we try to create here at GCU."
 
Gray's main focus in his two years as team captain? Servant leadership.
 
"One thing I learned a lot as a captain is that you're always a servant to your peers," he said. "It isn't like a dictatorship where you get to take time off and delegate. It's about leading by example."
 
That servant leadership style ties in well to another big part (and one that's gaining momentum quickly) of GCU Rugby— faith. Gray, who was baptized last month, credits a more recent God-centered approach with how the team has been performing lately.
 
"We have a men's group where we talk about struggles and do Bible studies, and it's been awesome to see the impact of that on the guys," said Gray. "We even have a team chaplain now, Sam Howard. We've also made a point to show more God-centered content on our socials recently, and it's boosted our recruiting numbers. I call it a coincidence, but really nothing with God is."
 
As his time as a player ends, Gray has stayed busy working for Olympus Cleaning alongside one of the assistant GCU Rugby coaches while he works to finish his Master of Business Administration degree online at GCU, though his mind is still always on the game.
 
"I still can't imagine myself staying away from [rugby]," said Gray. "Lately I've been helping try and grow the game through Imagine Rugby, a program that professional player Mikey Te'o started to get exposure of the sport into elementary schools across the state."
 
The efforts of Imagine Rugby are all made possible through generous donations, and for everyone involved the message is clear— create an atmosphere where kids associate rugby equipment with fun in an effort to really grow the game."
 
"Rugby has a lot of momentum right now and we want to capitalize on that," said Gray. "The hope is to have packed stadiums for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in 2031 when the United States hosts for the first time."
 
On top of that, Gray is already planning on being a part of the assistant coaching staff for O'Leary next season.
 
"I can't wait to come back and continue to help grow the culture here and see what the next group of guys can accomplish," said Gray. "I want to help build out the alumni network too, I think there's big opportunity there to create a stronger community."
 
Rugby has opened doors for Gray, taught him resilience (both physical and mental), and built lifelong friendships. And if his past five years at GCU are any indication, his future in the sport is just beginning.