Meet Ayden Chavez, one of our incredible 2025 Spirit of Creighton Award recipients! Ayden’s time at Creighton University College of Arts and Sciences was nothing short of transformative. “My experience at Creighton is something I will forever be grateful for and has changed the trajectory of my life for the better,” he says. On campus, Ayden made a lasting impact through leadership and service. He was involved in the Neuroscience Club, Sign Language Club and the Committee on the Status of Women—all while mentoring and volunteering with youth in the community. Though he first came to Creighton for its strong pre-med mentorship, Ayden discovered a passion for research. After graduation, he’s staying close to home—continuing to Creighton’s PhD program in biomedical sciences. His goal? To one day work at the Dr. Richard J. Bellucci Translational Hearing Center. “You would be surprised at the amount of connections Creighton has all over the globe and how willing people are to help you succeed in whatever you do,” he adds. More about Ayden … 📍From Pueblo, Colorado 🧠 Double major in neuroscience and justice and peace studies in Creighton’s Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s program 🔬Co-chair of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Student Ambassador Program ⭐️Vice president of operations for the Creighton Honors Program ⛪️ Encounter leader for Creighton Campus Ministry 🚸Volunteer with Completely KIDS through the Schlegel Center for Service and Justice 🏃Passionate runner 📖 Avid reader (fb)

A plane crash in the Amazon could have ended their story. Instead, it launched a lifelong mission. ✈️ Sixty years ago, James Maly, MD’46, and Jan McDermet Maly, SJN’48, known in Nebraska as the “Flying Doctor and Nurse”, crash-landed in the jungle while vacationing across South America. Stranded and injured, they were rescued by the Mundurucu tribe and Franciscan missionaries. They returned home with a new calling: to repay the care they’d received by establishing a clinic for the mission that saved them. With support from Creighton and countless others, the Malys returned to the Amazon again and again—delivering thousands of vaccines, training local caregivers and flying patients to safety. “I have a debt to repay and a destiny to meet,” James Maly said after the crash. “Yes, sir, I am convinced that crash was destiny.” Their story is one of resilience, vocation and faith—a reminder of how the most unexpected moments can change everything. 🌍💙 #CreightonAlumni #CreightonUniversity #JesuitValues #MedicalMission #HealthcareHeroes #CreightonStory #LegacyOfService #GlobalImpact #ServiceAboveSelf (fb)