Dedicating the Freed Center for Leadership and Service
The Freed Center for Leadership and Service was filled with the sounds of thanksgiving, praise, and worship on October 4, 2024. More than 800 students, faculty, staff, and VU community members attended the dedication events that included administration and student representatives as well as the Vanguard Worship Collective.
During the dedication ceremony, senior Amberly Gourlay, president of the student government association, reflected on the significance of the 60,000 square-foot building. “This moment feels like the culmination of what God has been saying throughout my time at Vanguard, which is to seek first my kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).” Gourlay was one of five student leaders who participated in the dedication, representing more than 2,200 fellow VU students.
Evelyn Freed, who provided the lead gift for the building, shared in the festivities, celebrating the culmination of a building that will impact Vanguard students for years to come. “Servant leadership is not self-seeking but rather it is love that extends itself to serve the other, which I believe is being displayed here tonight through your generosity, Mrs. Freed,” said Gourlay. “On behalf of the student body of Vanguard University I would like to sincerely thank you for your generosity. This building will impact the lives of students for generations to come as transformation happens in both the mundane everyday moments and the extraordinary.”
“My hope is that our students continue to maximize every opportunity that this new Freed Center truly has to offer,” said Paul Hwang, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair, Department of Kinesiology. “From developing new and exciting research projects, participating in active learning spaces within the classroom, engaging with the Kinesiology faculty in their office spaces, to experiencing collegiality and fellowship within the student lounge spaces.”
At the “Farewell to the Pit” (the beloved, 80-year-old gym that stood on the same location as the Freed Center now stands) event in April of 2022 and the groundbreaking for the Freed Center that October, the VU community gathered to celebrate the past and look toward the future.
“Since the early 60s, The Pit has been part of the heart of Vanguard,” said Vanguard President Michael J. Beals, PhD. “Generations of student-athletes and fans have made wonderful memories in our beloved gym; and we’re glad we gave it the appropriate farewell. I’m confident that the Freed Center will provide a dynamic space for our community to gather and forge new memories.”
And the Freed Center is already doing just that: the first athletic competition was held in the gym on September 20 when Vanguard’s women’s volleyball team took on Azusa Pacific, the five new classes and two labs are filled with students and teaching, and the weight room and sports medicine facilities are in full use.
“Competing in the Freed Center will help our team tremendously,” said junior men’s volleyball player Logan Finlay. “Having a dedicated home gym will not only boost our morale, but also provide us with a consistent and familiar environment to practice and compete in. I hope the Freed Center becomes a hub of excellence for our volleyball program and other sports, and that it can become something that our community can bond over and love!”
