​For the last two months of fall semester 2016, Alexander Peck and Max Dalton studied in Germany as part of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Sustainability in Berlin program led by Christoph Stefes, PhD.

During their time abroad, the CU Denver political science students took part in professional, cross-cultural internships with a nonprofit center for those in need of aid named Unionhilfswerk located in a troubled part of eastern Berlin.

The center is home to a variety of people including children, the elderly and people with disabilities. It is also temporarily home to some of the estimated 1 million refugees Germany has opened its doors to in the past few years, the majority of whom fled war-torn areas of Syria.

Staff and volunteers at Unionhilfswerk are tasked with a challenging job—to normalize life for their residents.

That kind of responsibility might be enough to scare people away, but not Peck and Dalton. They dove right in, and when October came around, the duo spearheaded a Halloween party for the local residents that would rival even Heidi Klum’s annual bash.

“In addition to the many day-to-day things they do, the center also holds parties and festivals on major German holidays to help the refugees feel welcome and included,” Peck said. “I told our supervisor in passing that Halloween was my favorite holiday back home, so she thought it would be great to not only have a party for the children, but expose them to a little bit of American culture. They gave us a room, a date, and 400 Euros, and then left us to our own devices to plan and prepare.”

Big news in Germany

Berlin-based B.Z., one of Germany’s largest and oldest newspapers, took note of the event.

After hearing how much time and work Peck and Dalton put in to plan the party, the editors featured them in the newspaper’s “Helden,” or “Heroes,” section.

Some students study abroad to change their own lives. For Peck and Dalton, their study abroad experience transformed the lives of others.

Translation for tweet:
Heroes discovered!  Two students celebrate with refugee children.

Translation for news article:
American heroes celebrate Halloween with refugee children
Monster party in refugee home: Over 40 children of the residential home on Konrad-Wolf-Street (Lichtenberg) were able to celebrate Halloween Monday evening. The party was organized by two truly scary professionals, Alexander Peck (24) and Max Dalton (20), who are born-and-bred U.S. Americans, familiar with the custom since childhood. Both are currently studying in Berlin and volunteering for three months in the organization of the Union Fund. “Halloween has always been my favorite festival,” says Alexander. “It’s great that we are able to introduce children from so many other countries to it.”

Photos from the Halloween Party

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The University of Colorado Denver is a long way from the Southeast Asian country of Laos—but for one Laotian family, the urban campus has come to feel like home. Since 1976 when the first Vue family members immigrated to the United States, 19 relatives have graduated from CU Denver, and several more are currently enrolled as students.

“At CU Denver, I felt like I was part of a family, due to the diversity there,” said Kongfong Vue, the family’s first CU Denver graduate. “CU Denver felt like it was meant for me.”

Kongfong earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and Applied Science in 2004, and after his positive experience, he recommended the university to his younger brother, Wameng Vue, and his younger cousin, Chen Vue. Both followed in Kongfong’s footsteps, earning engineering degrees from CU Denver.

After that, Chen said, it was kind of a chain reaction.

Rising above history

Chen’s younger brothers—Jay Vue, Mua Michael Vue and Vee Vue—chose CU Denver for their bachelor’s degrees. Chen’s, Jay’s and Mua’s wives—Nhu Lor, Sia Lor and Crystal Huynh, respectively—earned bachelor’s degrees from CU Denver’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), and Sia went on to get a master’s degree from the School of Education and Human Development. Two of Chen and Kongfong’s younger cousins graduated from CU Denver’s Business School, and still more Vue cousins, nieces and nephews are continuing the family legacy at the university.

“It makes you feel good that you can make it in higher education, with the history of where our parents came from,” Kongfong said.

The Vues are part of the Hmong ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Laos. Because the Hmong people aided the U.S. in the Vietnam War, they were driven from their homes by the Viet Cong when the war ended.

Chen’s and Kongfong’s parents came to the United States in the late 1970s as refugees, and Chen and Kongfong are part of their family’s first generation born in the United States.

Family comes first

While the Vues are nearly 8,000 miles from their roots in Laos, they all live within about 15 minutes of one another, in cities northwest of Denver.

“We all grew up together and kind of stuck together,” Chen said. He remembers playing basketball with his brothers and cousins every night after school and getting up early on weekends to go hunting in the Rocky Mountains with their fathers and uncles.

With such strong bonds from a young age, it may be no surprise then that many of the family members chose the same college.

“Family is very important,” Jay said. “It’s everything.”

A focus on education

Right after “family” on the Vues’ priority list comes “education.”

“Education has always been a focus in our culture,” Kongfong said of the Hmong people. “Our parents and grandparents were strict about education and about taking advantage of the benefits of living in America.”

Kongfong’s and Chen’s parents did not achieve higher education, so Kongfong and Chen, as well as their siblings and cousins, were first-generation college students.

“I don’t know if it’s a typical Asian thing, but our parents were hard on us about getting good grades,” Chen said. He struggled in school as a child but began to excel in middle school. Later, he found CU Denver’s flexible schedules and small classes to be a good fit for his busy life with a part-time job.

“I really liked the close interactions you could get with professors at CU Denver,” said Chen, who now works for Intrex Aerospace in Thornton. “My teachers started to know me, and that made me feel more grounded and at home.”

And having his brothers, cousins and future fiancé right on the same campus didn’t hurt either.

The CU Denver connection

If the Vues are forming a legacy at CU Denver, they’ve already formed one in the university’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS). So far, seven Vues are CEAS alumni.

When Kongfong’s nephews showed up for their engineering class with Associate Professor Sam Welch, PhD, the instructor asked if they knew Kongfong and commented on how many Vue family members had majored in mechanical engineering.

“I found that kind of amusing,” said Kongfong, who now works for Oracle software and hardware company in Broomfield. “We would never expect him to remember our name after all these years.”

The Vue name may be recognized throughout the university if the legacy continues—and it seems bound to. Chen and Kongfong, who each have two children, say they would encourage their kids to go to CU Denver when they’re older.

“It’s a CU Denver connection,” Kongfong said.

Guest contributor: Amy Ventura

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Last May, I graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a bachelor’s degree in English summa cum laude. Since I was a first-generation college student, it was the first graduation ceremony I had ever attended. The Tivoli quad was a sea of black and gold as my fellow graduates and I congratulated each other and hugged proud parents, spouses and family members also sporting school colors.

While my education at CU Denver prepared me for many things, including graduate school and a career, I was caught off guard by how moved I was as I stood in that crowd of thousands.

Foremost in my mind was the support I received, both financial and social, that made my college career possible. Many of the faces in the crowd were fellow Reisher Scholarship recipients—and friends— and seeing them reminded me that if it weren’t for the Reisher Family Foundation, I would not have been there.

A rough road for a first-generation student

Although my parents wanted the best for me, the concept of college was outside of their experience. They passed along a love of reading, and taught me the value of hard work and how to find a decent job after I completed high school through homeschooling. By my mid-20s, I realized I wanted to attend college, but I had no idea what that involved: how to apply, how to pay for classes, or even what the differences were between an associate’s, a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.

Over the course of six years, I obtained an associate’s degree in horticulture from a community college while working full time. I also began to volunteer in my community by teaching English to adult immigrants. These experiences, combined with creative writing classes I took, whet my appetite for more. I wanted to complete a bachelor’s degree, but I was unsure and intimidated about the process.

As a first-gen student, you don’t know who to ask for help, and, even worse, you don’t know what to ask. While community college introduced me to college-level work, it also gave me a disproportionate amount of student loan debt compared to what I could earn with my associate’s degree. The idea of attending a university felt intimidating and financially out of reach.

Fortunately, through Internet searches about scholarships, I found CU Denver and the Reisher Scholars Program.

The Reisher Scholarship

The Reisher Scholars Program helps promising students with financial need and academic merit earn undergraduate degrees without additional debt. Potential applicants are selected based on their academic record from their first two semesters at CU Denver or at a community college, as well as their engagement with the community.

“There were (and still are) few scholarship opportunities for sophomores and transfer students,” explained Emily Stanley, senior scholarship officer at The Denver Foundation, “and the Reisher Scholars Program helps to fill that void, reducing the financial burden on the scholars so that they can continue their educational pursuits through graduation.”

The goals of the Reisher program stem from the experience of the founders, husband and wife Roger and Margaret Reisher, who were both first-generation college students. Roger Reisher enjoyed a successful banking career after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder, including becoming the president of FirstBank. The family’s success, and their appreciation for the impact college had on their lives, moved them to create a scholarship fund in 2001 and to partner with The Denver Foundation to develop and expand the program.

As of 2016, The Reisher Scholars Program has donated $15.7 million dollars to help more than 1,100 Colorado students complete their college degrees. For the 2016-17 academic year, there are 300 Reisher Scholars at various Colorado universities who will go on to make their mark in the world. “Our scholars give back,” Stanley said. “They invent things, they boost the economy, and teach their own families about education, creating a ripple effect in our community.

More than just money

The Reisher Scholarship provides far more than financial resources to students in need. The program offers the crucial link to the college community that many first-generation students lack. In addition to the resources offered by CU Denver, Reisher Scholars have a peer mentor and a ready-made group of friends. Every semester, through outings to museums, volunteer work and a celebratory dinner, Reisher Scholars make friends and get to know the staff who support them and the program.

The end result is a tight-knit group of diverse students with a large pool of resources to draw on when they need encouragement or help in asking the right questions. For me, this support system made all the difference.

Real-world skills 

Because of my Reisher Scholarship, I was able to complete my junior and senior semesters at CU Denver in two years while working and volunteering. I bonded with fellow Reisher Scholars, other students and my excellent English professors. Through the connections I made at the university, I found two jobs, one at the Writing Center and one with University Communications, and both jobs have added to my abilities and confidence as a writer.

The Reisher Program introduced me to CU Denver students and staff who exemplify an enthusiasm for education and community that I want to emulate. I’m applying to MFA programs at grad schools across the country, and wherever my education, my writing and my career takes me, I will carry the passion and gratitude for education that I learned as a Reisher scholar.

The scholarship changed my life, and I don’t know where I’d be without it. For that I will always be grateful to the Reisher Family Foundation.

The post A letter of thanks from a Reisher Scholar appeared first on CU Denver Today.

After an hour of silky-yet-powerful singing that fires up a Five Points venue, Viannason asks the crowd to wave their phone flashlights. She launches into “Love on the Brain,” a sultry, Joplin-esque slow-burner that gets everyone moving.

Rousing a crowd and commanding the spotlight – or, in this case, a bunch of tiny ones – is clearly Vianney Randrianarison’s talent. Viannason – as she’s known as an artist – has found her groove in the Mile High City. She is gigging around town and growing her songbook as a student in the Music & Entertainment Industry Studies program of the College of Arts & Media at CU Denver.

Her musical journey, however, began across the globe – on an island in the Indian Ocean, to be exact. Viannason is a native of Madagascar, and came to Colorado after a three-year stint in Senegal. At age 17, Viannason followed her mother to the land-locked Rockies, where they have a few relatives.

Asked about her homeland, Viannason’s expression softens. “It’s beautiful there, it’s very humid and tropical,” she says. “There’s a strong culture of music. It’s really fast and up-tempo.”

Viannason started singing and writing music at age 9. Although only an uncle in her family is musical, she says, “I was literally just born with music – it’s my passion.”

She spent a year at a Denver high school, then another at Metropolitan State University of Denver before transferring to CU Denver last fall. Viannason’s parents have always tried to steer their daughter toward a more stable career, such as law or medicine. “When I went to Metro I declared biology as a major, but it took only one class and I told my parents, ‘I can’t do this; just let me do my thing,’” she says. “They were in denial that music was my thing.”

‘She’s very unique’

Now, with a slew of original songs in her repertoire, an EP in the wings, and the undeniable electricity of her live shows, “V” – as she is known by fans – is vaulting higher into the spotlight.

Her musical collaborator, Christian Mangóo, a Tanzanian who met the fellow East African in Denver, goes by the producer name of Leprochain, which means “the next” in French. Mangóo, a student at Community College of Denver, produces Viannason’s music, DJs and plays drums at her shows, and co-writes many of her songs. “She’s very unique. She doesn’t sound like any artist I’ve heard, even though I’ve tried to make her sound like some artists from here,” he says with a chuckle. “She always rejects me.”

While Viannason’s sound can’t be easily pegged – she sings in Malagasy (her native language), French and English, and gravitates to a reggae subgenre that blends pop and R&B – there is one aspect of her style that Mangóo can predict. “She’s more of a C-note alto person,” he says. Viannason agrees, saying, “It has to be major keys all the time. I like happy stuff, not sad stuff.”

‘Going for an island vibe’

Many listeners notice that the sultry singer has an unusual accent, one they can’t place. “Some artists, when they sing you can’t tell where they’re from,” she says. “There is a Madagascar accent, and I’m going for an island vibe. Because I’m from an island I’m trying to represent that.”

Viannason is yet another in a long line of talented performers to emerge from CAM. She made her local concert debut in the Tivoli Turnhalle, and she’s enjoying the “really cool” professors and well-rounded education she’s getting in CAM. “When you go into the music business, you need to know what you’re doing,” she says. “People respect you more when you are educated.”

The Barbadian singer Rihanna is the performer Viannason often gets compared to – and she’s fine with that. “I look up to Rihanna because of her work ethic,” she says. “Music is a lot of investment in time and money.”

In Denver, Viannason has performed at Epernay Lounge and the Gothic Theatre, where she performed a Youth on Record show with international act Twenty One Pilots. Her Five Points gig at The Other Side started with “Team V” dancers and DJ (Mangóo), then transitioned to Viannason fronting her band. Before long, the dancers returned and the stage pulsed with even more infectious energy, sound and color (see video above).

Joining the crowd was Viannason’s mother, who, despite early reservations, has embraced her daughter’s musical ambition. The elder Randrianarison sold her restaurant business in Madagascar to help pay for Viannason’s college education.

“I need to succeed – I have no other choice,” the young artist says with a laugh. “I can’t disappoint my mom at this point.”

The post Music is passion for student from Madagascar appeared first on CU Denver Today.

In January, the University of Colorado Denver Business School took 16 students on a study abroad trip to Cuba, a country experiencing a renewed wave of entrepreneurial spirit. Although Cuba remains a communist nation, Raul Castro’s transition to power has allowed the creation of state-approved private businesses, many of which are flourishing.

Leading the excursion was Barry McConnell, MS, MBA, a Business School instructor with expertise in information technology and consumer product marketing. The 10-day trip offered students insight into the nation’s developing economy as well as meetings with influential entrepreneurs. CU Denver students observed that, while many of Cuba’s business approaches are different from the United States, the island’s entrepreneurs share our passion for achieving success.

Here are five takeaways from McConnell and a few CU Denver students:

1. Business is not the same in Cuba as in the United States

“Entrepreneurship is a foreign concept to the Cubans and is viewed as a necessary evil by the government,” McConnell said. The Cuban government has allowed for only 200 types of self-owned business. “It was so inspiring to see entrepreneurship in its purest form,” said Manuel Aguilar, an International Business student. “Here in the U.S., we often rely on our education to start a business. In Cuba, they rely more heavily on passion and drive.”

Cuba lacks any formal business schools. The University of Havana views business as a function of economics, and unlike CU Denver, it does not offer courses in entrepreneurship.

Despite the challenges, many Cubans are eager to become entrepreneurs. CU Denver students met with app developers and owners of restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. The students noticed in the entrepreneurs a shared willingness to learn – through trial-and-error and hands-on experience – new ways to succeed.

2. Doing more with less

Since 1962, the United States has maintained an economic embargo against Cuba. At first, the Soviet Union worked with Cuba to provide necessary resources and keep its economy functioning. However, since the Soviet bloc’s fall about 25 years ago, Cuba’s economic prospects have been extremely limited. Basic business needs such as computers, refrigerators, desks and office space are often impossible to obtain.

Melissa Andrade, a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said, “Cubans are very limited in resources, which has led them to embrace their talents and creativity to succeed. Being limited doesn’t mean failure; it’s about achieving things where they hardly exist.”

Added McConnell, “I think it’s valuable for entrepreneurship students to see entrepreneurs do more with less.” Even in conditions of immense hardship, small businesses are booming in Cuba without significant start-up budgets. “It’s a good reminder and good business for any company – from Apple to new entrepreneurs – to never stop the quest to make the most of your available resources,” McConnell said.

3. ‘See opportunity where others don’t’

CU Denver students often look toward technology as the next business frontier. Filling a niche need via an always-connected smartphone’s 5-inch screen has become the entrepreneurial ideal.

McConnell said students should look up from their gadgets and see the inspiration for great businesses can come from anywhere. “You don’t need to be an innovator; you just need to see opportunity where others don’t,” he said.

Entrepreneurs also can work around technological challenges. For example, because Cuba’s internet is limited to government-run hotspots, app developers have to be creative. “Because of the embargo, Cubans have to pirate outdated versions of the app development tools that we rely on in the states. Cubans would love to pay for the tools, but they have no other option if they want to keep up with pace of of technology,” said Alexi Huppenthal, an Information Systems major at the CU Denver Business School.

Apps in Cuba do exist, but not in the way we use them, as they’re designed to work without a consistent internet connection. McConnell introduced students to the developers of Alamesa, an app that stores restaurant information on smartphones and updates when it can connect to the internet. The app could be thought of as OpenTable, but with a Cuban twist.

4. Opportunities abound for CU Denver students in Cuba

The trip had its inconveniences for the students because, as Americans, most of us are dependent on technology.

Finding access to bottled water, currency exchanges, the internet, and maps was the hardest part of the study abroad. “We (Americans) want to explore old-world Cuba with all the modern conveniences we’re accustomed to,” McConnell said. He suggested that the students create an app that stores Cuban maps and useful information for tourists. “I could see this being sold by airlines midflight on the way to Cuba.”

5. A good first trip, but there’s more to learn

CU Denver’s Business School will take students back to Cuba next semester, with a focus on experiencing the nation outside of Havana. “On future trips, students, in addition to meeting with entrepreneurs and listening to economists, need more time to understand the breadth of Cuban culture and history,” McConnell said. “If you’re ever going to take entrepreneurship past the tourism industry and provide services to the Cuban people, you’re going to have to understand Cubans better, and that’s the piece I don’t think we got enough of.”

Guest Contributor:  Brian Young traveled with the CU Denver Business School to Cuba

The post 5 takeaways from Cuba appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Morgan Buchanan’s schedule, like that of many undergraduates, is packed. She juggles classes, studying, friends and family. Her days are long, and she has learned how to make use of every break. Her job is especially demanding. In 2016, after years of training and dedicated study, Buchanan became a soloist for the Colorado Ballet. If you have driven past the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, you have seen Buchanan’s photograph.

Buchanan brings that same dedication to all aspects of her life, including her studies at CU Denver, where she is enrolled as a Political Science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

Depending on the season, Buchanan performs three to five days a week, and her rehearsal schedule is intense, sometimes lasting until 10 p.m. She is on her feet all day, perfecting pirouettes, and examining her every move to ensure that she is conveying the purest expression of emotion.

“In dancing, you can act with your body,” Buchanan said. “It’s incredibly challenging, but thrilling when you have conveyed a certain emotion to the audience and done it well.”

Buchanan’s rehearsal and performance schedule may only allow her one day off a week, but her classes act as a counterweight for the physicality of her dancing. “It’s nice to focus on something completely different,” she said.

A new passion for politics

Buchanan’s first love has always been ballet, but in high school, she enjoyed AP classes and always planned to attend college. When she felt secure enough in her career, she began to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

She enrolled at CU Denver in 2014, originally with an undeclared major. Her course load included challenging biology classes, where she “loved the labs,” and poli-sci electives like a “War in Film” course that taught her how interconnected the world is.

“At first, I wasn’t sure what to focus on because ballet had been my only passion for so long,” Buchanan said. “But my poli-sci classes felt so relevant. While watching the news, I could see how policy shaped the world.”

Buchanan takes all of her classes online to accommodate her dancing schedule, and she appreciates the effort her professors make to explain the real-world relevance of their course work. “Lucy McGuffey, who taught the ‘War in Film’ course, made the material approachable,” Buchanan said. “She made students care and taught us that what we were learning was important.”

Declaring a Political Science major opened up new doors for Buchanan. She interned at the state Capitol for a lobbyist and received credit toward her degree through the CU at the Capitol program. Her internship brought the political process to life and showed her another potential career path.

From ‘War in Film’ to drama on stage

Buchanan has been inspired by the energy of ballet since a young age. Even as a child, she loved performing and bringing different characters to life. On stage, she transforms into an athlete and a performer; the joy of dancing combines with the theatrics of whichever role she is playing.

“You put so much work into each performance—they are all important,” Buchanan said. “But some roles are more fun than others. “In Peter Pan, I was rigged up to a flight harness, and I got to fly across the stage.”

She cites Wendy in Peter Pan as the most enjoyable role she’s played since arriving in Denver in 2009 to apprentice with the studio company of the Colorado Ballet. She joined the company as a dancer in 2011 and rose to soloist in 2016.

Through her work with the Colorado Ballet, she has also connected with local communities and schools throughout the world. The education department of the company regularly reaches out to public and private institutions to give performances and bring dance into schools.

Making an impact in multiple fields

Now that Buchanan is confident enough in her abilities as a dancer to explore other passions, she is seeing the payoff of a multifaceted life and education. Her CU Denver career and professional life complement each other; they both demand excellence.

She is thrilled with her success at the Colorado Ballet, and plans to continue with the company. When it is time to retire from dancing, though, she knows her education will provide her with a new path.

“I enjoyed speaking with legislators during my internship,” she said. “I want my work to have an impact in the world, whether I’m dancing or in politics.”

The post A ballet dancer with a passion for politics appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Meghan Dougherty wanted to get a head start finding a great job before she graduated from the University of Colorado Denver. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) alumna knew she needed an internship to get experience, and she wanted advice about how to launch her career. Now that Dougherty has started a job with Northrup Grumman, a major aerospace company, she is thankful experts at CU Denver helped her along the way.

Doughtery relied on CU Denver’s Experiential Learning Center (ELC) and Career Center to find an internship and develop her skills. She used the centers to identify her interests and strengths, look for opportunities, write a strong resume, and learn how to connect with potential employers during interviews.

Her success story shows how CU Denver staff and faculty go the extra mile for students by helping them find great opportunities and start careers.

“It really did make a difference. They impacted me in such a positive way,” Dougherty said.

Finding great internships

Dougherty enrolled in CU Denver after nine years in the United States Marine Corps. She majored in communication and graduated in December 2016. She knew that before she got her diploma, she would need experience in the civilian world in a traditional business setting.

Many CU Denver students understand the value of internships, said Tony Smith, PhD, the ELC’s director. The center helps them find internships and get the most out of the experience. The ELC offers resources including guides and individual counseling. Students can find opportunities using Handshake, an online database that has several hundred internships and news about upcoming events and workshops.

Finding internships for CU Denver students does not happen by accident. Smith said the university has deep connections in Denver’s business community that include relationships with major corporations, startups, small businesses and solo entrepreneurs.

Employers and organizations often approach CU Denver, said Storm Gloor, MBA, an assistant professor in the College of Arts & Media (CAM) and the faculty sponsor of many students interning in the entertainment industry.

“The most common way I find out about internships is by being out there in the community at events,” Gloor said.

Students also can find potential employers on their own, Smith said.

Creating educational experiences

Dougherty, a communication major, interned with the Denver District Attorney’s Office. She considered a career as a public information officer, and her interest in criminal justice and social issues made it a good fit. She worked with the communication director and got experience writing press releases and working with reporters.

The ELC works with employers to make sure interns will have meaningful educational experiences. It also helps set expectations, such as the type of work and schedule. Smith said they must be appropriate for someone taking college classes.

Gloor and other faculty sponsors stay connected with students, and they will hold the employer to high standards.

“The employer signs off on the duties for the intern, and it doesn’t include getting coffee. It includes achieving outcomes, and we hold the employer to that,” Gloor said. “Ninety-nine out of 100 times, employers get that.”

Getting the job

Looking back, Dougherty views the internship as a great learning experience. She loved the people she worked with, and they became mentors and job references.

Once the internship ended, her next step was finding a job. She began searching months before graduation. Senior Director of Student Development Sarah Trzeciak, MS, said students who start working with the Career Center early have the most success. Trzeciak recommends students use the center as a “bookend” before and after working with the ELC, using the Career Center to find their interests before starting an internship, Trzeciak said.

Dougherty took advantage of every service she could. Along with looking at job listings, she took free tests that identified her strengths and attended workshops on subjects like using LinkedIn.

Dougherty said she benefitted most from advice about her resume and mock interviews.

“If you don’t know someone, your resume has to do your speaking for you, and you don’t have to do a job interview to get into the Marine Corps,” she said with a laugh.

The work paid off. Dougherty found an opening with Northrup Grumman’s human resources department. She will put her communications skills to work as a corporate recruiter on college campuses.

Her advice for CU Denver students?

“I really recommend you do everything you can, as soon as you can,” Dougherty said.

The post How Experiential Learning Center and Career Center launch careers appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Susan Morrice knows what it takes to succeed in the energy industry, whether you work in Denver or drill wells in Latin America. Morrice knows how to take risks and overcome doubters. She knows how to build a company—and she knows how to do it all in a male-dominated industry.

Morrice, the founder and chair of Belize Natural Energy, shared her story about finding oil in the small Central American country during her keynote speech at the HERWorld Global Energy Forum. The University of Colorado Denver Business School’s Global Energy Management (GEM) program hosted the event on March 8.

Helping women build careers in the energy industry is an important part of GEM’s mission, said Sarah Derdowski, GEM’s director of strategic development and operations. Those who attended the forum had the chance to hear Morrice talk about thinking big, and panelists discussed how to launch businesses, win promotions and navigate the corporate world. More than 50 women had the chance to make connections and get advice from experienced peers.

“We want to promote women in the industry, and we want to advance this cause,” Derdowski said.

Increasing diversity

The energy industry, which includes oil, natural gas and renewable energy, has historically been a man’s world. Around 20 percent of the workforce is female, and programs like GEM are doing their best to help change that, Derdowski said. About 25 percent of GEM’s students are women, which is disproportionally high compared to the industry as a whole. While the Business School is proud of that, it wants the number to grow.

That’s why GEM partners with organizations such as Pink Petro, a professional development organization for women in the energy industry. Pink Petro hosts the main HERWorld forum in Houston, and CU Denver was one of four satellite conferences that livestreamed speakers from Houston and held local events. This is the second year GEM has participated.

The forum also enabled GEM to showcase some of the program’s key players in the panel discussions. GEM panelists included current GEM executive in residence Julie Blunden, founder of Julie Blunden Consulting, and GEM alumna Kimberly Rodell, president of Upstream Petroleum.

The conference was on International Women’s Day, and the lineup of speakers and sponsors included companies that span the globe, such as Shell Oil. Pink Petro’s worldwide reach pairs well with GEM’s scope and ambition, Derdowski said.

“GEM is global, so we’d like to bring in as many people as possible to showcase who we are, what CU Denver does and what our women are doing,” she said.

Inspiring careers

Morrice’s career has spanned the globe. She was born and raised in Northern Ireland and now lives and works in Denver. In addition to the U.S. and Belize, she has business connections to the United Arab Emirates.

She said the entrepreneurial mindset was something she had to learn after coming to America, and her advice was to nurture the inner self-reliance and determination pioneers had when they settled America.

Her resilience was tested when she and her business partner decided to explore for oil in Belize. Major international companies such as Shell, Mobil and BP had drilled dozens of wells in the country that came up dry, and about 40 companies turned down Morrice’s business plan. She said her faith in her research and vision kept her going after all the rejections.

She acknowledged there were tough times, but she realized much of the pressure was self-imposed. “The first line of attack against any idea is our own fear and doubt,” Morrice said.

She also shared a lesson she learned from working with Texas oilmen back when it was rare to find women in energy companies. Morrice learned to quickly and laughingly turn around awkward comments or jokes and focus on business.

“Humor is a huge thing for us to keep in our armory,” Morrice said. “It was disarming. It’s terribly important not to get your bristles up, and to use humor and your love of life to move forward.”

The post Business School hosts forum to help women advance careers in energy industry appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Transfer students are a vital part of the diverse fabric at the University of Colorado Denver. They make up more than half of each incoming class at our university, and roughly 60 percent of that group arrives from community colleges.

Abby Muro works in a new role at CU Denver – Assistant Director for Transfer Recruitment – and it’s a perfect position for her. She previously served as an advisor at community colleges in Washington state, where her main goal was to retain students.

“Now I’m on the other side of things, working on recruitment, so it’s been an awesome job,” said Muro, who joined CU Denver five months ago. Her duties include supervising the relatively new Transfer Admission Center, a helpful one-stop information resource for transfer students, in the Student Commons Building.

Muro said transfer students bring a wealth of life experience to the university. She notes that they encompass an amazing breadth of diversity, both demographically and socioeconomically. “Transfer students are generally a little older, and with that comes more life experiences, personally and professionally, that they are able to bring to the university and the classroom,” she said.

Muro said the main questions they ask are: Will my credits transfer? What will my transfer process look like?

“We want to make sure that they have a place that they can go to get information,” she said. “We’re working to better streamline the credit transfer process so it’s clear before they come to our office how their credits will transfer.”

Muro has launched weekly sessions called “Transfer Thursdays” which provide opportunities for students to learn about CU Denver from an admissions counselor, tour the campus, receive information about general transfer admission requirements, explore academic program/major admissions requirements, meet with an advisor of their prospective school or college, and learn more about funding and scholarship opportunities at CU Denver.

When, for instance, a prospective student is a military veteran, the Transfer Admission Center links him or her to the resources available through CU Denver’s Veteran & Military Student Services Office.

“Overall, we’re trying to assemble all the resources we can and be equipped in our office to provide prospective students the most accurate information possible,” Muro said. “Ideally, we’d like to have very robust services where we can sit down with a prospective student and be able to completely understand their needs. Sometimes that means helping students articulate what their needs are.”

Here are stories of a couple former community college students who chose CU Denver to complete their degrees.

Derly Santos Maldonado

Derly Santos Maldonado was living in New Orleans eight years ago when she took a road trip with friends to check out a few colleges. About a thousand miles into the trip, her best friend got homesick and returned to Louisiana.

Not Maldonado. Once she got a taste of Colorado’s mountains and sunshine – not to mention Denver’s unique tri-institutional urban university campus – she knew where she belonged. “I was like, ‘I’m staying here – I’m not going back,’” she said. “I quit my job back in New Orleans and came here.”

Maldonado, a native of Costa Rica, wanted to continue working on her English, so she first enrolled at the Community College of Denver. She went on to earn an associate’s degree, but knew she wanted to pursue a career in public health. She aspires to promote public health and disease prevention, especially in developing countries.

So, Maldonado looked into the University of Colorado Denver, and another love affair developed.

‘People here care for you’

“I feel like the people here really care for you – that’s just one of the things I love about it,” Maldonado said. In 2013 she became a full-time student at CU Denver, majoring in public health and science. Just as she is passionate about the variety of Colorado’s 14ers – she’s climbed 34 of the state’s highest peaks so far – Maldonado loves the many options afforded by the public health field. “You can go so many different routes,” she said. “You could go from there into medicine or nursing, or some other health care career.”

Maldonado, who will graduate in December, plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the Colorado School of Public Health at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

While at CU Denver, she has enjoyed working as both a student ambassador and a student worker in the Transfer Admission Center. “I love it,” she said. “I can relate to transfer students.”

Maldonado thrives on surmounting challenges, and she appreciates the way CU Denver professors lay out a clear path on which students can succeed – all the while counting on students to do their part. “They have high expectations of performance from their students – it’s all equitable and professional,” she said.

Takes part in extra-curriculars

While she’s only been a student at CU Denver for a little over two years – she arrived with 60 credits – Maldonado quickly bonded with classmates and enjoyed extra-curricular programs. She’s part of Trio Student Support Services as well as the Educational Opportunity Programs. If she had it to do over, Maldonado says she probably would have transferred a little sooner in order to more fully experience everything that CU Denver, Colorado’s public urban research university, has to offer.

Still, she’s got more friends than she can count. “I don’t have my family here – they’re mostly all still back in New Orleans – so my friends here kind of fill that gap,” Maldonado said with a smile.

Pascal Nzitonda Bitana

Pascal Nzitonda Bitana enjoys the insights that his CU Denver classes give him into the wider world. He’s always been interested in international affairs, having experienced a turbulent childhood halfway across the globe. Violence and political strife in the Democratic Republic of Congo forced his family from their home when Bitana was 3, landing them in refugee camps in Rwanda for many years. In 2012, when Bitana was in his late teens, he and a few of his brothers received refugee asylum in the United States.

He was too old, 19, when he arrived in Colorado to enroll in a traditional high school, so Bitana earned his GED. Then he enrolled at the Community College of Denver (CCD), hoping to improve his English.

“I had an idea, even before I CCD, to come to here to CU Denver, but I never had anybody to motivate me,” Bitana said. He also assumed he needed an associate’s degree before he could transfer.

Bonded with fellow international students

But at a transfer fair at CCD he learned that wasn’t the case; a CU Denver representative told him that he could transfer at any time. Bitana thought, “Cool, I’ll go ahead and apply.” He did, choosing International Studies as a major and French as a minor. He began speaking French as a young boy, but his native language is Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda.

Bitana enrolled in fall 2015 and took an immediate liking to Colorado’s public urban research university. “At CU Denver, I met people who are majoring in International Studies like me. I thought, ‘Oh, this is a good place to be because there are many students doing the same major as me,” he said. “I got great advice from them and information about good professors to take for classes. So, it turned out to be a really good thing for me to transfer.”

He noticed that at the community college level, instructors tend to “hold your hand a little more. Here (at CU Denver), you’re expected to be a more mature student and be a little more responsible, which I think is good.”

Bitana is getting to know even more of his fellow CU Denver students thanks to a new job, which came about through his helpful nature. He was showing a student how to register for classes online in the Student Commons Building when he was spotted by Abby Muro, Assistant Director of Transfer Recruitment. Muro, impressed by Bitana’s friendliness and maturity, informed him that the Transfer Admission Center had openings for student workers. “I filled out an application right away and gave it to her and the next day she called me,” he said. “I’m learning a lot, and it’s very good. I know some of what transfer students go through because I went through it myself. So I can relate to the people I serve.”

Enjoys helping other refugees

Meanwhile, Bitana’s academic career is likewise on an upward trajectory. He recently learned that he will be inducted into the Honors Society for International Students on March 30.

Bitana expects to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in spring 2018. He has his sights set on becoming a diplomat, so he plans to pursue a graduate degree in International Studies or a related field. “That’s my dream career, and I know it’s a very competitive position to get,” he said. “I’d also love to work for an international firm or a non-governmental organization to get experience.”

He would ultimately like to help people in other countries, especially those who are forced from their homelands by war and political strife. “I’ve been a refugee for quite a long time and I know what they go through,” Bitana said. “I’ll be happy to help other refugees.”

The post Students enjoy transition from community college to CU Denver appeared first on CU Denver Today.

University of Colorado Denver senior Nadeen Ibrahim radiates the confidence and charisma of a natural leader, and she knows how to inspire people. She proved that during her time at CU Denver. She proved that again at the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s annual Leading Colorado awards, where she was recognized as the Colorado Leadership Alliance Student Leader of the Year.

The Leadership Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation selected Ibrahim for the honor, which they give each year to a single student who makes an exceptional impact on the community and shows the ability to inspire others.

Ibrahim’s acceptance speech earned a standing ovation from the audience of more than 700, which included luminaries in the business and nonprofit world. She thanked her mentors including CU Denver’s professors, advisors and students for their support. She said they encouraged personal growth and success.

“Thank you for molding me into the leader I am today by providing an academically challenging environment, opportunities to complete biomedical research, and opportunities to be engaged in the Denver and global community,” she said.

The self-described “small-town girl” said she couldn’t have imagined all she would do at CU Denver.

“I had the opportunity to flourish at CU Denver,” Ibrahim said. “We have the opportunity to be student leaders from the second we get here.”

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree from CU Denver, Nadeen is headed to the University of Oxford in England to complete a Master of Public Policy degree.

A long journey to Denver

Ibrahim is used to standing out. Her family immigrated to the U.S. from Jerusalem when Nadeen was 7 months old, and she became a citizen in 2001. The Ibrahims eventually moved to Wiggins, a small town on Colorado’s Eastern Plains with fewer than 1,000 people. The family owned a convenience store, where Nadeen and her five siblings worked. Her family was the only Muslim-American family in town.

Nadeen said that she and her family are proud of their religious and cultural heritage, but growing up she could tell it made some people uneasy, especially after Sept. 11. But the family thrived, and the Ibrahims were able to build bridges in the community. Nadeen learned that once people got to know the family and learned more about Islam and Muslims, attitudes changed.

“I saw how it really made a difference when people got the opportunity to know you,” Ibrahim said.

Growing at CU Denver

At CU Denver, Ibrahim majored in public health and earned minors in chemistry and leadership studies. She also grew to be a powerful advocate for respecting diversity and helping people overcome differences. She’s eager to take on causes, including homelessness in Denver, and she organized an awareness and outreach event around the topic.

She said the University Honors and Leadership program made her think about what leadership means and helped her discover strategies that could create societal change. Ibrahim’s advocacy earned her the university’s Community Builder of the Year award in 2016.

One important lesson, Ibrahim said, was realizing that while she faced challenges, she had advantages not all of her CU Denver classmates did, like U.S. citizenship.

“There are students at CU Denver who don’t have those privileges. So I asked, what does it mean to utilize the experiences I’ve had to be more of an advocate and an ally on campus,” Ibrahim said.

Leading beyond the classroom

Ibrahim’s activism increased as graduation neared and the political climate changed. She is a member of the Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission, and she spoke at the Women’s March on Denver in January, which drew more than 100,000 people.

Those commitments haven’t taken away from Ibrahim’s successful academic career. She has taken advantage of student research opportunities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Highlights of her work include presenting a paper on multiple sclerosis at a medical conference in Germany and research on prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins University.

Activism helped Ibrahim discover her interest in public health. It also led to another big achievement—in 2015, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed her to the board that oversees the state Department of Public Health and Environment. She is the youngest Coloradan to serve on such a state board. What she’s learned in her courses has helped her be an effective member of the board, she said.

 “I want to create sustainable change through policy,” Ibrahim said. “Improved public policy is needed, and I hope to contribute.”

Ibrahim’s educational journey is unlikely to end there. After getting her master’s degree at Oxford, she plans to apply to medical school or law school.

The post Nadeen Ibrahim wins student leader award from Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation appeared first on CU Denver Today.

University of Colorado Denver MBA student Derek Safko noticed that simply saying “car wash business” is like tossing a wet blanket over potential investors. They often zone out before he can reveal the breadth of his plan to revolutionize the industry.

So, Safko took the extreme step of conducting a moonshot – quite literally. After weeks of watching weather patterns, he launched a copy of his business plan to the edge of space.

In late March, Safko attached his HydroWave Express document to a weather balloon that rose from a field in Golden and reached about 115,000 feet before parachuting back to earth, landing near Ramah on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. A GoPro camera recorded the $1,000-plus mission, showing the business plan floating against a deep-blue sky, high above the curvature of the Earth. Safko, collaborating with a CU Denver student who runs a video production company, narrated a segment in which he explains his plans to shake up the car-wash industry.

‘Strange and eye-catching’

“The premise is that the video is so unusual, strange and eye-catching that it will get the attention of investors,” said Safko, who was CU Denver’s representative for the recent University Startup Challenge at the Angel Capital Summit in Denver. He hopes the video goes viral and pops into the email and social-media feeds of venture capitalists and other investors. “I’m hoping some of them will think, ‘Wow, this guy was willing to go this far to get my attention?’”

In 2015, Safko, who is an Army Special Forces Veteran and holder of a master’s in management from CU Denver, won $5,000 and finished runner-up in the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition hosted by the CU Denver Business School. He pitched the car wash plan back then, with its main hooks being speed-of-service and environmental friendliness. Safko has since jazzed up the plan to emphasize a theme-park quality – a car-wash trip geared to stimulate the senses and stir the imagination – along with quick-service and water-thrift qualities.

“While HydroWave Express will always focus on providing the highest-quality car wash, our primary goal is to enhance the consumer perception of the industry, which many see as dull and outdated,” Safko said.

Safko first envisioned a better and more fun way to wash cars when he went on the Test Track ride at Epcot at Walt Disney World. On the Test Track, riders are seated in life-size slot cars and experience the automotive testing process – hugging curves, navigating bumps, enduring cold and heat chambers – from behind the wheel.

Sensory experience at the car wash

Similarly, in HydroWave Express, the customer will remain seated as the vehicle moves through washing, buffing and drying phases. The final three phases will be futuristic experiences in which the vehicle passes through sleek and light-dazzling tunnels – awash in blue for rinse, orange for heat and dry, and glossy-white for polish – that fine-finish the car while wowing consumers (and their children).

The express wash will take three minutes and, at different stations, consumers will be able to choose various tiers-of-service packages. The lights, music, and overall experience will intensify with upgraded packages. “The vibrant waxes and sensory-stimulating upgrades will not only boost customer satisfaction by increasing the perceived value of their purchase, but it will also drive revenue for the business by enticing customers to purchase our top packages while increasing customer frequency,” the entrepreneur said.

Safko’s passion for the industry stems from his first job working at a car wash when he was 16. “While the word ‘experience’ is thrown around in many industries,” he said, “the car wash industry has failed to truly capture a unique experience for the consumer. It is this untouched opportunity that makes this business so appealing.”

‘Denver is a hub of entrepreneurship’

Safko, a native of Florida, spent 5-and-a-half years in the Special Forces, twice being deployed to Afghanistan and being named Special Forces’ Soldier of the Year, in addition to earning a Bronze Star Medal. Going into the military made sense for Safko because he had just earned a bachelor’s in economics at Florida State University when the Great Recession began in 2008. “It was (the military) or be forced to live with my mom while working as a barista to pay off my student loans,” he said. “I wasn’t going to settle for that – I wanted to keep my momentum going.”

Safko, who will finish his MBA this spring, expressly chose CU Denver for his graduate studies. “I wanted to attend a business school with a great entrepreneurship program that’s in the center of a city,” he said. “It’s no secret that Denver is a hub of entrepreneurship.”

Safko has thrived in the CU Denver Business School, enjoying its many networking opportunities as well as joining The Climb Consulting Group in the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship. The club helps small businesses solve management, marketing and research problems. “We have the ability to make sizable impacts with those organizations,” he said.

And now Safko is hoping to make a big impact on the car wash industry. If all goes according to plan, an actual brick-and-mortar-and-futuristic-lights HydroWave Express will, just like his business plan, take off.

The post Veteran turned entrepreneur seeks investors, sends business plan to edge of space appeared first on CU Denver Today.

“A quiet, peaceful atmosphere.” “Insightful conversations.” “Productive projects and goals completed.”

That’s how five students and recent graduates of CU Denver described their summers. They weren’t remembering vacations or home improvement projects, but the classes they took during the eight-week summer semester.

During the summer, undergraduates and graduate students can choose from three ways to take classes: in person, online or a hybrid combination of the two. Support systems, such as the Writing Center, are open to assist students, and, with fewer cars on campus, parking is a breeze.

And if that’s not enough to persuade you to enroll in summer semester, just listen to five students who used summer classes to graduate faster, learn skills inside and outside of their majors and keep the momentum going all year.

Navy Vet channeled excess energy into a degree

After serving in the U.S. Navy for nine years, Charmaine Cassie was nervous about returning to school and embarking on a new “mission.” She enrolled in summer classes in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) to jump-start her education after her military service—and discovered that she loved the small class sizes and fast pace at CU Denver.

Cassie, a Reisher Scholarship recipient, took at least two courses every summer until she graduated with a Communication degree in 2016. “The length of the summer semester was what I liked best,” she said. “The condensed format reminded me of a fast-paced job.”

While summer courses helped Cassie graduate faster, they also kept her busy, something the vet appreciated. “School was my outlet from memories of war—studying, taking tests, and participating in class was a healthier form of “stress,” Cassie said. “I expanded my social network, regained confidence on a greater scale and met my current business partner.”

First-generation undergrad explored courses outside of major

Yoana Martinez-Salazar, a first-gen student and a Reisher Scholarship recipient in the School of Education & Human Development, is busy completing a degree in Human Development and Family Relations, with a minor in Sociology. In summer 2016, Martinez-Salazar took two online classes because the flexibility allowed her to work more hours, complete coursework on her schedule, and stay on track to graduate in fall 2017. “Without summer classes, I probably would not be graduating on time,” she said.

Martinez-Salazar describes the photography course she took last summer as fun and challenging. “Taking that class was a great opportunity to explore outside my major, and it gave me the tools and experience I need to bring back some great pictures from my semester abroad,” she said.

Future police officer completes BA at lightning speed

Spenser Nesladek first learned about summer classes from his School of Public Affairs adviser, Nora Scanlon, who thought summer classes would be a good fit for his goals: Nesladek wanted to graduate quickly and apply to be a police officer.

He transferred to CU Denver bringing 30 credits with him. In May 2017, he will complete a BA in Criminal Justice in less than two years. One real key to his success was summer semester 2016, when he earned 15 credits. “The only way I was able to complete my degree so quickly was because of summer classes,” he said.

Nesladek enjoyed the quiet, peaceful atmosphere on campus in the summer, including personal assistance from instructors. “Summer courses were a great opportunity,” he said. “If someone wants to complete their degree faster, it’s great they have this option.”

Dual major student streamlined her path to graduation

Elizabeth Nylander, who dual-majored in Psychology and Communication, took her first psychology class during the summer semester and learned that she liked the momentum of taking classes year-round.

“I loved the productive, insightful small-class discussions,” she said. “After that experience, I made summer classes part of my graduation plan to ensure that I stayed on track.”

Nylander credits taking classes each summer semester with helping her graduate on time in 2014. Despite a heavy course load, she was able to complete her dual major in four years, while working part-time on campus. “Taking courses over the summer balanced my course load in the spring and fall semesters and streamlined my path to graduation,” she said.

Graduate student prefers condensed core classes

The opportunity to take required classes in a condensed format appealed to Jessica Killian, a grad student who is completing her Master of Engineering in Construction Engineering and Management. She prefers taking required classes over the summer to lighten her load during spring and fall semesters.

“The summer semester is a great way to get core or elective classes you are missing,” she said. “They are quicker and more focused.”

The post Why students love CU Denver summer semester appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Elizabeth Cheng’s father was driven from Cambodia by genocide. Her mother was driven from Vietnam by war. Whenever possible, the CU Denver student tries not to add stress to her parents’ lives—especially not with money.

“I’ve tried to be as financially independent as possible from a young age,” said Cheng, who will graduate in May with a biology major and plans to go to medical school. “ During undergrad, I balanced a full-time course load with a full-time job at times.”

But what tipped the scales for Cheng was a scholarship from the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF), which covered a portion of her tuition and included individualized college counseling from DSF advisors.

On the morning of March 31, Cheng spoke at a first-ever awards event honoring her and the 318 other DSF scholars at CU Denver.

Funding success

The CU Denver Office of Advancement and the CU Denver Scholarship Services & Programming Office organized the awards breakfast to celebrate CU Denver’s DSF scholars and to recognize 15 graduating seniors in that group with honor cords. As students, staff and faculty members ate scrambled eggs and nibbled croissants, Cheng expressed her gratitude at the podium.

“I want to say thank you to all of the people at DSF for all the help you’ve given me over the years and for all the students you’ll be helping in the future,” she said.

Established in 2006, DSF helps students from Denver Public Schools (DPS) go to college by providing tools, knowledge and financial resources. The organization works with 32 partner schools, of which CU Denver is one of the largest.

“Our goal is for every DPS kid to go to college, period,” said DSF CEO Nate Easley, PhD. “We have funded 5,500 DPS college grads so far, and we can’t do this without the partnership of schools like CU Denver.”

Acknowledging potential

As Easley spoke, students around the room listened, many of them wearing black university hoodies with “Scholar” written on the back. One of them, Mercy Olaka, said she has valued the support she has received from DSF, because as a first-generation student, she cannot always look to her parents for guidance in college-related decision-making. The public health major said being a DSF scholar also just feels good.

“I appreciate the acknowledgement that comes with this honor,” she said. “It means someone sees my aspirations and my potential and has granted me the opportunity to do what I want to do.”

CU Denver Chancellor Dorothy Horrell affirmed Olaka’s sentiments as she addressed the scholars.

“You come here every day with a sense of passion, purpose and perseverance that is unstoppable,” she said. “I applaud you.”

Shattering statistics

At the end of the program, Horrell announced the winner of the DSF Student of the Year Award: Gerardo Banuelos, who plans to graduate in fall 2017 and who happened to be the emcee for the event.

“Based on statistics, I really shouldn’t be in college,” Banuelos told the audience as he accepted his award. “I’m really thankful for DSF and all that it’s given me.”

For Cheng, Olaka, Banuelos and the hundreds of other CU Denver DSF scholars, the path wasn’t always easy. But through DSF, they not only could get help, they had to.

“Because you’re required to meet with your advisor each semester, you’re forced to get the help you need,” Cheng said. “I was raised to be independent, so I didn’t like reaching out for help, but it became a blessing in disguise.”

Life still isn’t stress-free for Cheng and her family. While she and her siblings and mother live in Colorado, her father lives in New York, where he can find work. And right now the Medical College Admission Tests loom ahead of her. But because of DSF, she doesn’t feel alone.

“The DSF scholarship program helps students get to where they want to be in their life,” she said. “Depending on your background, if you don’t have that support already, it’s a great feeling to know that there’s someone who is there for you.”

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In January, the University of Colorado Denver Business School took 16 students on a study abroad trip to Cuba, a country experiencing a renewed wave of entrepreneurial spirit. Although Cuba remains a communist nation, Raul Castro’s transition to power has allowed the creation of state-approved private businesses, many of which are flourishing.

Leading the excursion was Barry McConnell, MS, MBA, a Business School instructor with expertise in information technology and consumer product marketing. The 10-day trip offered students insight into the nation’s developing economy as well as meetings with influential entrepreneurs. CU Denver students observed that, while many of Cuba’s business approaches are different from the United States, the island’s entrepreneurs share our passion for achieving success.

Here are five takeaways from McConnell and a few CU Denver students:

1. Business is not the same in Cuba as in the United States

“Entrepreneurship is a foreign concept to the Cubans and is viewed as a necessary evil by the government,” McConnell said. The Cuban government has allowed for only 200 types of self-owned business. “It was so inspiring to see entrepreneurship in its purest form,” said Manuel Aguilar, an International Business student. “Here in the U.S., we often rely on our education to start a business. In Cuba, they rely more heavily on passion and drive.”

Cuba lacks any formal business schools. The University of Havana views business as a function of economics, and unlike CU Denver, it does not offer courses in entrepreneurship.

Despite the challenges, many Cubans are eager to become entrepreneurs. CU Denver students met with app developers and owners of restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. The students noticed in the entrepreneurs a shared willingness to learn – through trial-and-error and hands-on experience – new ways to succeed.

2. Doing more with less

Since 1962, the United States has maintained an economic embargo against Cuba. At first, the Soviet Union worked with Cuba to provide necessary resources and keep its economy functioning. However, since the Soviet bloc’s fall about 25 years ago, Cuba’s economic prospects have been extremely limited. Basic business needs such as computers, refrigerators, desks and office space are often impossible to obtain.

Melissa Andrade, a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said, “Cubans are very limited in resources, which has led them to embrace their talents and creativity to succeed. Being limited doesn’t mean failure; it’s about achieving things where they hardly exist.”

Added McConnell, “I think it’s valuable for entrepreneurship students to see entrepreneurs do more with less.” Even in conditions of immense hardship, small businesses are booming in Cuba without significant start-up budgets. “It’s a good reminder and good business for any company – from Apple to new entrepreneurs – to never stop the quest to make the most of your available resources,” McConnell said.

3. ‘See opportunity where others don’t’

CU Denver students often look toward technology as the next business frontier. Filling a niche need via an always-connected smartphone’s 5-inch screen has become the entrepreneurial ideal.

McConnell said students should look up from their gadgets and see the inspiration for great businesses can come from anywhere. “You don’t need to be an innovator; you just need to see opportunity where others don’t,” he said.

Entrepreneurs also can work around technological challenges. For example, because Cuba’s internet is limited to government-run hotspots, app developers have to be creative. “Because of the embargo, Cubans have to pirate outdated versions of the app development tools that we rely on in the states. Cubans would love to pay for the tools, but they have no other option if they want to keep up with pace of of technology,” said Alexi Huppenthal, an Information Systems major at the CU Denver Business School.

Apps in Cuba do exist, but not in the way we use them, as they’re designed to work without a consistent internet connection. McConnell introduced students to the developers of Alamesa, an app that stores restaurant information on smartphones and updates when it can connect to the internet. The app could be thought of as OpenTable, but with a Cuban twist.

4. Opportunities abound for CU Denver students in Cuba

The trip had its inconveniences for the students because, as Americans, most of us are dependent on technology.

Finding access to bottled water, currency exchanges, the internet, and maps was the hardest part of the study abroad. “We (Americans) want to explore old-world Cuba with all the modern conveniences we’re accustomed to,” McConnell said. He suggested that the students create an app that stores Cuban maps and useful information for tourists. “I could see this being sold by airlines midflight on the way to Cuba.”

5. A good first trip, but there’s more to learn

CU Denver’s Business School will take students back to Cuba next semester, with a focus on experiencing the nation outside of Havana. “On future trips, students, in addition to meeting with entrepreneurs and listening to economists, need more time to understand the breadth of Cuban culture and history,” McConnell said. “If you’re ever going to take entrepreneurship past the tourism industry and provide services to the Cuban people, you’re going to have to understand Cubans better, and that’s the piece I don’t think we got enough of.”

Guest Contributor:  Brian Young traveled with the CU Denver Business School to Cuba

The post 5 takeaways from Cuba appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Morgan Buchanan’s schedule, like that of many undergraduates, is packed. She juggles classes, studying, friends and family. Her days are long, and she has learned how to make use of every break. Her job is especially demanding. In 2016, after years of training and dedicated study, Buchanan became a soloist for the Colorado Ballet. If you have driven past the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, you have seen Buchanan’s photograph.

Buchanan brings that same dedication to all aspects of her life, including her studies at CU Denver, where she is enrolled as a Political Science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

Depending on the season, Buchanan performs three to five days a week, and her rehearsal schedule is intense, sometimes lasting until 10 p.m. She is on her feet all day, perfecting pirouettes, and examining her every move to ensure that she is conveying the purest expression of emotion.

“In dancing, you can act with your body,” Buchanan said. “It’s incredibly challenging, but thrilling when you have conveyed a certain emotion to the audience and done it well.”

Buchanan’s rehearsal and performance schedule may only allow her one day off a week, but her classes act as a counterweight for the physicality of her dancing. “It’s nice to focus on something completely different,” she said.

A new passion for politics

Buchanan’s first love has always been ballet, but in high school, she enjoyed AP classes and always planned to attend college. When she felt secure enough in her career, she began to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

She enrolled at CU Denver in 2014, originally with an undeclared major. Her course load included challenging biology classes, where she “loved the labs,” and poli-sci electives like a “War in Film” course that taught her how interconnected the world is.

“At first, I wasn’t sure what to focus on because ballet had been my only passion for so long,” Buchanan said. “But my poli-sci classes felt so relevant. While watching the news, I could see how policy shaped the world.”

Buchanan takes all of her classes online to accommodate her dancing schedule, and she appreciates the effort her professors make to explain the real-world relevance of their course work. “Lucy McGuffey, who taught the ‘War in Film’ course, made the material approachable,” Buchanan said. “She made students care and taught us that what we were learning was important.”

Declaring a Political Science major opened up new doors for Buchanan. She interned at the state Capitol for a lobbyist and received credit toward her degree through the CU at the Capitol program. Her internship brought the political process to life and showed her another potential career path.

From ‘War in Film’ to drama on stage

Buchanan has been inspired by the energy of ballet since a young age. Even as a child, she loved performing and bringing different characters to life. On stage, she transforms into an athlete and a performer; the joy of dancing combines with the theatrics of whichever role she is playing.

“You put so much work into each performance—they are all important,” Buchanan said. “But some roles are more fun than others. “In Peter Pan, I was rigged up to a flight harness, and I got to fly across the stage.”

She cites Wendy in Peter Pan as the most enjoyable role she’s played since arriving in Denver in 2009 to apprentice with the studio company of the Colorado Ballet. She joined the company as a dancer in 2011 and rose to soloist in 2016.

Through her work with the Colorado Ballet, she has also connected with local communities and schools throughout the world. The education department of the company regularly reaches out to public and private institutions to give performances and bring dance into schools.

Making an impact in multiple fields

Now that Buchanan is confident enough in her abilities as a dancer to explore other passions, she is seeing the payoff of a multifaceted life and education. Her CU Denver career and professional life complement each other; they both demand excellence.

She is thrilled with her success at the Colorado Ballet, and plans to continue with the company. When it is time to retire from dancing, though, she knows her education will provide her with a new path.

“I enjoyed speaking with legislators during my internship,” she said. “I want my work to have an impact in the world, whether I’m dancing or in politics.”

The post A ballet dancer with a passion for politics appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Meghan Dougherty, BA ’16, wanted to get a head start finding a great job before she graduated from the University of Colorado Denver. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) alumna knew she needed an internship to get experience, and she wanted advice about how to launch her career. Now that Dougherty has started a job with Northrup Grumman, a major aerospace company, she is thankful experts at CU Denver helped her along the way.

Doughtery relied on CU Denver’s Experiential Learning Center (ELC) and Career Center to find an internship and develop her skills. She used the centers to identify her interests and strengths, look for opportunities, write a strong resume, and learn how to connect with potential employers during interviews.

Her success story shows how CU Denver staff and faculty go the extra mile for students by helping them find great opportunities and start careers.

“It really did make a difference. They impacted me in such a positive way,” Dougherty said.

Finding great internships

Dougherty enrolled in CU Denver after nine years in the United States Marine Corps. She majored in communication and graduated in December 2016. She knew that before she got her diploma, she would need experience in the civilian world in a traditional business setting.

Many CU Denver students understand the value of internships, said Tony Smith, PhD, the ELC’s director. The center helps them find internships and get the most out of the experience. The ELC offers resources including guides and individual counseling. Students can find opportunities using Handshake, an online database that has several hundred internships and news about upcoming events and workshops.

Finding internships for CU Denver students does not happen by accident. Smith said the university has deep connections in Denver’s business community that include relationships with major corporations, startups, small businesses and solo entrepreneurs.

Employers and organizations often approach CU Denver, said Storm Gloor, MBA, an assistant professor in the College of Arts & Media (CAM) and the faculty sponsor of many students interning in the entertainment industry.

“The most common way I find out about internships is by being out there in the community at events,” Gloor said.

Students also can find potential employers on their own, Smith said.

Creating educational experiences

Dougherty, a communication major, interned with the Denver District Attorney’s Office. She considered a career as a public information officer, and her interest in criminal justice and social issues made it a good fit. She worked with the communication director and got experience writing press releases and working with reporters.

The ELC works with employers to make sure interns will have meaningful educational experiences. It also helps set expectations, such as the type of work and schedule. Smith said they must be appropriate for someone taking college classes.

Gloor and other faculty sponsors stay connected with students, and they will hold the employer to high standards.

“The employer signs off on the duties for the intern, and it doesn’t include getting coffee. It includes achieving outcomes, and we hold the employer to that,” Gloor said. “Ninety-nine out of 100 times, employers get that.”

Getting the job

Looking back, Dougherty views the internship as a great learning experience. She loved the people she worked with, and they became mentors and job references.

Once the internship ended, her next step was finding a job. She began searching months before graduation. Senior Director of Student Development Sarah Trzeciak, MS, said students who start working with the Career Center early have the most success. Trzeciak recommends students use the center as a “bookend” before and after working with the ELC, using the Career Center to find their interests before starting an internship, Trzeciak said.

Dougherty took advantage of every service she could. Along with looking at job listings, she took free tests that identified her strengths and attended workshops on subjects like using LinkedIn.

Dougherty said she benefitted most from advice about her resume and mock interviews.

“If you don’t know someone, your resume has to do your speaking for you, and you don’t have to do a job interview to get into the Marine Corps,” she said with a laugh.

The work paid off. Dougherty found an opening with Northrup Grumman’s human resources department. She will put her communications skills to work as a corporate recruiter on college campuses.

Her advice for CU Denver students?

“I really recommend you do everything you can, as soon as you can,” Dougherty said.

The post How Experiential Learning Center and Career Center launch careers appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Susan Morrice knows what it takes to succeed in the energy industry, whether you work in Denver or drill wells in Latin America. Morrice knows how to take risks and overcome doubters. She knows how to build a company—and she knows how to do it all in a male-dominated industry.

Morrice, the founder and chair of Belize Natural Energy, shared her story about finding oil in the small Central American country during her keynote speech at the HERWorld Global Energy Forum. The University of Colorado Denver Business School’s Global Energy Management (GEM) program hosted the event on March 8.

Helping women build careers in the energy industry is an important part of GEM’s mission, said Sarah Derdowski, GEM’s director of strategic development and operations. Those who attended the forum had the chance to hear Morrice talk about thinking big, and panelists discussed how to launch businesses, win promotions and navigate the corporate world. More than 50 women had the chance to make connections and get advice from experienced peers.

“We want to promote women in the industry, and we want to advance this cause,” Derdowski said.

Increasing diversity

The energy industry, which includes oil, natural gas and renewable energy, has historically been a man’s world. Around 20 percent of the workforce is female, and programs like GEM are doing their best to help change that, Derdowski said. About 25 percent of GEM’s students are women, which is disproportionally high compared to the industry as a whole. While the Business School is proud of that, it wants the number to grow.

That’s why GEM partners with organizations such as Pink Petro, a professional development organization for women in the energy industry. Pink Petro hosts the main HERWorld forum in Houston, and CU Denver was one of four satellite conferences that livestreamed speakers from Houston and held local events. This is the second year GEM has participated.

The forum also enabled GEM to showcase some of the program’s key players in the panel discussions. GEM panelists included current GEM executive in residence Julie Blunden, founder of Julie Blunden Consulting, and GEM alumna Kimberly Rodell, president of Upstream Petroleum.

The conference was on International Women’s Day, and the lineup of speakers and sponsors included companies that span the globe, such as Shell Oil. Pink Petro’s worldwide reach pairs well with GEM’s scope and ambition, Derdowski said.

“GEM is global, so we’d like to bring in as many people as possible to showcase who we are, what CU Denver does and what our women are doing,” she said.

Inspiring careers

Morrice’s career has spanned the globe. She was born and raised in Northern Ireland and now lives and works in Denver. In addition to the U.S. and Belize, she has business connections to the United Arab Emirates.

She said the entrepreneurial mindset was something she had to learn after coming to America, and her advice was to nurture the inner self-reliance and determination pioneers had when they settled America.

Her resilience was tested when she and her business partner decided to explore for oil in Belize. Major international companies such as Shell, Mobil and BP had drilled dozens of wells in the country that came up dry, and about 40 companies turned down Morrice’s business plan. She said her faith in her research and vision kept her going after all the rejections.

She acknowledged there were tough times, but she realized much of the pressure was self-imposed. “The first line of attack against any idea is our own fear and doubt,” Morrice said.

She also shared a lesson she learned from working with Texas oilmen back when it was rare to find women in energy companies. Morrice learned to quickly and laughingly turn around awkward comments or jokes and focus on business.

“Humor is a huge thing for us to keep in our armory,” Morrice said. “It was disarming. It’s terribly important not to get your bristles up, and to use humor and your love of life to move forward.”

The post Business School hosts forum to help women advance careers in energy industry appeared first on CU Denver Today.

Transfer students are a vital part of the diverse fabric at the University of Colorado Denver. They make up more than half of each incoming class at our university, and roughly 60 percent of that group arrives from community colleges.

Abby Muro works in a new role at CU Denver – Assistant Director for Transfer Recruitment – and it’s a perfect position for her. She previously served as an advisor at community colleges in Washington state, where her main goal was to retain students.

“Now I’m on the other side of things, working on recruitment, so it’s been an awesome job,” said Muro, who joined CU Denver five months ago. Her duties include supervising the relatively new Transfer Admission Center, a helpful one-stop information resource for transfer students, in the Student Commons Building.

Muro said transfer students bring a wealth of life experience to the university. She notes that they encompass an amazing breadth of diversity, both demographically and socioeconomically. “Transfer students are generally a little older, and with that comes more life experiences, personally and professionally, that they are able to bring to the university and the classroom,” she said.

Muro said the main questions they ask are: Will my credits transfer? What will my transfer process look like?

“We want to make sure that they have a place that they can go to get information,” she said. “We’re working to better streamline the credit transfer process so it’s clear before they come to our office how their credits will transfer.”

Muro has launched weekly sessions called “Transfer Thursdays” which provide opportunities for students to learn about CU Denver from an admissions counselor, tour the campus, receive information about general transfer admission requirements, explore academic program/major admissions requirements, meet with an advisor of their prospective school or college, and learn more about funding and scholarship opportunities at CU Denver.

When, for instance, a prospective student is a military veteran, the Transfer Admission Center links him or her to the resources available through CU Denver’s Veteran & Military Student Services Office.

“Overall, we’re trying to assemble all the resources we can and be equipped in our office to provide prospective students the most accurate information possible,” Muro said. “Ideally, we’d like to have very robust services where we can sit down with a prospective student and be able to completely understand their needs. Sometimes that means helping students articulate what their needs are.”

Here are stories of a couple former community college students who chose CU Denver to complete their degrees.

Derly Santos Maldonado

Derly Santos Maldonado was living in New Orleans eight years ago when she took a road trip with friends to check out a few colleges. About a thousand miles into the trip, her best friend got homesick and returned to Louisiana.

Not Maldonado. Once she got a taste of Colorado’s mountains and sunshine – not to mention Denver’s unique tri-institutional urban university campus – she knew where she belonged. “I was like, ‘I’m staying here – I’m not going back,’” she said. “I quit my job back in New Orleans and came here.”

Maldonado, a native of Costa Rica, wanted to continue working on her English, so she first enrolled at the Community College of Denver. She went on to earn an associate’s degree, but knew she wanted to pursue a career in public health. She aspires to promote public health and disease prevention, especially in developing countries.

So, Maldonado looked into the University of Colorado Denver, and another love affair developed.

‘People here care for you’

“I feel like the people here really care for you – that’s just one of the things I love about it,” Maldonado said. In 2013 she became a full-time student at CU Denver, majoring in public health and science. Just as she is passionate about the variety of Colorado’s 14ers – she’s climbed 34 of the state’s highest peaks so far – Maldonado loves the many options afforded by the public health field. “You can go so many different routes,” she said. “You could go from there into medicine or nursing, or some other health care career.”

Maldonado, who will graduate in December, plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the Colorado School of Public Health at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

While at CU Denver, she has enjoyed working as both a student ambassador and a student worker in the Transfer Admission Center. “I love it,” she said. “I can relate to transfer students.”

Maldonado thrives on surmounting challenges, and she appreciates the way CU Denver professors lay out a clear path on which students can succeed – all the while counting on students to do their part. “They have high expectations of performance from their students – it’s all equitable and professional,” she said.

Takes part in extra-curriculars

While she’s only been a student at CU Denver for a little over two years – she arrived with 60 credits – Maldonado quickly bonded with classmates and enjoyed extra-curricular programs. She’s part of Trio Student Support Services as well as the Educational Opportunity Programs. If she had it to do over, Maldonado says she probably would have transferred a little sooner in order to more fully experience everything that CU Denver, Colorado’s public urban research university, has to offer.

Still, she’s got more friends than she can count. “I don’t have my family here – they’re mostly all still back in New Orleans – so my friends here kind of fill that gap,” Maldonado said with a smile.

Pascal Nzitonda Bitana

Pascal Nzitonda Bitana enjoys the insights that his CU Denver classes give him into the wider world. He’s always been interested in international affairs, having experienced a turbulent childhood halfway across the globe. Violence and political strife in the Democratic Republic of Congo forced his family from their home when Bitana was 3, landing them in refugee camps in Rwanda for many years. In 2012, when Bitana was in his late teens, he and a few of his brothers received refugee asylum in the United States.

He was too old, 19, when he arrived in Colorado to enroll in a traditional high school, so Bitana earned his GED. Then he enrolled at the Community College of Denver (CCD), hoping to improve his English.

“I had an idea, even before I CCD, to come to here to CU Denver, but I never had anybody to motivate me,” Bitana said. He also assumed he needed an associate’s degree before he could transfer.

Bonded with fellow international students

But at a transfer fair at CCD he learned that wasn’t the case; a CU Denver representative told him that he could transfer at any time. Bitana thought, “Cool, I’ll go ahead and apply.” He did, choosing International Studies as a major and French as a minor. He began speaking French as a young boy, but his native language is Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda.

Bitana enrolled in fall 2015 and took an immediate liking to Colorado’s public urban research university. “At CU Denver, I met people who are majoring in International Studies like me. I thought, ‘Oh, this is a good place to be because there are many students doing the same major as me,” he said. “I got great advice from them and information about good professors to take for classes. So, it turned out to be a really good thing for me to transfer.”

He noticed that at the community college level, instructors tend to “hold your hand a little more. Here (at CU Denver), you’re expected to be a more mature student and be a little more responsible, which I think is good.”

Bitana is getting to know even more of his fellow CU Denver students thanks to a new job, which came about through his helpful nature. He was showing a student how to register for classes online in the Student Commons Building when he was spotted by Abby Muro, Assistant Director of Transfer Recruitment. Muro, impressed by Bitana’s friendliness and maturity, informed him that the Transfer Admission Center had openings for student workers. “I filled out an application right away and gave it to her and the next day she called me,” he said. “I’m learning a lot, and it’s very good. I know some of what transfer students go through because I went through it myself. So I can relate to the people I serve.”

Enjoys helping other refugees

Meanwhile, Bitana’s academic career is likewise on an upward trajectory. He recently learned that he will be inducted into the Honors Society for International Students on March 30.

Bitana expects to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in spring 2018. He has his sights set on becoming a diplomat, so he plans to pursue a graduate degree in International Studies or a related field. “That’s my dream career, and I know it’s a very competitive position to get,” he said. “I’d also love to work for an international firm or a non-governmental organization to get experience.”

He would ultimately like to help people in other countries, especially those who are forced from their homelands by war and political strife. “I’ve been a refugee for quite a long time and I know what they go through,” Bitana said. “I’ll be happy to help other refugees.”

The post Students enjoy transition from community college to CU Denver appeared first on CU Denver Today.

University of Colorado Denver senior Nadeen Ibrahim radiates the confidence and charisma of a natural leader, and she knows how to inspire people. She proved that during her time at CU Denver. She proved that again at the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s annual Leading Colorado awards, where she was recognized as the Colorado Leadership Alliance Student Leader of the Year.

The Leadership Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation selected Ibrahim for the honor, which they give each year to a single student who makes an exceptional impact on the community and shows the ability to inspire others.

Ibrahim’s acceptance speech earned a standing ovation from the audience of more than 700, which included luminaries in the business and nonprofit world. She thanked her mentors including CU Denver’s professors, advisors and students for their support. She said they encouraged personal growth and success.

“Thank you for molding me into the leader I am today by providing an academically challenging environment, opportunities to complete biomedical research, and opportunities to be engaged in the Denver and global community,” she said.

The self-described “small-town girl” said she couldn’t have imagined all she would do at CU Denver.

“I had the opportunity to flourish at CU Denver,” Ibrahim said. “We have the opportunity to be student leaders from the second we get here.”

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree from CU Denver, Nadeen is headed to the University of Oxford in England to complete a Master of Public Policy degree.

A long journey to Denver

Ibrahim is used to standing out. Her family immigrated to the U.S. from Jerusalem when Nadeen was 7 months old, and she became a citizen in 2001. The Ibrahims eventually moved to Wiggins, a small town on Colorado’s Eastern Plains with fewer than 1,000 people. The family owned a convenience store, where Nadeen and her five siblings worked. Her family was the only Muslim-American family in town.

Nadeen said that she and her family are proud of their religious and cultural heritage, but growing up she could tell it made some people uneasy, especially after Sept. 11. But the family thrived, and the Ibrahims were able to build bridges in the community. Nadeen learned that once people got to know the family and learned more about Islam and Muslims, attitudes changed.

“I saw how it really made a difference when people got the opportunity to know you,” Ibrahim said.

Growing at CU Denver

At CU Denver, Ibrahim majored in public health and earned minors in chemistry and leadership studies. She also grew to be a powerful advocate for respecting diversity and helping people overcome differences. She’s eager to take on causes, including homelessness in Denver, and she organized an awareness and outreach event around the topic.

She said the University Honors and Leadership program made her think about what leadership means and helped her discover strategies that could create societal change. Ibrahim’s advocacy earned her the university’s Community Builder of the Year award in 2016.

One important lesson, Ibrahim said, was realizing that while she faced challenges, she had advantages not all of her CU Denver classmates did, like U.S. citizenship.

“There are students at CU Denver who don’t have those privileges. So I asked, what does it mean to utilize the experiences I’ve had to be more of an advocate and an ally on campus,” Ibrahim said.

Leading beyond the classroom

Ibrahim’s activism increased as graduation neared and the political climate changed. She is a member of the Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission, and she spoke at the Women’s March on Denver in January, which drew more than 100,000 people.

Those commitments haven’t taken away from Ibrahim’s successful academic career. She has taken advantage of student research opportunities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Highlights of her work include presenting a paper on multiple sclerosis at a medical conference in Germany and research on prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins University.

Activism helped Ibrahim discover her interest in public health. It also led to another big achievement—in 2015, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed her to the board that oversees the state Department of Public Health and Environment. She is the youngest Coloradan to serve on such a state board. What she’s learned in her courses has helped her be an effective member of the board, she said.

 “I want to create sustainable change through policy,” Ibrahim said. “Improved public policy is needed, and I hope to contribute.”

Ibrahim’s educational journey is unlikely to end there. After getting her master’s degree at Oxford, she plans to apply to medical school or law school.

The post Nadeen Ibrahim wins student leader award from Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation appeared first on CU Denver Today.

University of Colorado Denver MBA student Derek Safko noticed that simply saying “car wash business” is like tossing a wet blanket over potential investors. They often zone out before he can reveal the breadth of his plan to revolutionize the industry.

So, Safko took the extreme step of conducting a moonshot – quite literally. After weeks of watching weather patterns, he launched a copy of his business plan to the edge of space.

In late March, Safko attached his HydroWave Express document to a weather balloon that rose from a field in Golden and reached about 115,000 feet before parachuting back to earth, landing near Ramah on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. A GoPro camera recorded the $1,000-plus mission, showing the business plan floating against a deep-blue sky, high above the curvature of the Earth. Safko, collaborating with a CU Denver student who runs a video production company, narrated a segment in which he explains his plans to shake up the car-wash industry.

‘Strange and eye-catching’

“The premise is that the video is so unusual, strange and eye-catching that it will get the attention of investors,” said Safko, who was CU Denver’s representative for the recent University Startup Challenge at the Angel Capital Summit in Denver. He hopes the video goes viral and pops into the email and social-media feeds of venture capitalists and other investors. “I’m hoping some of them will think, ‘Wow, this guy was willing to go this far to get my attention?’”

In 2015, Safko, who is an Army Veteran and holder of a master’s in management from CU Denver, won $5,000 and finished runner-up in the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition hosted by the CU Denver Business School. He pitched the car wash plan back then, with its main hooks being speed-of-service and environmental friendliness. Safko has since jazzed up the plan to emphasize a theme-park quality – a car-wash trip geared to stimulate the senses and stir the imagination – along with quick-service and water-thrift qualities.

“While HydroWave Express will always focus on providing the highest-quality car wash, our primary goal is to enhance the consumer perception of the industry, which many see as dull and outdated,” Safko said.

Safko first envisioned a better and more fun way to wash cars when he went on the Test Track ride at Epcot at Walt Disney World. On the Test Track, riders are seated in life-size slot cars and experience the automotive testing process – hugging curves, navigating bumps, enduring cold and heat chambers – from behind the wheel.

Sensory experience at the car wash

Similarly, in HydroWave Express, the customer will remain seated as the vehicle moves through washing, buffing and drying phases. The final three phases will be futuristic experiences in which the vehicle passes through sleek and light-dazzling tunnels – awash in blue for rinse, orange for heat and dry, and glossy-white for polish – that fine-finish the car while wowing consumers (and their children).

The express wash will take three minutes and, at different stations, consumers will be able to choose various tiers-of-service packages. The lights, music, and overall experience will intensify with upgraded packages. “The vibrant waxes and sensory-stimulating upgrades will not only boost customer satisfaction by increasing the perceived value of their purchase, but it will also drive revenue for the business by enticing customers to purchase our top packages while increasing customer frequency,” the entrepreneur said.

Safko’s passion for the industry stems from his first job working at a car wash when he was 16. “While the word ‘experience’ is thrown around in many industries,” he said, “the car wash industry has failed to truly capture a unique experience for the consumer. It is this untouched opportunity that makes this business so appealing.”

‘Denver is a hub of entrepreneurship’

Safko, a native of Florida, spent 5-and-a-half years in the Special Forces, twice being deployed to Afghanistan and being named Special Forces Command’s Soldier of the Year, in addition to earning a Bronze Star Medal. Going into the military made sense for Safko because he had just earned a bachelor’s in economics at Florida State University when the Great Recession began in 2008. “It was (the military) or be forced to live with my mom while working as a barista to pay off my student loans,” he said. “I wasn’t going to settle for that – I wanted to keep my momentum going.”

Safko, who will finish his MBA this spring, expressly chose CU Denver for his graduate studies. “I wanted to attend a business school with a great entrepreneurship program that’s in the center of a city,” he said. “It’s no secret that Denver is a hub of entrepreneurship.”

Safko has thrived in the CU Denver Business School, enjoying its many networking opportunities as well as joining The Climb Consulting Group in the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship. The club helps small businesses solve management, marketing and research problems. “We have the ability to make sizable impacts with those organizations,” he said.

And now Safko is hoping to make a big impact on the car wash industry. If all goes according to plan, an actual brick-and-mortar-and-futuristic-lights HydroWave Express will, just like his business plan, take off.

The post Veteran turned entrepreneur seeks investors, sends business plan to edge of space appeared first on CU Denver Today.