As Kristin Beck walked on stage in the CUB Auditorium, one with a keen eye could make out the immediate dichotomy she carries with her.

“On my right hand this is my skull ring that represents my days in the SEALS,” she said. “On the left is the engagement ring my mother gave to me that used to be my grandmother’s.”

Beck once was commonly known by the name Christopher, a name that she held for most of her life. In the Navy Seals, Christopher earned the nickname ‘Caveman’.

In front of about 300 WSU students Beck shared her experiences of identifying as a woman and relaying the importance of positively reinforcing one’s self identification, no matter how difficult.

“I knew who I was when I was a kid,” she said. “And it’s a pretty heavy weight to carry.”

She described a moment in her childhood when she tried on one of her sister’s dresses.

“I put it on and was dancing around in it,” she said. “My father came in and caught me. He gave me a whack and told me not to ever do it again. And I was left thinking that was never OK.”

Beck’s career as a service member spans over 20 years with various deployments worldwide. Throughout her service, she received several awards, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Her forum on stage was just that, an opportunity in which she gave time for the audience to be open and ask her questions about her life and to try to provide lessons and insight along the way.

One student asked her about how her transition impacted the way she sees the world.

Beck emphasized the importance of being open minded toward any person, no matter how different they are from you.

“You might find out you have a lot of friends,” she said.” That short amount of time goes a long way.”

Beck’s appearance at the university was organized largely in part of the WSU Student Veterans Committee.

After seeing the documentary about Beck (Lady of Valor) on Netflix, Jermiha White and Billy Orgeron humored themselves with the idea that they might be able to get someone of Beck’s caliber to come speak on campus. After lengthy email discussions spanning several months, they were able to have her come to speak.

“The turnout was way more than I expected,” White said. “Her forum was great because it connects more to students than giving a regular speech.”

Reporting by Matthew Brunstetter