ASU women's coalition celebrates badass women of ASU Online

To celebrate Women’s HERstory Month in March, the Women’s Coalition of Arizona State University held a campaign to honor Badass Women of ASU. Nominations flooded in from students, parents, alumni and staff, all to honor ASU women that are being badass in their own way. We caught up with some of ASU Online’s most badass women to see how ASU has contributed to their growth and development into such amazing women!

Natalie is taking classes, working at Starbucks, teaching yoga and doing concert and event photography on the side. She is back on track with her studies after four years in the working world and finding what truly motivates her.

“The experience of being in school in itself has always been such a challenge for me. In college, high school, even middle school I’ve struggled with learning and devoting myself to the material. I love that ASU Online wants to be such a large part of that balance, ASU wants to see you achieve things in school and outside of school, this helps me be more motivated to accomplish my goals.”

Obi Sneed | Leadership and innovation

Obi is a full-time instructional designer who does amazing work for ASU Online, a mother of three, and is in pursuit of a doctoral degree in the Mary Lou Fulton Leadership and Innovation Doctoral (EdD) program.

“What ASU Online did was give me the opportunity to work full time, keep up with my daily schedule and also pursue a higher education degree. As an employee at ASU Online, we’re in a space that’s so innovative, there are so many bright minds and intelligent people. How could I not be motivated? I am attaining the highest level of education, expanding my career opportunities, and am able to continue to grow.”

Amber Gray | Behavioral health

Amber has always been a caretaker, for her own family and of victims of domestic abuse. To better help others, she is pursuing her doctorate in behavioral health.

“I'm a counselor for domestic violence and a victim advocate. My goal is to get the victim out of the crisis situation they’re in and put them into a safe place then try to help them build a new life. We work with the victim to develop the skills they need to build a new life. Currently, I work with victims of violence in shelters, but with the Doctor of Behavioral Health program I’m learning about working with them in different environments, like hospitals, too.”

Nicole Beaver | Mass communications and media studies

Nicole supports her family while being a full-time student. Set to graduate next year, Nicole just landed her first job in her new field, working for a communications company.

“I’ve been a preschool teacher for 8 years and always loved working with kids. I hope to combine parts of that with my passion for journalism, writing about educational topics. The skills and knowledge I’m gaining from ASU are helping me work towards this goal and get my voice heard!”

Lenora Ott | Global technology and development

As the first person to go to college in her immediate family, Lenora propelled herself through her undergraduate degree, applying to every scholarship possible. She now works at ASU as an education programs coordinator senior at the Center for Evolution and Medicine while pursuing her master’s degree online.

“Pursuing an online degree has been really amazing. I get to connect with people all over the world on a regular basis. I’m gaining a global perspective in the classroom and it has been truly eye-opening.”

Stay tuned

We can’t wait to see what these (and other ASU) badass women go on to accomplish! Stay tuned to ASU Online's Facebook and Instagram for more on Women’s HERstory month!

Learn more about the ASU Women’s Coalition.