Sun Devil Spirit

In 2009, a personal health scare shook Taylor Brune’s world. After numerous tests that included a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, it was ultimately discovered that she had contracted Lyme disease. Wanting to think outside of the box, Taylor discovered integrative health and its focus on healing the patient as a whole person. Thus began a journey toward healing her own body nutritionally, emotionally and physically. Eventually, her drive to get better combined with her passion for helping others led her to ASU Online’s integrative health degree program.

With his wealth of knowledge about what it takes to succeed as an online student, Drew suggests connecting with others both in and outside of the virtual classroom for support. Whether it’s using the class discussion board to network with peers or leaning on your family for time management support, Drew knows firsthand that leveraging relationships will lead to success.

When he’s not on the job or tackling the latest sociology lecture, Drew likes to spend his free time with his wife and two children on family hikes.

Miranda is looking forward to sharing her experiences as an online student and connecting with those who are on the fence about pursuing their degree or unable to attend in-person classes. Miranda’s best advice on how to balance everyday life while prioritizing your studies is to “stay as organized as possible, don’t let deadlines sneak up on you and schedule time for yourself.”

Cicily is a business communication major who’s learning about search engine optimization (SEO), digital influencer interactions, communication strategies and Google Trends. These studies furthering her knowledge of the digital space and helping make her aspirations of owning her own social media marketing firm a reality.

When it comes to fitting her online education into her day-to-day, Cicily says, “The biggest perk is being able to do all my classes and work whenever I can because I do a lot of work for my styling job and YouTube channel, so it’s great not to have to be in a specific class at a certain time each day.”

For military student Kyle, the flexibility of ASU Online classes gave him the ability to successfully balance his job with the Navy and his role in the ASU Student Government Advocacy Group all while crushing his academic goals. After earning his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2021, Kyle plans to keep the forward momentum by pursuing a master’s degree in either global security or political psychology.

Today, Zac not only continues his practice, he also teaches at Gracie Jiu Jitsu in California. With the flexibility of ASU Online, he can continue to teach, travel to tournaments, spend time with his family and girlfriend, and be an A+ student.  

Zac is pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication. He hopes to graduate with leadership capabilities, convey his thoughts well and have a better overall knowledge base. His pride for ASU shines while watching ASU sports and a bedroom completely covered in ASU swag.

Lauren is always on the go and she wouldn’t have it any other way. In addition to pursuing a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a minor in history through ASU Online, she’s a mom to a 7-year-old daughter, owner of three dogs and a future military spouse to her fiancé, who is an active duty Air Force member. Did we mention she just obtained a real estate license, is a trained pastry chef and involved in online student communities?

Selene never planned to be a Spanish major but after her first class, she fell in love with her own language and culture. Her interests have led her to join the Hispanic Honor Society, participate in the SILC Café through the School of International Letters and Cultures, and to create her own student-led group, Si Se Puede. In her free time, Selene likes to hike with her dogs and fiancé.

Shad is a world learner, having attended school in both Ireland and Jamaica before landing at ASU Online. While she originally planned to study business, Shad knew that she wanted to help others in need, specifically during emergency situations. Through her love of chemistry and desire to be a doctor, she decided to pursue biochemistry. Residing in New York, she quickly learned that knowing Spanish would be integral to providing lifesaving treatment in a timely manner. Shad connects with ASU via the Facebook group Sun Devils Connect and her amazing success coach, Jessica.

After an eight year break from college, Uber gave Aaron the ability to finish his bachelor's degree through ASU Online. His constant search for self-discovery has led to his passion - helping others and a desire to start an organization to assist inner city youth. After reviewing the variety of programs available to students online, Aaron landed on a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership to make his goals come to life. At ASU, he’s passionate about Canvas, his professors, success coach and the accessibility of other student services. In his free time, Aaron enjoys biking, working out and traveling.

It’s hard to imagine, but Vicki used to be 400 pounds. After losing several family members to weight-related issues, she found her passion: health. With a dream of becoming a licensed nutritionist, she is currently pursuing a degree in healthy lifestyles coaching. 

Vicki credits her success in classes with staying organized, taking notes and keeping in contact with her success coach. She thrives on personal deadlines and always has the big picture in mind. 

For this mother of two young children, flexibility was a must when it came to getting an education. 

Claryssa has always had a curiosity with how and why people behave the way they do. She found herself wondering how trauma affects decision making and how a person's upbringing alters their judgement later in life. In fact, her own upbringing sparked her curiosity to pursue a degree in psychology. 

Monique considers herself a lifelong learner. Whether it's a class or a tiny moment in life, she's always living, always learning. 

With her degree in film and media studies, Monique wants to work in film and television production using her creative skills behind the scene. Outside of school, she enjoys theater and playwriting.