ASU Lake Havasu celebrates first graduating students

May 9, 2014

ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu CIty marks a major milestone this year when seven students will graduate with their bachelor’s degrees.

ASU in Lake Havasu is the university’s newest location that features an innovative educational experience and provides students with a more affordable alternative to earn a college degree. All members of the first group of graduates are transfer students who enrolled when ASU Lake Havasu opened in 2012. Five are psychology majors and two students majored in communication. Shawn Gall (left) and Brittney Weber Download Full Image

“This is an extraordinary group of students. Five of them will graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors. They all have worked very hard to complete their degrees in two years,” said David Young, director of ASU Lake Havasu.

Students who attend ASU in Lake Havasu City enjoy the academic excellence of a major research university as they attain their educational goals in a close-knit academic community that offers hands-on learning experiences, small classes and leadership opportunities. Degree opportunities include life sciences, business communication, criminal justice and criminology, organizational leadership, communication, political science, psychology and sociology.

Brittney Weber transferred to ASU Lake Havasu from Mohave Community College to pursue a psychology degree. She was planning on attending the University of Arizona, but chose ASU after hearing that the university was coming to her city.

“The convenience factor and low cost were of paramount importance at the time I made my decision,” she said.

Memorable moments for Weber at ASU Lake Havasu include meeting ASU President Michael Crow, assisting in research, attending a psychology conference in Portland, Oregon and enjoying the process of pioneering ASU Lake Havasu.

Weber reached a major milestone for an undergraduate when she co-authored a paper with Lake Havasu City faculty member Sharon Harvey that was presented at the Wesleyan Theological Society conference. The paper, "Inside/Outside: Erikson's Pseudospeciation Meets Wesleyan Ecclesiology," explores the ritualization theory of the developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst Erik Erikson and its application to the church as an institution.

“I am incredibly grateful for the multitude of positive experiences I have had over the course of the past two years. I feel that, given that ASU Lake Havasu is in its beginning stages, director David Young, as well as the faculty and staff, are particularly accommodating to students' needs. There is a strong ambience of success at this campus, and many opportunities exist for those who have a desire to seize them,” she said. Weber plans to pursue a master’s degree after taking a year off to work on another research project with Lake Havasu City Programs Lecturer Eylin Palamaro Munsell.

Shawn Gall returned to school to major in psychology after owning his own business for years. As an older student who transferred from Mohave Community College, he initially thought he might feel out of place at the university, but found instead that students often turned to him.

“The students never have really treated me like the old guy. It really makes me feel good when they come up and solicit my advice for something,” Gall said.

As a member of the first group of graduates, he remembers his elation when he found out that ASU was coming to Lake Havasu City.

“I was ecstatic. Everything fell into place. The convenience was really a huge sale for me, not having to pick up and leave. ASU was definitely my school of choice,” Gall said. “I was the very first person who was admitted.”

Another milestone will be reached in his undergraduate work when a research study that he conducted, “Body Posture has Little Effect on Memory” with faculty member Scott McIntyre, is presented at the Association for Psychological Science in San Francisco. Gall plans on continuing his education after graduation and earning his master’s degree.

The first graduates will celebrate their accomplishments during commencement from 6-8 p.m., May 16, at Daytona Gym in Lake Havasu City. Graduating students, their majors, hometowns and where they previously attended college are:

Kristy Rocco (summa cum laude), communication, Phoenix, Glendale Community College, Rio Salado Community College, Paradise Valley Community College; Travis Foley, psychology, Mohave Valley, Arizona., Univ. of South Carolina, Mohave Community College, Los Angeles Mission College; Michelle Kent (summa cum laude), psychology, Owatonna, Minnesota, Mohave Community College; Jade Taylor (summa cum laude), psychology, Columbus, Ohio, Mohave Community College; Victor Rasor-Thompson, communication, San Diego, San Mateo Community College, San Diego City College, University of San Diego, California State University- Monterey Bay; Brittney Weber (summa cum laude), psychology, Bozeman, Montana, Mohave Community College; Shawn Gall (summa cum laude), psychology, Burlington, Iowa, Mohave Community College.

Community-minded undergrads awarded for their contributions

Carley Tafoya, recipient of the Jean Chaudhuri Memorial Scholarship

Each year the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences presents the Sun Angel Funk Award, The Len and Rena Gordon “Spunky” Award and Jean Chaudhuri Memorial Scholarship to students who excel as undergraduate student scholars and contributors to their local community.

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Community-minded undergrads awarded for their contributions

May 9, 2014

This year, four outstanding individuals have been singled out by members of the campus community for special recognition. Carley Tafoya, recipient of the Jean Chaudhuri Memorial Scholarship Download Full Image

Carley Tafoya: Jean Chaudhuri Memorial Scholarship

Tafoya graduates this May with degrees in American Indian studies and justice studies and a minor in political science. A Dean’s Medalist, she believes the depth of knowledge that she’s developed from her degree choices provide the perfect platform to pursue a degree in law. She says her experiences, “opened my eyes to important factors like the sovereignty of tribal communities, the necessity of education that incorporates American Indian culture, and the vital need for American Indian leaders in all career fields.”

The Chaudhuri scholarship recognizes the achievements of a graduating undergraduate American Indian student who has succeeded in the world outside of his or her culture.

Tafoya offers this bit of advice to incoming ASU freshman: “Work hard, find something you are passionate about, and squeeze some fun into your schedule. Remember every encounter is important, respect people. Remember to give credit where it is due and always be thankful for those that take time for you. Lastly, professors are your number one supporters! Use their office hours and get to know them because they will be your recommenders for future educational and career development. Enjoy ASU it is an amazing place to learn and grow.”

Elija Flores: Len and Rena Gordon “Spunky” Award

This award was established by former associate dean of academic programs, Len Gordon, and his wife to recognize a student who has shown "spunk" in overcoming obstacles to succeed as an undergraduate.

Flores came to ASU thinking about medical school, but discovered a greater interest in pursuing public health, most particularly in the environmental health field. She says her study abroad experience in Switzerland in particular was a pivotal time in her life, ultimately changing the way that she saw the world. She will receive her degree in global health, with a sustainability minor and a Creative City certificate. Her proudest achievement, however, is being a first-generation student. Fluent in sign language, she embraces the cultural and linguistic challenges that travel brings and hopes to join AmeriCorps or Peace Corps after her graduation in 2015. Ultimately, she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in sustainability.

Flores believes one important aspect of ASU is the ability to build close connections with staff and teachers that help “give you the tools and resources you need to succeed in your field of choice.”

Samuel DiCarlo and Nicole Hale: Sun Angel Funk Awards.

This award recognizes undergraduate students who demonstrate academic prominence and community-focused awareness with his or her actions.

DiCarlo graduates in 2015 with bachelor’s degrees in justice studies and in sociology. Studying how people interact with each other and societal institutions fascinated DiCarlo even before he came to ASU. In some senses, social justice and justice studies could be said to be in his blood, with a father serving as a Phoenix police officer, his mother employed by Catholic Charities and his brother an officer with Salt River. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA, he believes one of his great accomplishments as a student has been his internship with the Phoenix Vice Enforcement Unit, which primarily investigates issues related to prostitution and sex crimes.

“I can help make the public aware that sex trafficking is not just some foreign phenomenon, it is something that happens daily right here in our own backyard. One way in which I am doing this is through my current thesis project, in which I am creating a video that examines why so many trafficking victims are children from the foster care system,” says DiCarlo. “My intention is to one day be able to show it to children in foster care so that they can better understand what makes them vulnerable to being trafficked and how it can be prevented.”

His devotion to young people is also evident beyond his academic pursuits and experiences and in his work as a nanny to three boys. “What started off as a job has changed into so much more, these boys are my family and they are one of my main priorities in my life.”

Sun Angel Funk Award recipient Nicole Hale completes her bachelor’s degree in justice studies and another in global studies, with a certificate in human rights, in 2015. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA, she has also been active with Gina’s Team, a non-profit that works with women currently or formerly incarcerated at Perryville Prison. She feels that her experience has allowed her to take her passion for helping others and her studies and apply it to her own community. “I strongly believe that knowledge is useless without action,” notes Hale, who hopes to attend law school and attain a higher degree in public policy.

Her advice to new students is to “have the courage to throw yourself into any new experience, both inside and outside academic contexts. It takes a great deal of courage to do so, as there are always insecurities and doubts as to whether one is ready and capable or not. However, if you can find a way to simply show up and be present at whatever comes your way, you will find unexpected opportunities. We never know what events or people will shape our lives forever, but we will never find out if we don’t have the courage to show up.”