We are now gonna head back to ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus by Thunderbird’s new global headquarters. Here, we have Pauline waiting for us. Pauline has an awesome story, everyone, and she’s gonna share that story and the unbelievable global mindset and impact ASU has on the world. Pauline, take it away.
Hi, everybody. I am so excited to share my story and my experience with you all. My name is Pauline Nalumansi. I was born and raised in Uganda. I come from a rural community and a family that never believed in educating a girl child, but guess what? I was determined to get that education and be the first girl in my family to be educated.
ASU and Thunderbird School of Global Management gave me the opportunity to interact with students, staff, and faculty from different countries and backgrounds. And that gave me that opportunity to learn a new language, to test different kinds of food, as well as learning a different culture. It’s like I get to travel around the world, but doing it here in one location. Thunderbird is the champion of a global mindset. ASU gave me the opportunity to participate in causes that I care about. For example, the Global Consulting Lab that gives students the opportunity to study and work in other countries with local companies. My team and I traveled to Ecuador and worked with Heifer International.
My favorite experience was interacting and meeting with the native Ecuadorian women that raised alpaca animals. It was surprising that their food and culture and way of living is very similar to my home culture. Access to unlimited resources, funds, and mentorship is another opportunity ASU gave me to engage in causes that I care about. ASU’s packed my passion for social entrepreneurship. Since I started my own nonprofit, The Pauline Foundation, I have participated in over six pitch competitions at ASU and Thunderbird, winning over $10,000 in funding. It gives me so much joy to know that ASU is allowing people like myself and others to thrive and to achieve our dreams. For future Thunderbird students, you’ll be studying in a brand new building being built right now here in downtown Phoenix.
My experience at ASU and Thunderbird made me realize that we live in a globalized world. We are citizens of the world, and you can make a difference wherever you are. You will develop a global mindset. Your entrepreneurship spirit will be enlightened. And expect to meet people from all walks of life. Alex, back to you.
Pauline, that was beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story. What you are doing through ASU and Thunderbird is absolutely incredible. The world needs more people just like you. That was awesome. Bye, Pauline.
Okay, let’s head over to the center of Tempe’s campus to meet Marcus. He has a great story and is gonna speak about veteran support and community here at Arizona State University Marcus, you’re up.
Ya’at’eeh. That means hello in Navajo. I’m a Navajo Nation citizen, I’m a United States Air Force veteran, and I’m an Arizona State University Sun Devil, so go Devils. Currently, I’m pursuing my doctoral degree in civil environmental and sustainable engineering. My research is in exploring and developing capacity in construction management education and training for rural areas and on tribal lands.
I arrived at ASU as a 30-year-old sophomore transfer student. I didn’t know anyone nor was I familiar with the area. It was exciting and scary all at once. I never thought I’d be a student at a state university, even more unbelievable as one as large as ASU. The most exciting first moments that I remember was stepping foot in the campus fitness center and seeing Sparky on the floor and everywhere, even on the weights. My second moment was finishing my very first class. It was real. I am a Sun Devil. What was missing was friends. So I started searching for others like me.
So who am I? I’m a 30-year-old Air Force veteran who found my way back to school. I needed to find others like me. ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center hosts welcome events and academic and career development programs specifically designed for military and military affiliated service members. This is where we meet each other. They create an environment for student veterans to transition into their academic careers. Here’s where it all begins. Many student veterans become CEOs, entrepreneurs, presidents of nonprofit organizations, researchers, and professors. I’ve made lifelong friends who are like family, just like we did in the military, only now our mission is education.
One thing I wish I had known before I got out of the service was that ASU has full online degree programs. The same award-winning professors that teach here on campus are the same professors that teach these degrees online. You can access and start your higher education career from anywhere in the world. And talking about my experience here at ASU, I have to say it has been exceptional. I work here and I study here. This institution has provided me with the opportunity to work with tribal nations and the construction industry nationwide.
Because of ASU and working with student veterans, I’ve been invited to the White House to discuss Native American veteran issues. I’ve met members of Congress, members of the Cabinet, State leaders, and higher education professionals to talk about Native American student issues today. I wake up every day thankful that I get paid to work with tribes, that I get to do research here with leading experts in my field of study, and I get to do it all here at ASU. And back to you, Alex.
Marcus, that was fantastic. First off, thank you for your service. And it is awesome to hear how ASU is supporting veterans and helping so many accomplish their dreams. That was great. Thanks again, Marcus.
Okay, everyone. Let’s now head over to the design buildings at ASU. Jessica Hollock is a senior studying architecture here, and she’s excited to share with everyone what a growth mindset is all about at Arizona State University. Jessica, please take it away.
Hi, everyone. I’ve always had the desire to design and knew that ASU would be the one to help me find my niche. What I love about my experience so far is to be able to grow into the person I am today and the amazing relationships I’ve developed in this community. One of the things that everyone constantly experiences throughout their lifetime is growth. And at ASU growth, is something that they excel in teaching. From student-run organizations to professors, there are many people in the community who are here to root you on in this challenging stage of your life.
For me, knowing that this major can get difficult at times, it’s great to know that I have friends and faculty to lean on. I get advice from friends in the Latinx Student Architecture Organization, along with critiques from faculty like Marc Neveu. Knowing that it’s okay to fail is a key factor to succeeding here in the Design School at ASU. Our classwork consists of developing projects until we are confident in our outcomes. I have been able to create conducive study habits, a great work ethic, and a network beyond my expectations.
The biggest thing I love about my architecture major is the models we make. They are like no other. And I always get excited to put that last piece on. When I really get into a project, I never wanna stop until it’s done because I get so personally invested in it. Although it can be exhausting at times, when you’re over that hill and you can see the end, it’s one of the most relieving feelings ever. And anyone in the Design School can tell you that. Not only does my resilience show in my schoolwork, but also my social life. I was able to translate this passion of mine into a role in a student-run organization called the 942 Crew as the design committee chair. In this role, I am in charge of getting designs developed for everything graphics, assisting in marketing strategies, and organizing committee functions.
College has taught me more than just having a strong work ethic and having resilience in my schoolwork. It’s also taught me to go into every situation with a positive mindset and take every opportunity as a challenge. This means anything that comes my way in the future is unknown, yet anything is possible and I’m ready for it. Alex, back to you.
Jessica, Great job. Thank you for sharing your personal story and journey here. What you’re doing in the world of design is fascinating. Thanks again. Cheers, Jessica.
ASU is so inclusive and strives to be accessible to students everywhere. In fact, they offer more than 200 degrees 100% online taught by the same award-winning faculty team that’s here on Campus. So let’s meet up with Emily Vance. She’s a senior majoring in photography and has an awesome story about how ASU’s access to education has literally changed her life. Emily, please take it away.
Hey, everyone. Although it has taken me a decade to get to the finish line, I am so excited that graduation is just around the corner. I always told myself that as an artist, I didn’t need to go to college, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Arizona State University has provided me with so many amazing opportunities and I couldn’t be where I am today without them.
I first began my journey with ASU Online in the summer of 2014, soon after ASU launched their program with Starbucks. My then boyfriend, now husband, and I were both working as baristas. Although we had both completed some college, due to financial restraints, we couldn’t finish our degrees. But I began chipping away at my degree slowly but surely. And due to the crazy busy schedule of work and planning a wedding, I was able to take just one class at a time. I always strive to say yes to every new adventure, so when a once in a lifetime opportunity came up, we jumped on it.
Because of the flexibility of ASU’s online program, we were able to relocate from Washington to a teeny, tiny town in Kansas to live on my family’s farm for a year. Had we both been enrolled in on-campus learning, we never would have been able to make such a drastic change. Fast forward a few months on the farm, and we finally got to visit Tempe, Arizona for the very first time for my husband’s graduation. The moment the plane landed, we felt a sense of belonging. Arizona was where we needed to be. Luckily my husband Mark was in the process of applying for grad school, and ASU was at the top of his list. So in the summer of 2018, we packed up again and moved right here to Arizona.
Although we loved our time at Starbucks, it was time to move on and focus on our careers. We both found on-campus student jobs that made the move so much easier, and both were a lot more relevant to our career goals. Once we moved here, so many amazing things began to happen. Mark completed his Master’s degree and is now working on his PhD. And so many doors started to open for me. Although I was taking a full course load, I was able to head to Disneyland twice to work as a volunteer photographer with Together we Rise, an organization that helps kids in the foster care system.
From there, I found the confidence to launch the Mask Portrait Project, a collection of portraits that highlight the importance of masking up. And with ASU’s help, I was able to work with the mayor of Tempe and Phoenix, and we’ve been published over two dozen times. Today, I am just months away from graduating, something I never would have imagined when I left high school.
I’ve never been more proud to be a Sun Devil or more excited about my future. There’s something so magical about living in the desert and having such an amazing support system. ASU really does have your best interest at heart and they will do everything in their power to help you succeed. I can’t thank them enough for all the amazing opportunities they’ve provided for both myself and my husband. All right, Alex, that’s my story. Back to you.
Emily, that was great. Thank you for sharing your story. It’s amazing all the ways ASU helps each and every student here succeed.
Okay, so now we’re heading over to ASU’s Polytechnic Campus to meet up with Rachel Shantz. She’s a junior majoring in air traffic management, and she’s gonna spend a few minutes talking about the many different campuses ASU offers its students. This is really cool. Rachel, please take it away.
Thanks, Alex. We’re here at the Polytechnic Campus, and the Polytechnic Campus was the perfect choice for me for a lot of reasons, the first of which being that it offers my very niche program in air traffic management. ASU is one of only a few institutions that offers an air traffic control program that is pre-approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
When I was in high school, my brother attended the Polytechnic Campus as a software engineering major, so I was already very familiar with the campus. And I was mostly drawn to the size. My graduating high school class only had about 90 students in it, so I was already really used to knowing all of my classmates, having relationships with my teachers. And I personally feel that I learn much better in that environment. So I’m really grateful that ASU has the Polytechnic Campus as an option because you really get that small college type of environment while still maintaining all of the benefits of coming to an institution as large as ASU.
ASU has four main campuses located in the Greater Metropolitan Phoenix area, and they’re primarily organized by area of study. Our Tempe Campus, which is our largest campus, offers a range of programs from engineering, business, art and design, global futures, education, and much, much more. At the Downtown Phoenix Campus, you’ll find our nursing program, the majority of our health programs, public service, law, global management, and one of the top journalism schools in the country. The West Campus includes our criminal justice programs, our interdisciplinary arts and sciences, and some business, health, and education programs. The Polytechnic Campus is comprised of engineering degrees, including our four aviation programs. The Polytechnic Campus also includes some additional business, integrative arts and sciences, and education programs.
ASU also offers a wide variety of learning opportunities outside of the four main campuses in the greater Phoenix area, including ASU@Lake Havasu, ASU Local, which is located in downtown Los Angeles, and we offer a wide variety of programs on ASU Online. ASU has also partnered with many community colleges, which means that you can transfer your credits to a four-year ASU degree program without issue. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Polytechnic Campus is truly where I belong, and I firmly believe that with all of the options and opportunities available to you at Arizona State, you can find where you belong, too. Back to you, Alex.
Rachel, that was fantastic. First of all, thank you for being the future of keeping our sky safe and sound with air travel, and what a great walk through of all the campuses. ASU has options for anyone’s taste. That was great. Cheers, Rachel.
Oh, this is gonna be a lot of fun. We’re now heading to the Generator Labs. Here, we’re gonna meet up with Zion, a senior majoring in computer science, who’s gonna talk about what an innovative mindset is all about here at Arizona State. Zion, you’re on.
Thanks, Alex. I grew up on the west side of the big island of Hawaii on a coffee farm to a Native Hawaiian-Chinese family. So as you can imagine, computer science was a stretch for me. I decided to attend ASU in my senior year of high school because of a great counselor I had, Miss Kekaulike. She introduced me to the idea of pursuing education in more than just my classes, and ASU was the perfect fit with its startup and research culture.
So I joined ASU and started my degree in computer science. When I got here, I was hungry to join a startup or a club. I was introduced to a hacking club, the pwndevils. Don’t worry, the good kind of hacking. I had no knowledge of cybersecurity at the time and was honestly frightened by some of the complex concepts. To learn more about my major, I started competing in these 48-hour events called CTFs, cybersecurity competitions where we hack into sanctioned machines as fast as we can. I was highly devoted to these competitions and found myself competing in them every single weekend.
Soon I saw my grades taking off because I had acquired potentially years of experience in computer science in only a few months. I saw myself rising to the top of my class because of a super interesting extracurricular club I had joined. This is really where my innovative mindset started forming. As I started getting better at these competitions, I started getting invited to finals competitions with my team all over the world. These experiences really start changing the way you start thinking about problems and open up an entirely new way of approaching things.
Now, as the president of pwndevils, I try to make sure that these experiences can be replicated for the next generation of ASU hackers. Soon, I found myself asking, if I can do all these hacking things, how can I fix them so bad guys can’t? I then found myself in a research lab where I could take all these things I had learned as a competitive world-class hacker and apply them to research to fix the real world. My lab inspired me to do great things and it parallels the experiences that many other students have here at ASU in research labs.
It’s always intriguing to hear about the different things people are doing in their labs, like volcanic analysis with AI-driven drones, or modeling black holes, or exploring education through virtual reality simulations. All very interesting topics. I was able to access this hidden and complex field all through the experiences that ASU had made available to me, which completely opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. Alex, back to you.
Zion, that was awesome. Great job. These hackathons you’re getting to compete in through ASU look amazing. I wanna come to one of these events one day. Thank you again for sharing your story. Cheers, Zion.
Okay everyone, let’s head over to the student center and meet senior Evan. Evan is an accounting major in the Dayton school of business. Asbury is preparing students for an ever-changing global economy, and Asbury’s Dayton School of business is one of the ways students are preparing for this future. In the business school, professors are focused on teaching students to be the best for the world, not of the world. Let’s check out Evan’s story. Evan, please take it away.
– Thanks Alex. Hey, y’all. When college searching, I wanted a place where I’d be challenged and thrive, with both my education and experiences. College is not just about education, but the moments that cultivate our future. I chose Asbury University because of the people here who truly want to invest in my life. And I know that as an accounting major in the business school, I’ll be prepared to work as an expert financial advisor while positively impacting the lives of those I work with. For the last three years, I gained real world leadership skills by serving on the cabinet recently as president, for Asbury’s Phi Beta Lambda chapter, a national career preparation organization for college students. Professors here encourage us to become the best we can be for the world, by teaching biblical principles of stewardship and ethics. They even throw us dinners to celebrate our hard work. Alumni support is also critical to the Dayton school of business’ success. Asbury alumni and friends gifted our gorgeous campus with a new $26 million collaborative learning center. Soon, we’ll share this cutting edge new space with our classmates in the school of sciences. The CLC will bring together future entrepreneurs and scientists, healthcare professionals, and marketing experts to learn from and with each other. Thus collaboration will help make it possible to combine the sciences with business and get real world experience, such as bringing new discoveries to the market. The professors and mentors at Asbury prepared me for future success by providing great networking connections in my career field and practical opportunities to build my resume. Most importantly, I am both prepared and motivated to serve others, provide creative solutions to today’s pressing problems and add value to the market. Now I have two internships and Asbury’s MBA program lined up after I graduate. The Dayton school of business places all the tools necessary for our journey in front of us. All we have to do is grab them and dream. Throwing it back to you, Alex.
– Evan, nice dance moves. Thank you. Your passion for sharing how Asbury is preparing you to provide creative solutions to today’s problems, and adding value to the marketplace is so inspiring. We look forward to cheering you on as you complete that MBA. Cheers Evan.
Okay, everyone, let’s start things off here at Baylor’s campus and meet Trey. He just graduated with his bachelor’s in health science studies and a minor in biology and business administration, and he’s gonna highlight some of his favorite Baylor traditions and tell us about the spirit and battle cry of the Baylor Bears. Okay, Trey, it’s all yours. Please take it away.
Thanks for the introduction, Alex. Hey there, everyone. I’m here to talk to you about a few of the traditions that make Baylor University truly one of a kind. A little known fact about our school is that it was founded in February of 1845, which is a little over a year before Texas was made the 28th state in the US. This means that Baylor University has had almost two centuries to develop a rich history of traditions that many generations of Bears have been able to celebrate. One of the oldest and most well-known of these traditions is our annual homecoming celebration. The Baylor family first started celebrating homecoming in 1909, making our university the first in the nation to do so. Ever since then, Baylor students have participated in homecoming events such as Mass Meeting, in which our freshmen students learn about our university’s traditions, Pigskin, which is an amazing musical style showcase, our pep rally celebration, in which there is an enormous bonfire, and, of course, our homecoming football game. One of my favorites was being able to watch the annual Baylor homecoming parade, which is the oldest, and one of the biggest in the nation. The energy around campus during homecoming time is so great, it’s electrifying. The holiday season is another fun-filled time here on Baylor’s campus. Every year, the Baylor family gathers on Fountain Mall in the center of campus to have a special Thanksgiving dinner together in celebration of fellowship, community, and all that God has blessed us with. Not too long after this is when our Christmas on 5th celebration takes place. During this time, our entire campus is decked out in Christmas trees and lights, games and activities, and even a live nativity scene. The fan favorite event of the night, however, is our Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which happens out on the quad. In my opinion, there is no better way to kick off the Christmas season. If you ask the typical Baylor student what their favorite springtime tradition is, chances are, they’ll tell you that it’s Diadeloso, which means “day of the bear” in Spanish. On Dia Del Oso, Baylor gives its students a much-needed day off right before springtime finals. For the entire day, our campus is filled with events and activities such as inflatable obstacle courses, food trucks, concerts, and even some petting zoos out on Fountain Mall. I’ll never forget, my freshman year during Dia, they had goat yoga, and even swimming with otters. Throughout the year, every Baylor student has the opportunity to enjoy a free Dr Pepper float every Tuesday in the Student Union Building at an event known as Dr Pepper Hour. Dr Pepper Hour is not only a great time to catch up with your friends in between classes, but also, a good time to get to know your professors, who just might be enjoying a Dr Pepper float, as well. To be a true Baylor fan, every Bear must know how to perform our most unique tradition of all, the Sic ’em. Every Baylor Bear knows that the Sic ’em is our battle cry at games, a greeting, or even just a phrase you use to celebrate. Without a doubt, by the time you graduate, “Sic ’em, Bears” just might be a part of your everyday vocabulary. From the moment you first set foot on campus to whenever you walk across the graduation stage, Baylor University completely immerses you in a truly unique college experience you won’t find anywhere else. But that’s enough for me. Now back to you, Alex.
That’s awesome, Trey! Thank you for showing us how important traditions are to the Baylor experience, and congrats on your graduation. I know you’re looking forward to returning to campus for a homecoming as a Baylor alum. Thanks again, Trey. Good luck on all your future endeavors. Take care.
Alex. Between classes, athletics and working on campus, our next student Kirby stays plenty busy. He’s a religion major and a member of the track team. As you will hear, Kirby wasn’t sure he could afford a private university, but through a variety of scholarships and Carson-Newman’s work study program, Kirby has seen his dream of being a university graduate coming true.
– Thanks Alex. Hey, y’all when searching for colleges, I wanted to find a school that reflected my Christian faith had an athletic program with which I could be involved, And most importantly, was affordable. I prayed that God would lead me to the university that could help me reach all three factors that I found important in my college search process. After I was accepted to Carson-Newman, the amount of scholarships available to me was a clear sign that this is where I was meant to be. With scholarships as a track athlete, and in the honors program, I’ve been able to meet a lot of different people and be involved in a lot of different kinds of activities. You may think it difficult to balance practices and competitions with the large academic workload that Honor’s demands, but here at Carson-Newman, the Carson-Newman Academic Advising Team has helped me with strategies to manage my time more efficiently. Carson-Newman also offers work study positions. I had the opportunity to work in the Admissions Department, where I was able to give campus tours to students and their families. The work-study positions are designed to be highly flexible in order to work around your busy academic schedule. They help you get involved on campus, meet new people, and most importantly, help pay for college, all at the same time, These scholarships help make college a reality for me, and they can for you too. Carson-Newman strives to offer an affordable Christ-centered education to everyone. Carson-Newsman has a variety of scholarships, including sports, honors, merit, art, music, forensics, and even community service. In fact, over 96% of our students receive some form of financial aid. No matter your major or interest, Carson-Newman has a scholarship for everyone. I know that Carson-Newman cares about my future and they are giving me the opportunity to succeed. What’s up next, Alex?
– Did you all hear what Kirby just said? More than 96% of Carson-Newman students receive some form of financial aid. That is amazing! That’s just one more example of the staff at Carson-Newman working to make a university education accessible to just about anyone. Thanks again for taking the time with us, Kirby. That was amazing.
Okay. Everyone let’s meet Alex. He’s not only a member of Carson-Newman’s men’s soccer team, but this junior is majoring in finance and economics. Alex is going to talk to us about the incredible opportunities he’s had to get a hands-on experience in the business program. And he’s going to share a unique program that gives students valuable investment experience. Okay, Alex, it’s all yours.
– Hey everyone. I’m a junior here at Carson-Newman and on the men’s soccer team. When I began my college search, I primarily based my decision off where I could play. But after being here for a few years, I’ve realized that there’s so many more opportunities than just soccer. Since being at Carson-Newman for the past two years, I’ve been able to connect with many teammates, professors, and peers that have helped me grow educationally and professionally. With Carson-Newman being a smaller Christian school, it allows our professors and advisors to take a more personalized approach to helping us reach our full potential, both inside and outside of the classroom. Our business program has a state-of-the-art building and faculty with real-world experience to help students succeed. Our McLean Investment Center allows students to work with a student managed investment fund. We work with professors to manage the fund and gain valuable investing experience. This personal approach has helped me keep my education and grades on track, but it has also allowed me to grow and take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom, such as work and internship options. As a matter of fact, my recent internship with Northwestern Mutual will really contribute to my goal of becoming a financial advisor. And Carson Newman has a great MBA program, which I planned to enter after I finish my undergraduate degree. Be assured that whatever major you choose you can count on being prepared for the real world and enjoying your experience along the way. After being here at Carson-Newman, I can tell you there’s no place that I’d rather be. Carson-Newman has provided me with opportunities that I could not have imagined having as a college student. Okay. Back to you, Alex.
– Alex, thanks for sharing your experience as a business student here at Carson-Newman and all the exciting opportunities you have received here. Oh, and good luck getting your MBA. Thanks again.