Engineers strive to better the world through technology and new ideas. However, engineering alone can’t solve the world’s problems.

High-achieving students in Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering go above and beyond the typical engineering curriculum in the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP), as they learn to be collaborative, transdisciplinary, global problem solvers. Thirteen of the 17 Grand Challenge Scholars graduating in spring 2017 celebrated at the Grand Challenge Scholars Program Graduation Reception on April 19. This semester's group is the largest cohort of graduating GCSP students. Photographer: Marco-Alexis Chaira/ASU Download Full Image

This spring, the GCSP program graduated 17 students — the largest cohort yet. These graduates will be added to the official Grand Challenge Scholars Registry.

“I am extremely proud of all the students’ accomplishments, and the people they have become,” says Amy Trowbridge, lecturer and director of the ASU GCSP. “Our graduates this year have published their research in journal articles, started entrepreneurial ventures, immersed themselves in new cultures through studying or implementing projects abroad, and have completed service learning projects that have impacted the community, both locally and globally.”

Students prepare to solve global challenges

The National Academy of Engineering has designated 14 Grand Challenges facing society over the next century.

• advance personalized learning
• make solar energy economical
• enhance virtual reality
• reverse-engineer the brain
• engineer better medicines
• advance health informatics
• restore and improve urban infrastructure
• secure cyberspace
• provide access to clean water
• provide energy from fusion
• prevent nuclear terror
• manage the nitrogen cycle
• develop carbon sequestration methods
• engineer the tools of scientific discovery

GCSP scholars choose one of these grand challenge or a broader grand challenge theme — education, energy, health, security or sustainability — and complete five program requirements around that theme.

Students engage in research relating to their selected grand challenge, explore interdisciplinary coursework, gain an international perspective, engage in entrepreneurship, and give back to the community through service learning.

After completing these program requirements, students are designated Grand Challenge Scholars by ASU and the National Academy of Engineering, and added to the official Grand Challenge Scholars Registry.

The United States is home to more than 320 million people from dozens of countries and ancestries, in addition to Native American peoples.

Arab countries make up 22 nations in the Middle East and North Africa where Islam and the Arabic language are dominant factors — more than 300 million people, a quarter of all Muslims.  ASU Associate Professor Souad T. Ali (right) with Barbara and Craig Barrett, who endowed Barrett, the Honors College. Ali has mentored 20 honors students in addition to countless undergraduates and graduate students. Download Full Image

Despite their diversity and global reach, a profound discord still exists between Arabic culture and American society. Stereotypes exist on both sides. While some in the West fear terrorism and fanatic violence, many in the Arab world feel their way of life is threatened by Western culture, perceived as sexually permissive with declining family values.

Hoping to bring new perspective to this clash of cultures are a host of faculty and students researchers at Arizona State University, including Associate Professor Souad T. Ali and her students.  

Women may be uniquely suited to creating a new era of understanding, believes Ali, an ASU associate professor of Arabic literature and Middle East/Islamic studies, head of classics and Middle Eastern Studies, coordinator of Arabic Studies in the School of International Letters and Cultures, and founding chair of the ASU Council for Arabic and Islamic Studies.

“Most of my current research and interests focus on women and gender in Islam,” she said. “Although outspoken women are breaking through on their own, some women deal with lack of education, particularly in Arab cultures.”

One of her classes teaches Islam from a feminist perspective.

“Islam is actually a quite egalitarian religion,” she said. “Over the last 14 centuries, male interpreters of the Qur’an have distorted its meaning. As women have become more educated, we are now capable of interpreting the Qur’an for ourselves, as demonstrated by the Muslim American women scholars I teach.”

Recently awarded the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the Faculty Women’s Association, Ali has mentored many honors students, undergraduates and graduate students. Two of her graduate students, Shabnam Rezai and Ayla Perez, are graduating next week. They focused their research on the particular challenges faced by women in other cultures, particularly the Middle East.

“Women are fighting for their rights. Their fight is for education and employment rights,” said Rezai, who works to dispel the oppressed and passive image of Afghani women portrayed by the press and even in some scholarly studies.

Rezai’s Afghani family emigrated in 1997 a few months before the Taliban seized control of the country. For her thesis at ASU, she interviewed five Afghani women who lived under Soviet and/or Taliban rule.

“The Soviets were modernizing Afghanistan, including the freedom of education, employment and financial independence for women,” she said. “The Taliban reasserted male authority and imposed fundamentalism on women. Most women did enjoy the freedoms of Soviet reforms. However, Afghanistan is a deeply religious country, particularly among more conservative rural women.”

“The women I interviewed had very supportive families,” she said, “and that support encouraged them to be active.”

“Dr. Ali is an outstanding professor,” Rezai said, “very knowledgeable and passionate. She teaches us that as humans we have logic and reasoning so we should never just accept stereotypes without questions. We need to go deeper. That’s also what I love about ASU. You can pursue a course of research that you believe in.”

Rezai works as an adviser in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering with mechanical engineering and aerospace students. She graduates this spring with a master’s in religious studies focusing on Islam in global contexts. Her ultimate goal is to teach as a professor.

A group of 27 Pakistani engineering scholars from the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Energy, better known as USPCAS-E, set off on an adventure over spring break, learning what nature can engineer, what people can engineer and the power their imagination has to inspire innovation.

An $18 million United States Agency for International Development grant supports the project with Arizona State University as the hub for the energy component of the project in partnership with the National University of Science and Technology — Islamabad (NUST), the University of Engineering and Technology in Peshawar and Oregon State University. “Big dams in Pakistan are normally earth and rock fill dams, so there is a need to build concrete arc dams like Hoover Dam in Pakistan that are more impressive, efficient and modern,“ say Muhammad Ahsan Amjed, National University of Science and Technology. Photo courtesy of Muhammad Ahsan Amjed Download Full Image

The scholars are part of the third cohort to visit the United States in order to study renewable energy at ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering as part of a larger effort to boost development of solutions for Pakistan’s growing energy needs. Spring break offered a respite from their classes and lab work, and provided a chance to see engineering in action.

The scholars kicked off their journey by visiting one of nature’s greatest engineering wonders, the Grand Canyon. The canyon stood as a compelling example of the power found in nature, as seen by the river carving away at the landscape for millennia. The challenge for the scholars was to learn from nature and learn how to harness that energy.

Their next stop at Hoover Dam illustrated just that. The scholars saw first hand how the Colorado River was used as a source of renewable hydroelectric power through ingenuous civil engineering.

USPCAS-E Scholars, Left to right: Farah Akram, Anam Zahra, Maham Akhlaq, Atoofa Zainab, Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU

“The sheer brilliance that the engineers displayed in [their] era with such a megastructure was a rarity, [and] is a sight to behold. It solved the water distribution problems for seven different states,” said Haider Saif Agha from NUST.

Learning about this pinnacle of clean energy was key for the scholars because many of them are studying photovoltaic, wind and hydroelectric energy options. The USPCAS-E project set out to explore renewable energy as a means for resolving the energy crisis happening in Pakistan today, leaving the country with rolling blackouts that last 6–16 hours a day.

The dam was created for the purposes of flood control, irrigation and power production, all of which are applicable to Pakistan’s needs.

“I see a comparison with Pakistan’s Kalabagh Dam,” said Asfand Yar Ali, of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar. Kalabagh Dam is proposed dam that could help Pakistan with flood control. “We are facing minor and major floods every year in [the] monsoon [season]. Similarly, the dam will help Pakistan rejuvenate its agriculture and overcome [the] energy crisis.“

Hoover Dam was an example of what could be implemented back home for the scholars.

“I learned that we can solve all of our country’s energy problems by just mixing innovation and engineering in the right proportions,” said Usman Salahuddin of NUST.

To shake things up, the scholars next visited the California Science Center. Atoofa Zainab of NUST had a personal favorite there – the earthquake simulator.

“I learned about the how certain buildings are made in case of an earthquake. The lesson that I learned is that Pakistan is in dire need of these types of services and technologies.”

Inspiring the heart and the exchange of culture

Inside Hoover Dam. Photo credit: Usama Khalid, NUST/ASU.

Though engineering is the primary point of USPCAS-E, other aspects of the initiative like promoting gender equality and engaging in cultural exchange are key aspects as well. The scholars expressed heartfelt thanks to be a part of a program that educates not just their inner engineer, but also cements their role as a global citizen.

“I have honestly no words to define my experience I had on spring break. It was both fun and a learning experience,” said Farah Akram of NUST. “The places we visited showed us a new face of the world. The views of the Grand Canyon, [the] innovative construction of Hoover Dam, fun and virtual reality-based rides of Universal Studios, learning at the California Science Center and [having a] playful time in Santa Monica gave us the most beautiful time of our lives.”

“Something that really impacted my heart was the celebration of diversity in America. America celebrates its diversity, be it in L.A., Tempe, Las Vegas or any other city. I was impacted by views on tolerance, freedom of speech, action,” reflected Haider Saif Agha of NUST.

Muhammad Ahsan Amjed of NUST ruminated that, “if you really want to understand the culture and people of any particular area, you will have to travel across that region in order to better understand their traditions, their peculiarities, cultural idiosyncrasies [and] subtle differences in their way of living. Such excursions help us renew our perspective about our research, our lives and our goals.”

The cultural exchange component of the program provides unlimited opportunity for visitors and Americans to engage with each other, allows visitors to find their place in the global community, breaks down prejudices and misunderstandings, and in the long-term expands and strengthens relationships between the two countries.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2017 commencement. See more graduates here.

Graduating Arizona State University master’s student Rachel Dallmann has always found joy in helping others. She is especially gratified when she finds a way to connect, to communicate across real or perceived barriers. Two years ago, graduating ASU student Rachel Dallmann taught English at the Tumaini Miles of Smiles School and Orphanage in Western Kenya. It changed her perspective. “This is where I had my first ‘aha’ moment,” she said. Download Full Image

“Ever since I was little, I've had an interest in other cultures and languages,” she said.

Growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, Dallmann sought experiences with those who were not like her, wanting to better understand their worlds. Later, she did church volunteer work with Phoenix area refugee populations, helping newcomers adjust. Two years ago she taught at an orphanage in Western Kenya.

For an internship in her Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MTESOL) program at ASU, she combined the hours in Kenya with time spent working closer to home — at the Somali American United Council (SAUC) in Phoenix, which provides services to refugees. Dallmann tutored Somali children there, assisting them with homework and with English skills, and taught English to adults at the center as well.

“Walking alongside refugees helps me to put a face and story behind this population,” Dallmann said. “Phoenix has a huge population of refugees, and unfortunately, most of us have no idea. I had no idea, until I realized I didn't have to go half way around the globe to find someone who wasn't like me. They are right in my backyard.”

To address the growing need for English teachers all over the world, the Department of English is launching an online MTESOL program which is currently enrolling students — in their own “backyards” — to begin this fall. The degree prepares individuals like Dallmann for the international field of English language teaching.

We asked Dallman some questions about her educational journey and her next steps.

Question: What was your "aha" moment, when you realized you wanted to study in your field? 

Answer: Had you asked me if I had any desire to be a teacher two years ago, I would have said, "zero." While working at an orphanage in Western Kenya nearly two summers ago, I was told I was needed to teach at an elementary school in a rural area. I wasn't thrilled about it. I did it because that's where I was needed. That was my first "aha" moment. I discovered a passion for seeing light bulbs turn on as students grasped new concepts. I enjoyed how the classroom allowed me to tap into my creative side as I was constantly needing to improvise and adjust while trying to keep it fun for the students. I never thought of teaching as a creative challenge before this experience!

My second "aha" moment occurred while teaching adult refugees and immigrants locally during my internship. As much as I love children, I prefer teaching adults. The students I work with are often desperate to learn the language so they can survive in their new home country. They are eager to work and understand what is going on at their children's schools and all around them. Knowing that I have an opportunity to be an advocate to help welcome them to their new country is humbling and an honor.

Q: What's something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A: I've really learned to value the gift of diversity in the classroom as well as on campus. Our university brings together people from all over the globe. I think in my undergraduate program, I really took this for granted. I'm often in awe as I walk on campus and listen to the number of different languages that are being spoken. There are not many places (outside of universities) that provide an opportunity to have rich, insightful conversation and discussions with people from around the world. What a gift! As the final days of my semester wind down, I am a little sad that this will no longer be a regular part of my life.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I moved from Wisconsin to Arizona to attend ASU for my undergraduate degree [a BS in marketing from the W. P. Carey School of Business]. I've stayed in metro Phoenix since, so coming back for my master's degree was a natural and obvious choice. Once a Sun Devil always a Sun Devil!

Q: What's the best piece of advice you'd give to those still in school?

A: You got this! What has always helped me is reflecting back to the previous semester (or another difficult time in my life). I recall how it seemed overwhelming, impossible, or beyond stressful in the moment. Then I recall how I pressed on and got through it. It's temporary, and soon it will all be behind you. Press on and crush those goals!

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: When it's not blazing hot outside, I like finding the hidden places on campus that are quiet. I grab a coffee and my laptop to enjoy the beautiful AZ landscape, filled with flowers, cacti or greenery while studying, catching up on life or just taking a moment to breathe.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I plan to teach English and yoga in Africa this summer and then in Mexico in the fall.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I would put it towards helping orphaned and abandoned children. By preventing them from becoming the poorest members of society, child soldiers, trafficked and many of other horrible situations that these children are often vulnerable to, we could prevent many other world problems.

The Department of English is an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ASU.

Megan Tom sees working in education research, policy and tribal law in her future.

“I want to do a lot of things; professor, researcher, policy advocate, administrator, university president. Over all I want to support tribal colleges and their missions,” said Tom, a junior in Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University majoring in English literature and minoring in public policy. Megan Tom, an ASU junior majoring in English literature and minoring in public policy, has won a 2017 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship in Tribal Policy. Download Full Image

“My particular interest is in tribal education,” she said, adding that in the coming five years, she would like to complete a graduate degree at University of Oxford and a doctorate at ASU and then work on education policy and student achievement at universities and tribal colleges starting in the Northwestern United States.

Tom is Ts’inaajinii (Black-Streaked Wood Clan) born for Naakai Dine’e (Mexican-Navajo Clan). Her maternal clan is Tsenjikini (Cliff Dwellers Clan).

As a Navajo first-generation college student from Cameron, Arizona, she already is immersed in Native American higher education research and policy. Since last July, she has served as a junior research scholar at the ASU Center for Indian Education. She also was a campus coordinator at Teach for America-Phoenix.

Her honors thesis will focus on the effects of higher education policy, campus climate, and student leadership on American Indian students. As President of the American Indian Council, she led a campaign to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on all of ASU’s campuses, and assisted with the city of Phoenix campaign.

“ASU sits on the ancestral homelands of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh people, and it’s important for our future leaders and universities to continuously honor and acknowledge indigenous people, because our indigenous people make up socioeconomic diversity and need to be included in the decision making process,” she said.

Tom explained that these experiences, as well as her observations about education issues on the Navajo Nation and within tribal communities, have given her a multi-faceted perception of education policy. And these experiences will continue, as she will be interning this summer at the College Board National headquarters in New York City.

“Sometimes people think of education as separate from other types of policy, but that’s not always the case. For example, on the Navajo Nation there was a mine that was shut down because of environmental concerns, but that mine funded a very important scholarship for Navajo students,” she said.

“There’s also an environmental aspect to education; when you don’t have access to clean water you can’t be concerned about not having a bachelor’s degree. Or, when you can’t get to school because the roads are flooded, that’s a problem,” she added.

“I want to work on education policy that addresses how people access education when they are not having their basic needs met and how Native students can prepare themselves to succeed in their tribal colleges or major universities.”

Tom’s commitment to Native American policy issues has been recognized with a 2017 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship in Tribal Policy.

The scholarship, worth $7,000, is given by the Tucson, Arizona-based Udall Foundation to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and interest in issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.

The scholarship honors the legacies of Morris K. Udall, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years, and his brother Stewart Udall, who served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Their careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.

This year, 50 students from 42 colleges and universities throughout the United States have been selected as 2017 Udall Scholars. A 15-member independent review committee selected this year’s group on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, Native health care, or tribal public policy, leadership potential, record of public service, and academic achievement. This class of Udall Scholars was selected from 494 candidates nominated by 224 colleges and universities.

The 2017 Udall Scholars will gather in Tucson on August 8–13 to meet one another and program alumni, learn more about the Udall legacy of public service, and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance.

“I am really honored, grateful, and reflective on what I had to do to get the scholarship. It took a lot of work to go through the process,” Tom said.

That process included completing an extensive application with several essay-type questions, submitting letters of recommendation as well as grade transcripts, and writing an 800-word essay.

Tom credits her colleagues and mentors at the ASU Center for Indian Education (CIE) with helping her complete the application. Colin Ben, CIE postdoctoral research fellow, boosted her confidence and helped her refine the essay. “I also have to thank my recommenders, Dr. Jessica Solyom, Dr. Erik Johnston and Charlinda Haudley, because they also serve as my mentors.” Tom said.

She also received assistance with the application process from the Office of National Scholarship Advisement housed at Barrett Honors College in Tempe. 

 “The Udall Scholarship is of special significance to ASU, not only because it is named in honor of native Arizonans Morris and Stewart Udall, but because it recognizes two of our points of pride: a commitment to sustainability and a concern for Native American issues,” said Kyle Mox, ONSA director.

“Megan is a remarkable young leader who has had and will continue to have a major impact. The Udall Scholarship will be a ‘force multiplier’ and accelerate her professional development,” Mox said, adding that only 10 awards were made to Native American candidates this year, further underscoring the significance of Tom’s accomplishment. 

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2017 commencement. See more graduates here. "Libraries are uniquely positioned to provide safe spaces for teens," said graduating ASU student Raymond Ceo. "However, not enough libraries have dedicated teen spaces. I want to change that by evaluating libraries and their communities and working to create equitable space for the teen populations." Download Full Image

Raymond Ceo believes in Arizona. He also believes in great cultural institutions, like marriage and public libraries. The Arizona State University student, who graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in English (Creative Writing) and who plans to become a librarian, almost left the state to pursue his degree.

“I had intended to go to another school,” he said. “I even had a dorm picked out and had accepted a scholarship.”

Ultimately, Ceo’s sense that his home state could make a place for him won out. He enrolled at ASU in 2006.

Our interview with him picks up there.

Question: What was your "aha" moment, when you realized you wanted to study in your field? 

Answer: I have always been a writer to some extent. I was the editor of my high school newspaper for three years, I have written poems and short stories, and I even won an award for writing for the State Press years ago. Simply, I have always dabbled in it. But being a writer, and this degree, is just a stepping-stone for me. My ultimate goal is to become a librarian, which requires a master’s degree. While I love to write, I like the stability that being a librarian provides. Further, I like giving back to my community and what better way to do that than working in a library, where your community gathers to learn, connect and be entertained.

Q: What's something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A: I started my degree in 2006. I left ASU for a few years. And then I returned, older, somewhat wiser, and certainly more mature. The biggest thing I learned in my now 11-year journey to getting my degree is that you are never too old to pursue your dreams, and that education is in fact a journey, and everyone’s path is different. I have come to learn to embrace all of it.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: In 2006, when I started, Arizona was facing a same-sex marriage ban, and I wanted to work on the campaign to fight it. I have always believed in marriage equality because one day I wanted to be married. I am glad I went to ASU to fight that law. I was able to witness Arizona become the first state in the nation to vote down a so-called marriage amendment. Now that I am married to someone of the same sex, I think it was worth it to stay here and fight for it. Being married in my home state was important to me.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you'd give to those still in school?

A: Classes will come and go; friendships will come and go. The most important thing is to focus on your educational journey. Always be willing to explore and see where it takes you.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: Naturally, Hayden Library has been good to me through the many phases of my academic life.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I intend to become a librarian. I have worked in libraries for nearly a decade and am in the process of deciding which library graduate program I want to go to. I’m looking forward to taking another step in my educational journey.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: Libraries are uniquely positioned to provide safe spaces for teens. However, not enough libraries have dedicated teen spaces. I want to change that by evaluating libraries and their communities and working to create equitable space for the teen populations, and that’s how I would spend $40 million.

The Department of English of an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2017 commencement. See more graduates here.

Ashton Grove knew early on what to focus on in college. Volunteering with the Phoenix Zoo while in high school helped steer Grove toward studying biology, and working with animals in some capacity became a goal that was clearly within reach.  Ashton Grove is graduating from the ASU School of Life Sciences with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. After graduation, Grove will continue to gain experience working with exotic animals. Photo courtesy of Ashton Grove Download Full Image

However, embracing change and new experiences at Arizona State University became an important part of college life. Many unexpected opportunities arose and they began to embrace new roles in society and on campus — roles that would push political boundaries, define personal goals, and even foster new friendships with trusted faculty members. 

Grove, from Glendale, Arizona, will be graduating with a bachelor's in biology from the School of Life Sciences.

Question: Were you facing any specific challenges before you came to ASU, and did your college experience change those challenges in some way?

Answer: Before I came to ASU, I was struggling a lot with the role I wanted to play in our society, and my experiences in college have done a great job of teaching me about things that I want to help change. 

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A: While at ASU, there were a lot of opportunities for me to be politically active, and I discovered that I am able to participate in communities that are working incredibly hard to challenge systemic oppressions and dismantle them. I learned that living a politically active life is important to me.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I transferred to ASU because there are a lot of resources here, the science programs are incredible, and the small-town atmosphere of my previous school was negatively impacting my mental health. 

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: My best piece of advice would be to never define yourself by your GPA. Grades are not a defining feature of who you are, and they are not an accurate measurement of your ability to learn or your ability to be an important person. 

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A: I studied and spent a lot of time on the third floor of the Student Services Building. The outdoor seating on the roof of the second floor is a really quiet spot.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I plan to spend the next few years gaining more experience working directly with exotic animals, as well as participating in activism for the underprivileged communities in Arizona, and continuing my job as an informal educator at the Phoenix Zoo.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I would use $40 million to tackle transgender health care in the U.S. There are so many trans people out there who do not have access to the care they need, mentally and physically. I would use the money to provide mental health resources, funding towards hormone replacement therapy and surgery, clothing and other life-affirming necessities to transgender folks in need.

Q: Was there a particular person, course or experience at ASU that inspired you in some way?

A: Dr. Sara Brownell is one particular person who has inspired me at ASU. She does incredible and necessary research into how best to make classrooms inclusive for students who might have needs different from those of the “normalized” student (or who the education system think the “normalized” student is). Learning about Dr. Brownell’s work validates students’ importance in a classroom, a perspective that I had not particularly been experiencing, and one that pushed me to take a more active approach towards my own learning.

Q: What obstacles did you face during your time here at ASU, and how did you overcome them?

A: I have faced multiple obstacles here at ASU. My depression and anxiety have made it incredibly challenging to pass my classes. However, in the past year, I have been able to manage my mental health in a way that enables me to spend more energy on school and have more discipline for my studying.

Additionally, I discovered that I wanted to physically transition and pursued that while I was here at ASU. There is a far way for ASU to go before they have comprehensive inclusivity, but I have been seeing a lot of trans students and queer faculty taking on the challenge that is changing the systems already put in place.

However, the student health care plan was instrumental in helping me feel positively towards my future.

Because of these two obstacles, my ability to succeed here at ASU was hindered, and I have had to repeat a lot of classes. But the faculty members I have found to form relationships with have been incredibly supportive in offering resources, reaching out, and providing support and opportunities. Their help and support is one of the main reasons I will be able to graduate on time.

Q: What are you looking forward to most after graduation?

A: I am looking forward to the time and energy I will now be able to spend on my hobbies and relationships, and on participating in more activism to spread acceptance and understanding.

Q: What is one really special moment or memory during your time at ASU that you will always remember after graduation?

A: I’ll always remember the time my partner and I kissed in front of the anti-gay protestors by the MU.