Where It All Began: The Day Go X Conquered Its First University
January 2019: Arizona Western College Became Ground Zero for the Campus Revolution
Before Loyola. Before Hawaii Pacific University. Before any university had ever seen a Go X scooter, there was a dusty Monday morning in Yuma, Arizona, where everything changed.
The Historic First
January 17, 2019. Arizona Western College. 100 scooters. 12,000 students about to have their minds blown.
This wasn't just another launch. This was the first time any university in America partnered with Go X. The first time students could download our app on a college campus. The first time we proved that higher education and micro-mobility were meant to be together.
Looking back now, after launching at universities across the country, it's wild to think it all started in Yuma, Arizona – a place most people can't even find on a map. But that's the Go X way: Start where nobody expects, then take over the world.
The Problem Nobody Else Was Solving
Picture AWC's campus: 12,000 students. Sprawling desert campus. Limited parking. Arizona heat that makes walking between classes feel like crossing the Sahara. Bus schedules that never quite match class schedules.
As VP Shahrooz Roohparvar told us: "We want to provide options for fun and transportation that make people smile. Getting to class on time is a great bonus."
That last line still makes us laugh. Getting to class on time as a "bonus" instead of a stressed-out sprint? Revolutionary.
The Innovation That Started on a College Campus
Here's what most people don't know: We invented the 3-wheel scooter specifically for AWC students.
Think about it:
- Students carry heavy backpacks (where do you put them on a regular scooter?)
- Not everyone has perfect balance (especially after all-nighters)
- Campus terrain varies (sidewalks, paths, grass)
So we built the world's first 3-wheel electric scooter. More stable. Room for backpacks. Different riding experience. Built from the ground up for students' needs.
That 3-wheeler that's now in cities across America? Born at Arizona Western College.
The Partnership That Changed Everything
When our CEO Alexander Debelov shook hands with Shahrooz Roohparvar, they weren't just launching scooters. They were launching a movement.
AWC didn't just allow us on campus. They embraced us:
- Real-time ride monitoring for administration
- Custom speed limits for different campus zones
- Virtual parking spots designated by the university
- Restricted zones for safety
This wasn't a vendor relationship. It was a true partnership. The blueprint for every university partnership that followed.
The Day One Energy
That first Monday when students returned for spring semester 2019 was electric (pun intended):
- Students literally stopping mid-walk to stare
- The first brave soul downloading the app
- The moment they realized it was just $1 to start
- The first successful ride across campus
- The inevitable Instagram stories: "MY SCHOOL HAS SCOOTERS NOW"
Within hours, what started as curiosity became campus culture. Students who'd never talked before were comparing rides. Professors were asking about them in class. The maintenance team was secretly trying them during lunch breaks.
The Numbers That Proved the Concept
From that first day at AWC:
- 100 scooters deployed
- $1 to unlock, $0.15 per minute
- Monthly unlimited memberships available
- 12,000 potential riders
- 0 universities had done this before
The goal: Reduce car use, reduce carbon emissions, make campus life better.
The result: We crushed every metric. Students were getting to class on time (and happy). Parking pressure decreased. Carbon footprint shrank. And most importantly – people were smiling while commuting.
From Yuma to Everywhere
That AWC launch was supposed to be a test. One university. See how it goes. Maybe expand slowly.
Today, we're at universities across America. But every single campus we launch at, we think about AWC. About taking that first risk on us. About believing that students deserved better transportation options.
The Features Born at AWC That Define Us Today
Every smart feature in our university program started at Arizona Western:
- Admin portal for real-time monitoring
- Geo-fencing for speed and zone control
- Usage reports for campus planning
- Feedback systems for continuous improvement
- Night pickup for charging and redistribution
We didn't know we were building the future of campus transportation. We just knew AWC students needed to get to class.
To Arizona Western College: Thank You
To Shahrooz Roohparvar, who took a chance on a crazy startup from San Francisco.
To the 12,000 students who became our first campus riders.
To the administration that worked with us instead of against us.
To the maintenance team that helped us figure out the best placement spots.
To everyone who downloaded the app on Day One and said "let's try this."
You didn't just launch scooters. You launched a revolution.
The Legacy Lives On
Every university student riding a Go X scooter today – at Loyola, at Hawaii Pacific, at campuses nationwide – owes a debt to Arizona Western College. They proved it could work. They showed other universities it was possible. They turned a desert campus in Yuma into the birthplace of campus micro-mobility.
Five years later, that first partnership has become a nationwide movement. But we'll never forget where it started:
Arizona Western College. January 17, 2019. The day everything changed.
Want Go X at your university? Show this to your administration: Download the Go X app
Follow our university expansion: @goxscooterowners
Watch the historic launch: AWC Launch Video
Learn more: AWC Partnership Announcement
For university partnerships: universities@goxapp.com
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