Making Time: Jackson's Perfect Path to Graduation

All it took was one 20-minute phone conversation. A few simple observations during that quick talk and the surgical precision Chayse Jackson uses to manage his time became apparent.

Considering the daily grind he's carrying – between a rigorous academic load, time for friends and family, athletic endeavors and campus/community activity – those time-management skills likely are the key to his success. He was put to the test this past weekend when Jackson, the lone senior on the Lopes' wrestling team, graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology during Grand Canyon's fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 11.

Jackson's one of dozens of student-athletes who graduate each year at GCU, although his path is unique. Starting Friday morning, his weekend looked something like this:

Up early for a two-hour morning wrestling practice
Head to the weight room for a lifting session
Meet with the trainer and doctor to evaluate an issue with his knee
After being medically cleared, there was a quick minute for grabbing lunch, and then getting showered and dressed in the locker room since there wasn't time to head to the apartment
Family time was carved out before commencement as his mother and father, Laura and DeWaine Jackson, along with his godmother, Sandy Hendy, made the trip down from his home state of Oregon
Following the ceremony, dinner with the family included swapping college graduation stories and taking pictures before getting to bed relatively early before a big travel day
5 a.m. Saturday came early and started a busy cross-country excursion with a sequence of busses and airplanes that took Jackson and the Lopes from Phoenix to Washington, D.C.
Immediately after landing, the team went to the hotel and straight to a workout before an early evening dinner
Sunday was an early rise with the team as GCU faced No. 5 NC State, Clarion and George Mason in duals followed by another cross-country trip back to GCU's campus

Graduation. Nearly coast-to-coast trips. Dual meets. All in a weekend's work for a student-athlete.

And Jackson didn't forget that first word – student – despite already walking in the graduation ceremony held on the same GCU Arena floor as many of his home wrestling meets. He scheduled study time on Saturday night after dinner for a paper that needed to be finished before he could officially receive his diploma. Knowing his hectic weekend ahead, Jackson actually wrote the paper on Wednesday and planned time for proofreading and spellchecking Saturday evening before turning it in.

"Planning ahead and seeing things that might come up made the difference this week heading into graduation," Jackson said. "Budgeting time is so important. Time management is probably the biggest thing that has allowed me to be successful over the past four years.

"Without those time management skills, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to have a 4.0 GPA and academic honors while handling a pre-medicine degree. It all came about because of being able to budget my time properly throughout my college career."

His ability to plan and manage his time has rubbed off on his teammates. According to head coach Jon Sioredas, a freshman teammate commented during Saturday's trip that when he hears Jackson talk about academics, "I really focus on what he's saying because he's done so much."

"Our academics staff within the athletics department does such a great job, but in the end, it comes down to the student-athlete being willing to utilize the resources they are provided," Sioredas said. "Chayse excelled because he mapped out what he wanted to do and held himself accountable. He holds others accountable and they hold him accountable. So when he talks academics, the team listens."

Sioderas points out his staff's requirement that the wrestlers find a "meaningful degree" to pursue, something Jackson epitomized with the pre-medicine focus. The squad also has a goal of being a top-10 program in the classroom. It's already on the cusp of that award even though GCU is not eligible yet.

And Jackson won't win the NCAA's top individual academic award for GPA simply because Grand Canyon is still transitioning to Division I. It's not like he doesn't have the credentials. He would likely take the top prize with his perfect 4.0 grade-point average. Instead, he'll keep grinding away and finish the rest of this season as a graduate student. He starts work on a double master's degree in business administration and leadership after the New Year.

Then, after that, who knows?

Next year we could see him on the side of the mat as a graduate assistant coach, giving back to the team that gave him so much. And eventually, he would like to go to medical school to study regenerative medicine.

Whatever his plan, a short conversation with Jackson will give you confidence that he'll find the time to make it all come together.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Chayse Jackson

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