听When I heard about the (partnership) program, it was the best of both worlds.
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Partnership program helps students engineer their own CU experience.
In 2018, the CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science launched a partnership program with Western Colorado University鈥檚 Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering. The program allows students to earn Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science or mechanical engineering as graduates of CU Boulder. They complete their first two years as Western students, and the balance of their education as CU Boulder students, all while remaining on the Western campus in Gunnison, Colorado.听
Forty students enrolled in the inaugural class in fall 2019, and they鈥檙e already making their mark.听
鈥淲e are fortunate to have these talented students as part of our CU Engineering community,鈥� Interim Dean Keith Molenaar said. 鈥淲e look forward to working with them on their journey to becoming professional engineers and scientists.鈥�
Here is a look at two of the stand-out students of the Class of 2023 who are taking advantage of the opportunity to get their CU Boulder degrees in a small-school atmosphere.
Victoria Bowen,
Mechanical Engineering
Working in aerospace has been at the top of Victoria Bowen鈥檚 list for a while.
While searching for the right college to get her to NASA, she found touring giant lecture halls intimidating. CU Boulder鈥檚 partnership program with Western offered her the best of both worlds: a prestigious degree and intimate classes.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃ell, like that鈥檚 pretty much perfect,鈥欌�� Bowen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome getting one-on-ones with professors; you can get your questions answered in class, and that helps me succeed.鈥�
Bowen is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, moving toward her goal of working on 鈥渁nything with airplanes or satellites or rockets.鈥�
In this smaller program, she knows everyone in her engineering classes. She and her classmates even have a group text where they can reach out for help understanding concepts from class.
Bowen鈥檚 academic prowess earned her the Rady Merit Scholarship, covering her two years of Western tuition. Beyond easing her student debt, the scholarship encourages Bowen to succeed.听
鈥淚t really motivates me to do well because I know someone else is wanting me to do well, too,鈥� she said.听
Gunnar Marquardt,
Computer Science
Gunnar Marquardt found himself hooked on computer science in elementary school.
Now, the first-year student from Green Mountain Falls is pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computerscience through the partnership program.
In an attempt to build his own video game in middle school, Marquardt learned his first computer language, Java. In high school, he saw that goal come to fruition in a programming class, followed up by an independent study for computer science and AP Computer Science Principles.
His interest in the industry only grew as he learned about cybersecurity and attended a conference focused on the field.
鈥淚 find it super interesting, all that goes into the encoding and cryptography, playing both sides of making it easy to use while not easy to hack,鈥� Marquardt said.
His career goals lie in that field now, likely in private sector penetration testing where he can assess other companies鈥� security systems.
Marquardt knew he wanted to go to CU Boulder to learn in the outstanding computer science program, but he prefers studying in a smaller environment.
鈥淲hen I heard about the (partnership) program, it was the best of both worlds,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 end up with a degree and an education from Boulder, but I get to be in Gunnison and I get that small-school, more one-on-one teacher aspect.鈥澨�