How Alumni Keep Their CU Boulder Bonds Strong as Forever Buffs
For many CU Boulder alumni, the university is more than just the location of their college experiences. It’s a part of their lives today. They want other CU students and alumni to experience this deeper connection too, starting with embracing themselves as “Forever Buffs.”
“Your journey as a Forever Buff begins when you enroll on campus,” saidRyan Chreist(Kines’96,MPubAd’09), Alumni Association executive director. “The day you graduate, you join the larger Forever Buffs community of over 300,000 who live all over the world. It is a way to have a relationship with the university and your fellow alumni for life.”
For alumni like Rochelle Maki-Williams (Psych’96; ExecMBA’11), being a Forever Buff means more than staying actively involved with the university — it means nurturing future generations of Buffs. Since 2011, Maki-Williams has volunteered for the , the and, a group dedicated to supporting CU Athletics. As a Denver Forever Buffs chapter leader, she’s also helped raise scholarship money for local high school students.
Maki-Williams’ bond with CU is personal. It’s where she met her husband,T.H. Williams(A&S’95; ExecMBA, MFin’04), built lasting friendships and created cherished memories.
“Being a Forever Buff is something I live every day,” she said.
ForRoyer Lopez(Mktg’18), “being a Forever Buff is about creating endless possibilities — for yourself and others.”
His involvement is wide-ranging. He holds roles on theLeeds GOLD Board and theForever Buffs Advisory Board, volunteers as a Leeds School of Business mentor and helps host reunions for theMulticultural Greek Council. Plus, he attends every CU football home game with his family.
Through his many CU connections, he aims to create a broader impact and ensure that future Buffs have expanded opportunities. Lopez, a first-generation college student, is passionate about helping other first-generation students and often recruits interns from Leeds.
For Maki-Williams and Lopez, being a Forever Buff is more than a point of pride — it’s a lifelong commitment to give back, stay connected and make an impact.
Become involved with the Alumni Association to connect with other Forever Buffs. Visit.
Photo courtesy Rochelle Maki-Williams