By Sarah Singh, Cronkite PR Lab, and Kimberlie Haner
May is a month that holds a lot of significance in the eyes of many Sun Devils. During the week of May 11, the ASU Class of 2026 will walk the stage and acquire their diplomas, signaling the end of the hard work and dedication every student put in throughout their collegiate journey. Within this honored population stand true multitaskers who balanced their Division I athletic career with their education.
Many Sun Devil student-athletes will have the chance to walk on stage and hear their name called. For some, it marks the end of their athletic careers, and for others, possibly a new beginning. But for all, it’s one of the most outward displays of being a Sun Devil student-athlete.
Here are just four reflections from the more than 150 total student-athletes who will be graduating with the Class of 2026.
David Szuba’s collegiate career has come with its fair share of hardware, both academically and athletically.
Szuba started wrestling at the age of 4 in Ocean County, New Jersey. Szuba’s collegiate journey began in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he attended Rider University. His years at Rider came with success on the mat. He created a name for himself as a force to be reckoned with in the NCWA Heavyweight division. His success presented him with an opportunity to continue his dominance for one more year at Arizona State as a graduate student.
In his one year of wrestling for Arizona State, Szuba bought into the team concept of Sun Devil Wrestling and asserted his presence. He finished his season strong, placing third at the Big 12 Championship in the final wrestling competition of his career.
Szuba and his teammates also excelled academically, bringing home multiple team awards for their academic prowess. The Sun Devils became NCWA Scholar Team champions, earning the highest GPA in collegiate wrestling. Szuba received academic All-American honors for his academic excellence.
While only in Tempe for a year, Szuba learned many lessons that will help him in his future. The team created an impact in life that will last a lifetime.
“The team’s culture was about getting better every day, not about winning or losing,” Szuba said. “It was about performing well. It was a game changer.”
Szuba will graduate with a degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security and has already secured a job in the cyber industry. While working, he will chase another dream as an entrepreneur. Szuba and his friend created a soap company, Plain and Pure, aimed at providing the best all-natural skincare at an affordable price.
“Hopefully, I will become the CEO of a massive company,” Szuba said, with the utmost confidence in his future entrepreneurial endeavor.
For Arizona State University senior gymnast Kayla Lee, walking across the graduation stage marks the end of a lifelong athletic chapter. An Arizona native, Lee grew up only miles away from the Arizona State University campus. Growing up, she attended many ASU meets and, as a young girl, dreamed of one day wearing the Sun Devils leotard.
Years later, that dream became a reality when she was given the opportunity to walk onto the team that she had admired when she started her gymnastics career. Lee’s journey in gymnastics began at age 6, when she trained at local Phoenix gyms such as North Valley Gymnastics and Sunrise Gymnastics.
Growing up, Lee considered gymnastics a solo sport, but since joining the Sun Devil Gymnastics team, Lee has gained a deep sense of purpose and community. The team environment, Lee says, transformed gymnastics into something bigger and gave her an “instant family of sisters” who have supported her through the inevitable highs and lows.
While balancing the demands of being a Division I athlete, Lee will also be graduating with a degree in civil engineering.
From long days of classes to intense practices, it was the resilience and the support system around her that made the journey so much more meaningful.
“Every opportunity that you’re given is an opportunity to grow,” Lee said.
After graduation, Lee will be moving to Denver, where she has accepted a position as a project engineer. Though she is stepping away from gymnastics, she carries the lessons the sport and her teammates instilled in her.
Originally from Lander, Wyoming, Jonny Kulow has been a driven student-athlete whose journey at Arizona State was defined by hard work and drive. A five-time NCAA swimming champion and bronze medalist in the 4x100m freestyle relay for Team USA, Kulow’s career has been nothing short of remarkable.
Starting his swim journey at age seven, Kulow had no idea where this sport would take him.
“I didn’t even expect to be recruited out of high school. I didn’t even think that was a possibility, but when it did happen, ASU was one of the first calls,” said Kulow.
Kulow chose Arizona State to continue his athletic career because of the tight-knit bond and brotherhood he felt. As this time at Arizona State concludes, Kulow is thankful for the Sun Devil community, particularly those who have been by his side during this journey.
Following graduation, Kulow plans to attend flight school on the East Coast while continuing to pursue his swimming career.
“Anything you do, it’s only worth doing if you give it your 100 percent,” said Kulow.
Besecker has spent the last three seasons representing the Maroon and Gold. Originally from Austin, Texas, she has been playing beach volleyball for nine years. She has 57 total wins, which is tied for the seventh most career wins at ASU. She has been recognized many times throughout her career, being named Pac-12 Pair of the Week once in 2024, AVCA Top Flight for Flight Two in 2024, and earning a spot on the 2025 Big 12 All-Tournament Team.
After spending her freshman year at Florida State, she came to Arizona State and made an immediate impact, helping the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2024. An upset over Stanford in the final Pac-12 Tournament in Tempe in 2024 was the key win the team needed for its resume to have its name called in the selection show, and that win is a core memory for Besecker.
“That is probably one of my favorite volleyball memories ever,” Besecker said. “Being at home, competing against the No. 2 team in the nation under the lights was electric. Big moments like that are really special, but being able to spend every day with my best friends and work towards a common goal has been my favorite part. The hard and early mornings and long van rides are all worth it.”
It has been more than just playing a sport to Besecker, like she said. She has built friendships that will last and has grown individually. Through the resources as ASU, she has “become the best version of myself, with support and guidance and understanding.”
Besecker was a part of the Big 12 Beyond Borders program, which spanned two summers (2024 and 2025). She first spent time in Washington, D.C. in 2024 to learn about how the country is run with the group before being able to visit Mexico with the same group in 2025 to get a more global perspective. This was another experience that helped her to grow, only possible through Arizona State's joining the Big 12 Conference.
She is graduating with her bachelor’s degree in business law and will pursue a master’s in finance next year, getting one more year to play for the Sand Devils.
Grateful for this chance to spend one more year as a student-athlete, Besecker reflected on the lessons she has learned while a Sun Devil.
“You can always take control of your life, and no one is going to make the change but yourself,” Besecker said. “I have learned growth can always come, but you have to make the steps to do it, and through the hardest days, you can take control to grow and come out stronger.”