Life Pacific University honors 2 of our student-athletes, Marissa Ryerson and Daniel Hernandez, as they receive the Golden State Athletic Conference Cliff Hamlow Award.
The GSAC honored 20 student-athletes from across the conference with the 2023 Cliff Hamlow Champion of Character award, which was given to one male and one female student-athlete on each GSAC campus who demonstrates outstanding athletic achievement, campus and community leadership, future ambition and embraces the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character program (Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership). Â Student-athletes must be at least a junior academically and carry a 3.0 GPA. Â The award is named after former Commissioner Cliff Hamlow who served the conference from its inception in 1986 to 2012. Â Dr. Hamlow was also a key leader in the creation of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program. Read more here.
Daniel Hernandez, Life Pacific University
Daniel Hernandez is a senior guard on the Life Pacific University Men’s Basketball team. Throughout his time at LPU, Daniel has maintained a 3.02 cumulative GPA and is on course to graduate this Spring with his degree in Business Administration.  He plans on returning next year to begin graduate school and finish out his last year of athletic eligibility.  Daniel has been a prominent presence on the LPU campus, representing both the Basketball team and Athletic Department with integrity and discipline.  He pursues life’s circumstances with respect, sportsmanship, and perseverance every day when adverse situations arise.  During his time at Life, he has served the community by giving free haircuts to people in need at his local church.  He has also done work for Shepperd’s Pantry, which aims to help support families in the Inland Empire with food and clothes.  On the basketball court, Daniel has been a consistent starter over the last 3 years and has been a staple in the success of the Men’s Basketball program.  Upon graduation, Hernandez plans to pursue his Master’s in Business Administration at LPU with the hopes of running a major corporation someday.
Marissa Ryerson, Life Pacific University
Marissa Ryerson is a junior setter on the Women’s Volleyball team as well as a member of the Beach Volleyball team at Life Pacific. She serves as a student leader on campus in the Associated Student Government, where she has been the Marketing and Communications Chair for the last two years. This past semester, she completed an internship with the Foursquare NW District, in which she worked directly with the Head of the District’s NextGen department to plan youth events for the Connection Conference. Throughout her time at Life Pacific, Marissa has excelled in the classroom as she holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA. She is majoring in Ministry with Concentrations in Youth and Pastoral Ministry.  Marissa has also been very active in the community locally and internationally.  She serves in youth and children’s ministry back at her home church.  Additionally, she went to Greece in 2022 on a mission trip where she was able to teach self-defense classes to refugee women. In May of 2023, she will be going on another mission trip to Romania to serve Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing from the war. After her time at LPU, she will be getting her Foursquare pastor’s license in order to become a youth pastor. She received her calling to go into ministry when she was 17 and has a passion to preach the gospel to youth, in hopes of starting them down the path of a deeply rooted relationship with Christ.
Congratulations to our Warriors!
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