By Gavin Priest and Jack Footer, Cronkite PR Lab
Daniel Miranda’s career as a Sun Devil student-athlete is built upon adversity, personal growth, and a burning desire to make a positive impact in people’s lives. While the 149-lb. homegrown Sun Devil competes on the mat, Miranda’s impact extends far beyond his success through his role as co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, or SAAC.
Miranda’s involvement with SAAC began unexpectedly. After being recognized for his academic prowess and involvement in the Tip of the Fork program, he was asked to represent Arizona State at a Big 12 conference meeting. This opportunity propelled Miranda into other leadership positions, allowing him to advocate for his fellow student-athletes.
“I was Big 12 rep at first, then I was the student-athlete experience chair, and it eventually led me to co-president,” Miranda said. “They were like, ‘Danny, we’d love to have you here, and we think you would make an amazing co-president.’ So I said, ‘I appreciate it. Let’s make it happen.’”
Throughout his time with SAAC, Miranda has gained valuable experiences, including organizing community service projects, networking, and personal branding.
“What really stuck with me about SAAC is the experiences that I would have otherwise never been able to experience,” Miranda said. “Helping with community service projects, meeting all these new people, engaging in conversations, and being able to speak in front of people and promoting myself in a way that I would never have otherwise without SAAC, and it's become an amazing outlet for me to do so.”
To Miranda, one of SAAC's biggest responsibilities is helping fellow student-athletes understand the many resources freely available to them. From resume assistance to free mental health services and financial advising, Miranda noticed that many student-athletes are unaware of the resources available to them.
“We talk to these athletes, and they don't know that you can talk to DFA and set up a financial advising appointment. They don't know about resources that you have for mental health that are free,” Miranda said. “Being able to privately discuss things with a counselor, or updating your resume, there are just so many resources that we have available that aren't well known.”
One of his proudest accomplishments as co-president was helping organize the SAAC mental health fair. Miranda worked closely with teammate Pierson Manville, chair of the SAAC mental health committee, and praised the entire SAAC team for their teamwork and roles in making the event possible.
“We all had a part to play in this amazing event that brought the biggest issue (for ASU student-athletes) at hand, which was the knowledge that they have these resources,” Miranda said. “The mental health fair was awesome. It was an amazing success that promoted the resources that are available at ASU, specifically within Sun Devil Athletics.”
The event also brought together people from across the sports community, including nutrition experts, performance coaches, and mental health professionals. After months of preparation, Miranda was proud to see both the event and the community come together for an evening of connection.
“We had a bunch of people come from sports science, nutrition, sports performance, and then people in the community who work with mental health and different struggles that people have,” Miranda said. “Honestly, it was a good time to just watch something we had worked hard on for months come to fruition.”
While his leadership positions have played a major role in shaping Miranda’s Sun Devil experience, he believes wrestling taught him many of the lessons he carries into everyday life.
“Continue loving the struggle. Life's hard. Life's really hard, you know. Coach (Eric) Thompson, he loves his quotes, but one that's always stuck with me, and I've used it a lot recently in life, is that ‘the hard times will pass, the good times will pass.’” Miranda said. “So appreciation for all that and going through with everything, no matter what, and giving everything 100% is a lesson that I'll take with me forever.”
He also credits Sun Devil wrestling head coach Zeke Jones for helping him grow both on and off the mat. Coach Jones’s wealth of wrestling knowledge and experience has provided Miranda with new perspectives as a wrestler, and his support off the mat has encouraged Miranda to stay involved in community service and his other projects.
“I remember one time we were doing a move to get out of a cradle hold. I thought it would never work, then we did it! This is why he's head coach, this is why he's a Hall of Fame coach. He brings that knowledge onto the mat and helps us see different perspectives that work,” Miranda said. “Off the mat, he constantly supports us in our endeavors. Anytime I make my proof-of-performance videos, he instantly reposts it. So you know, on and off the mat, he's there as someone who will support you no matter what.”
After graduating, Miranda plans to attend physical therapy school and pursue a career as a physical therapist. He first became interested in the profession through his own experience working with physical therapists while recovering from injury.
“I had really good experiences with my PTs,” Miranda said. “They made me feel like recovery was possible, and I kind of wanted to bring that back out into the world and give back to the people who gave it to me in a similar manner.”
The opportunity to help others is what makes being a physical therapist so meaningful for Miranda. He hopes to continue making a difference throughout his career.
“I like to believe that the best thing you can do as a person is leave an impact on someone else," Miranda said. “I want to continue that cycle of impact as a PT. Let’s say I help a grandfather with a rotator cuff injury and then he can hold his granddaughter again., That's an entire cycle that keeps on going forever, and that really drew me to the path of physical therapy and the direct impact I can make on others.”