Hello, everyone!

My name is Jason Sipes, and I am raising funds to attend my graduation at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 2, 2025. This is a momentous occasion, and I want my entire family to be there to celebrate with me. On that day, I will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business at 50 years old—a milestone that reflects a life filled with challenges, perseverance, and the power of faith.

I am a proud husband to an incredible wife and a father to three amazing children, ages 12, 8, and 6. I am also an Army veteran, having served in the early 1990s. My time in the military profoundly shaped my life, leaving me with trauma I carried for years. To cope, I turned to alcohol, endured homelessness, and struggled with feelings of unworthiness. Yet, through it all, I held onto a flicker of hope that brighter days were ahead.

Returning to school was not something I thought I could ever achieve. My confidence was so low that I didn’t believe I was capable of succeeding academically. But my wife did. She believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. Her unwavering confidence gave me the push I needed to take that first step. At first, I only enrolled for practical reasons—the VA stipend offered some financial stability—but what started as a short-term plan turned into a life-changing journey.

Something amazing happened: I began to love learning. Class by class, my confidence grew, and today I hold a 3.98 GPA—a fact that still amazes me. My wife’s belief in me was the foundation I needed to discover a strength I didn’t know I had.

One of the most transformative moments of this journey came during a course called Christian Worldview. As an atheist, I didn’t expect it to have much impact, but it changed my life forever. For the first time, I met Jesus—not as a distant figure, but as a personal presence who brought healing and peace to places I thought were broken beyond repair. Since then, I’ve read over 20 books on Christianity, and my faith has given me a purpose I never imagined.

This graduation is about so much more than earning a degree. It represents reclaiming my life and proving to myself—and to others—that we are never too far gone to rise above our circumstances. In high school, I was told I’d never go to college, let alone graduate. Today, I’m living proof that with faith, determination, and the love of those who believe in us, anything is possible.

I’m sharing my story not only to ask for your help but to inspire others to persevere. Whether through faith, the support of loved ones, or sheer persistence, change is always within reach.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. Your support means the world to me as I prepare to celebrate this milestone—a moment I once thought was impossible.