Sun Devils Rising graduation ceremony celebrates Sun Devils who prioritized their wellness

For many first-year students, starting college can be a scary and lonely time. When recent ASU grad Kristine Kuhn was starting at ASU, she began looking for ways to get out of her residence hall and meet new people.  

Kuhn, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, took guidance from her community assistant and began attending meetings of Team One Love, a club that raises awareness about domestic violence in relationships. 

ASU graduate Kristine Kuhn

Kuhn’s experience in this club ignited a passion in her for working in domestic and sexual violence prevention. From here, Kuhn became involved in ASU’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention Program.

Kuhn began as a peer educator, but shortly after was asked to take over social media and help with marketing for the program. 

“My last year I wanted to have more personal interactions with students,” Kuhn said. 

From there, she began leading discussions and training sessions for the Sun Devil Support Network.

“SDSN is a specific, longer training for people who are really passionate about the topic and want to be more involved,” Kuhn said. “I wanted to get more involved in that so I could meet people who had that passion and could really drive it forward.”

Kuhn said that her experience working with the program helped her communication and leadership skills. Her experience helped her learn patience, respect, understanding and empathy in the workplace. 

“It made me more empathetic to everyone around me, especially those who have experienced violence,” Kuhn said. “It has made me more understanding, it has made me more outspoken about things that I believe in and it has given me an amazing group of friends that are honestly some of the best people I’ve met.” 

Kuhn had the opportunity to speak about her experiences with the program at a special resiliency graduation ceremony, Sun Devils Rising: A Celebration of Resiliency, Community and Academic Success, held on May 28. 

Kuhn was one of 21 graduates invited to this ceremony for participation in an ASU program or organization that emphasized resiliency and wellness. Family, friends and various ASU staff joined 18 graduates being recognized for their resilience and impact on the ASU community. 

A presentation at the ceremony showcased each graduate’s accomplishments, memories and individual definitions of resilience. Prior to the ceremony, each graduate received a cord in the mail that was used for the graduation.

The ceremony featured a number of speakers, which included professors and notable students from each department. In addition to Kuhn, who was the keynote speaker from the Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention Program, graduates Stephanie Cahill, Hanna Layton and Ashley Cranford from Devils Adapt were also featured as keynote speakers.

Stephanie Cahill, who graduated with a degree in psychology, has worked with ASU’s chapter of Active Minds since the beginning of her first year at ASU. Cahill served as president of Active Minds for the past two years.  

ASU graduate Stephanie Cahill

The group, which focuses on mental health advocacy, was initially intended to connect students with mental health resources such as ASU Counseling Services or the Disability Resource Center. 

As president, however, Cahill wanted to expand the role of the group. She started by working with her team to figure out what Sun Devils needed most on campus when it comes to mental health. Cahill was inspired to be a leader in mental health on campus after experiencing multiple concussions that affected her mental health starting in high school.

Cahill learned that students wanted an outlet where they could share stories with one another about their own mental health journeys. The result was the annual Mental Health Conference that Cahill and her team organized. 

ASU has hosted three mental health conferences so far, all taking place in the spring semester. According to Cahill, the conferences “bring students together to have honest conversations through storytelling.”

At the first conference, only 50 people attended, while the group had been prepared to host many more. The importance of this event was reinforced, however, a few weeks later when Cahill received a note saying that posters at the event prompted an attendee to reach out to the suicide prevention hotline.

Cahill was committed to keeping the event going in an effort to reach out to more people who needed help. With each passing year, the number of attendees at these conferences grew larger. 

Cahill says that her experience working with Active Minds was “new and messy and rewarding,” and that the Mental Health Conference helped teach her resilience. Cahill was able to share and be celebrated for these  experiences at the graduation ceremony. 

Hanna Layton, who graduated with a master’s in sustainable solutions, shared a poem and some of her own wisdom from her time at the Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience.

Layton started working with the center nearly three years ago, initially working as a student outreach management intern. 

In this position, she helped connect students with mindfulness practices, provided support and held mindfulness sessions at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. 

“There’s another pandemic going on right now, and it's just that of stress and how stressed out everyone is,” Layton said. 

According to Layton, her role was to help to mitigate stress for students on campus and just be sort of a relief. 

“I am so deeply grateful to have had this opportunity and to have worked with these outstanding women who have the most gentle but powerful way of approaching leadership,” Layton said. 

Layton said that she also has a responsibility to practice what she teaches and take time each day to practice mindfulness. Layton credits her mindfulness habits with helping her focus and performance in school as well as her mental health. 

“Personally, it has really helped with my own resilience. It has helped me professionally in that I can deal with stress before it takes over. I approach things with gentleness and compassion,” Layton said.