Monday was a chance to celebrate graduates and their inspirations during the commencement exercises held at Sun Devil Stadium.
"Moving here, from Minnesota, I did not really know what to expect. The campus with 70,000 people was pretty intimidating,” said Alia Rocha.
But, Rocha lived in her moment.
Many stood out to the self-described 'helper' during her time at Arizona State University, including the passing of her cousin in 2016.
"It was hard. There are a lot of unanswered questions. You know? It was sudden. None of us even knew he was depressed or even thinking about suicide,” added Rocha.
Rocha's degree is in psychology and is planning a career in mental health to honor her cousin.
The pomp and circumstance, Monday, was for only some of ASU’s 11,000 graduates this fall.
Matthew Wilkins is just one.
"I am excited. It's been a long journey. It's been about two years with full-time with work and full-time school. I am ready,” said Wilkins.
Also ready is Wilkins’ wife, who is expected to soon deliver their first child.
Aside from getting ready for girl-dad duties, the Marine Corps veteran stayed true to his country while focused on school.
"It is a lot more to think about. You have to really get your time squared away,” added Wilkins.
Another veteran getting an ASU degree is Shaquayla Willet.
"It's made a great impact. I actually graduated from high school 10 years ago. So, I have been pursuing this bachelor's degree for 10 years,” said Willet.
"For many, college is a challenge under almost any circumstance. As proven with a degree from ASU, Willet handled her challenge especially well during the last eight months.
She shared photos of what has kept her on her toes.
"I was able to take 15 credits while deployed and active duty. I took four credits while pregnant and it was the struggle. It was the roughest semester ever. But, here were are. We are graduating,” added Willet.
