Champion for change: ASU grad’s mission is to educate and empower fellow Sun Devils
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.
Bee O’Callaghan applied to Arizona State University without ever visiting the campus.
“It was exciting and nerve-wracking to branch out,” O’Callaghan said. “I thought it was going to be isolating just because I moved to an apartment and wasn't living on campus, but actually I found a mentor, one of my professors, and an amazing friend group right off the bat.”
O’Callaghan, a fall 2024 semester graduate studying psychology at The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, looked back on her time as a Sun Devil, engaged in both education and advocacy efforts across ASU’s four campuses.
Transferring to ASU
As a transfer student, O’Callaghan’s experience was off the beaten path. She attended a local community college before transitioning to ASU.
“People think that the best route is to go straight into college, but I went to community college beforehand, which was the best decision ever,” O’Callaghan said.
At first, O’Callaghan’s transition from a small institution to ASU’s bustling, socially rich campus was jarring.
“It was definitely scary,” O’Callaghan said. “I walked to my classes, like, five times before the first day just because I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't get lost.”
Still, O’Callaghan encouraged all ASU students to make the most out of their educational experience.
“If you want ASU to be a smaller, close-knit community, you can 100% make it like that,” O’Callaghan said. “You can make it as personable as you need. That's important because so many people think that they're just another student sitting in the back of the class, but really they have just as much of a place as anybody else.”
Advocacy efforts
Outside of the classroom, O’Callaghan first got involved with Devils in the Bedroom, a “paraprofessional student organization that provides inclusive and comprehensive sexual health and wellness education” to ASU students. Within that time, she also discovered ASU’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Program, or SRVP.
“Our advisors at Devils in the Bedroom were always involved with SRVP in some way or another,” O’Callaghan said. “And so I got to be introduced that way. Whenever I was looking for a job, I found their application page, and four months later, I was working there.”
O’Callaghan is now an SRVP peer educator and program aide, working closely with other students to provide education to the broader ASU community.
“On the peer educator side, it's a lot of education,” O’Callaghan said. “I do presentations, go out in the community and host programs about relationship violence.”
While her involvement as a peer educator is large-scale and community-based, O’Callaghan’s work as a program aide is much more intimate.
“That side is focused on how can we support victims and survivors who come into the office,” O’Callaghan said. “It’s very one-on-one with victims and survivors. It's a lot of work, but it's super, super, super rewarding.”
Through SRVP, O’Callaghan was introduced to another program that impacted her experience at ASU: the Sexual Violence Prevention Leadership Program.
“We get to work with anywhere between 10 to 15 students, and we teach them what we learn in our own program as peer educators,” O’Callaghan said. “We discuss how we can prevent violence on our campuses and how we can call out that behavior. It's been amazing.”
O’Callaghan also discussed why advocacy efforts are critical on college campuses specifically.
“It’s so hard to be a college student,” O’Callaghan said. “You’re on your own for the first time. When people experience something that is traumatizing, illegal or a crime, and then come to somebody who can advocate for them and teach them how to advocate for themselves, that's the most important thing.”
Volunteer work
When she isn’t working to spread awareness at ASU, O’Callaghan volunteers her time to local organizations.
“I have a mentee through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and we've been matched for a year and a half now,” O’Callaghan said. “I've been living in Arizona for two years, so that was the first thing that I did, and it's been incredible.
“I always recommend that for leadership positions because being paired with a 13-year-old is challenging, but it's the best relationship ever.”
O’Callaghan was inspired to become a mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program after observing first-hand her parents’ contributions.
“My parents were Big Brothers Big Sisters,” O’Callaghan said. “You get to watch the mentees grow. I remember my parents absolutely loving that to the point where we met up with their mentees years later, after they had aged out of the program.”
Advice to fellow students
When asked if she had advice for other Sun Devils, O’Callaghan reinforced her support of students looking to get involved with SRVP.
“Just go for it,” O’Callaghan said. “These positions are very vulnerable, and sometimes it does feel like you're not able to do it. It can be hard working with victims and survivors, and it can be hard talking about something that's so stigmatized.
"Lean on the people around you and know you aren’t alone.”
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