As an organization we decided to dedicate a blog post to the people in our lives that have made this past year spectacular and thank them for all that they have done.
Aly Perkins: I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue higher education, and for the supportive family and friends that encourage me to challenge myself every day. I am also thankful to be involved in a larger Sun Devil community full of hard-working, passionate individuals aiming to create positive change in the world.
Angelica Cabral: I am thankful for my family who has endless patience with me and helps me stay sane. I’m thankful for my friends who really make Arizona State University feel like a second home. Finally, I’m thankful for the professional and academic success I’ve been able to have this semester with my thesis.
Laila Kabongi: I am extremely grateful for all the wonderful blessings I have in my life, which without, I would not be where I am. This includes my amazing mom and siblings who are always there for me, my incredible friends who keep me grounded, and my awesome staff that always goes above and beyond.
Grace Ramsey: I am so thankful to have access to so many opportunities and resources that allow me to develop myself as a person and as an advocate. I am blessed to have the education and experiences that will allow me to make an impact on my society in my future. I am incredibly privileged to be able to attend a university.
Yasmin Alvarado: I am thankful for my parents who have supported me since I was a little girl. My parents have pushed me to do my best and I am grateful for everything they have done for me. I am also thankful for being able to pursue higher education. As a first-generation Mexican student, it means a lot to be able to pursue all of these amazing opportunities.
Megan McMahon: I am thankful to go home to my loving family, and dogs, when I feel stressed or need a break. My family has really helped me through my first semester of college and I am so thankful for all the sacrifices they have made to help me through.
Daria Jenkins: This year I am grateful to have my amazing friends and family (especially my mom) who have been there for me this year. Also I am very thankful for both of my work families, USGD and SDFC Downtown Intramurals, for making work fun and being such a lively and positive environment.
Veronica Galvin: This year I’d like to recognize the people who have supported me throughout multiple big decisions I’ve made recently. This includes my closest and most kindest friends and family that I am so proud to associate with everyday. They have shaped who I am today and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities given to me because of them.
Leah Nakaima: I am extremely thankful to God for my life and the connections I have been able to make while at ASU. It has been a phenomenal experience and I am so grateful to all those that have made it possible, including my parents and siblings so far away:)
Michelle Ailport: I’m thankful for my amazing friends and family who support me during the rough patches, celebrate with me during the good times, and continually inspire me to continue to grow. I’ve been afforded so many great, life changing opportunities over the past year–I’m grateful to be where I am today.
Patrick Collins: With 2018 being a whirlwind of a year, I would be remiss to not recognize my friends who helped me along the way. They have been accepting and ready to help at a moment’s notice, and I cannot thank them enough for their support.
Alyssa Anderson: I think it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all that is happening on a day-to-day basis, causing us to become unappreciative of the little things, the ordinary things. Therefore, I’m grateful for my ability to marvel at life’s ordinary things: the glimpse of sun on a cloudy day, shared laughter with other human beings, or even the first sip of coffee. This life is filled with ordinary moments that are actually quite extraordinary, and it's these moments that I am especially grateful for.
Marissa Bourbon: I am thankful for good food, good company, good experiences, and a good life. Even though things can become overwhelming or stressful, I am reminded of how awesome life is and can be.
Khadijah Bah: I am grateful to have lived the past 20 years of my life with people who I wouldn't trade the world for. Everything I am, was, or will become is because of the God I love and those who He has gifted me.
Aldwin Galang: I am forever thankful and grateful for the opportunity to attend and continue my education at one of the most prestigious university in the United States which is ASU. I’m also blessed to be surrounded by inspiring and hardworking friends I’ve ever met in my entire life at my new school at ASU. Lastly, I’m thankful that coffee existed in this world.
Lance Lim: I am thankful for all the friends I’ve made in college and my family for supporting me. I’m also thankful for all the opportunities to lead and learn in college.
Dahlia Stott: I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and develop as a person everyday. I am thankful to my mom who has been the ultimate example of how to be caring but also an amazing leader.
Jacqueline White: Everyday I wake up and have the freedom to pursue my dreams in a magnificent world. I am grateful for all of the obstacles I experience in this pursuit as they challenge me to become better, and I am thankful for all of life’s happy accidents that have brought me to where I am today. Most importantly, I am grateful for the gift of life, and for the people whom I love and cherish that truly make this life worth living.
Dawn Bransby: I am beyond thankful for my family who has let me go out of state for college which has allowed me to receive a great education and be apart of organizations like USGD. Also, I am thankful for those I have met at ASU that have shown me that college will be hard, but that we are all going through it together.
Athena Ellefson: I’m always very thankful for people in my community, whether it’s family, friends, classmates, co-workers, etc. I’m thankful for the opportunities I am exposed to everyday. Also I am grateful for the experiences–good and bad–that I go through to shape the person I become.
Alexis Sammon: This year I am most grateful to be pursuing higher education at ASU. It is a privilege to learn from the students and staff at this institution, and they have opened up so many opportunities for me to better myself and the world around me. Also, I’m thankful for my dad because he’s the best of the best.
Lauren Fountain: This year, I’m especially thankful for a family that supports me without fail, friends who show me unwavering love, and the opportunity to further my education at an institution I couldn’t be prouder to represent.
Hannah Ehrlich: I’m grateful for the #MeToo movement and for the chance to get married for the time being. I’m grateful that my synagogue is safe for now, hopefully forever. I send my wishes to the families of those killed in the Synagogue shooting.
Kellen Donovan: Each day I am thankful for my friends and family for their endless support in everything I do. I am thankful that I can attend Arizona State University and have the opportunity to learn and hopefully one day make an impact on others.
Melina Robles: I am thankful for my family and friends. Without them I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today. They inspire me everyday be the best version of myself that I can be.