Mikayle Holm — Distinguished Service Award

Mikayle Holm

Mikayle Holm
B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in mathematics
Graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix

After her first semester or two at ASU, Mikayle Holm decided to get involved on campus and help make a difference. She believes that service is helping others without expecting anything in return.

“I really began to get involved and saw how much opportunity there is to discover, explore something new, find your passion and overall be yourself,” Holm says. “Now I am so sad to leave!”

Once the Phoenix native got started, she didn’t stop as she participated in the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI), Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), Fulton Ambassadors and multiple campus-wide and Barrett, the Honors College organizations. She also worked as a tutor in the engineering tutoring center for three years. “I held leadership positions in these organizations and did everything from research to community outreach to promoting ASU and Fulton to prospective students and their parents. My biggest achievement is staying committed to organizations during my whole undergraduate career.”

“I think giving back is important because I realize I have been given so much and I am so lucky to have had all the opportunities and experiences,” Holm says. “I really want to share these experiences with others and help them in the same ways that I was given expertise when I was in their shoes. This goes for Fulton Ambassadors, EPICS, tutoring – I want to help others who are struggling in any way I can.”

The biomedical engineering major became interested in the field in high school while her grandmother battled Alzheimer’s disease. “Watching her struggle with this poorly diagnosed disease encouraged me to work hard in school to make her proud and figure out how to eliminate Alzheimers’ so no other granddaughters will have to suffer the way I did.”

Holm also was influenced by her parents in her choice to become a biomedical engineer. “My dad is an electrical engineer, so he really influenced my decision with regard to choosing engineering. My mom is a nurse, so we joke that I am a perfect mix of my parents’ careers.”

The most rewarding part of her time at ASU has been all the incredible people she has had the chance to meet. “I really have gotten to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures, but we still manage to find something in common. I always encourage incoming students to reach out to as many people as you can and meet as many people as you can because there is so much to learn!”

She has a bright future as she will be pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota. “Though I am nervous about leaving home and the warm weather! I am really looking forward to this next stage in my journey and excited about what the future holds. I will never forget my Phoenix/Tempe roots, as ASU and Fulton have shaped me in more ways than I will ever know.”

As for life after school – “I’m confident that with a solid support system behind me, I can be successful in whatever I decide to do. Honestly I don’t have a clear idea what the future holds. I like to keep the quote in mind ‘Be absolutely determined to enjoy what you do.’ I think whatever I’m doing, wherever I’m at in the world, I will be loving it!”