How Graland Alumni Live Their Passions
As we explore the concept of living out your passions, the Alumni and Development Office wanted to highlight two outstanding Graland alumni who reflect this idea in their everyday lives. Meet Rasa Humeyumptewa from the Class of 2014 and Cully Cavness from the Class of 2002!
RASA HUMEYUMPTEWA ’14
Each day, Rasa Humeyumptewa works to live out her passion for helping others through her studies at Colorado State University. According to Rasa, “One of my interests has always been helping people and being able to understand how to best help each person I come across. Psychology has also always been a topic of interest for me so, when it came time to pick a major for university, it was fairly easy for me to decide. My minor in Indigenous studies adds to my ability to share my passion with my community by allowing me to understand other Native Nations better so I can create culturally sensitive treatments and programs.” As a Hopi tribal (sun clan) member, Rasa’s ultimate goal is to return to her community in Hotevilla, Arizona, to provide treatments that will help youth and adults in ways that more Westernized therapy might not be able to. Rasa shared that she hopes to do this through horticulture/agriculture therapy, a technique in which the outdoors is used to help people talk more freely and comfortably about what issues they may be facing and dealing with.
CULLY CAVNESS ’02
Cully Cavness is a proud Graland alumnus who is passionate about family, adventure, the environment, and working towards audacious physical goals. On July 31, 2021, Cully completed a 107-mile ultramarathon through the North Dakota Badlands on a trail called the Maah Daah Hey. After more than 32 hours of continuous running, Cully reached the finish line as one of eight people to complete the event, which included more than 10,000 feet of climbing, multiple water crossings, and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The event combined many of Cully’s passions, and he used the opportunity to model the core values of the company he co-founded in 2018, Crusoe Energy Systems, which works to reduce the waste of natural gas and emissions from the energy sector. Specifically, Cully wanted his team and family to connect with his passion for setting and overcoming big goals, “enduring the expedition,” and his commitment to environmental stewardship (the race event, which Crusoe sponsored, funds the preservation of Badlands parks and trail systems). Cully hopes that his young daughter, Cameron, will grow up to set her own audacious goals, whatever they may be. When he is not training for endurance challenges or working at Crusoe, Cully loves to spend time with his wife, Emily, and daughter in the Colorado outdoors.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
