Published: Nov. 29, 2021 By

How you can help
These are the stories of just three of our more than 800 first-generation students in CU Engineering, many of whom also struggle with college affordability. To learn how you can help, pleasecontact Assistant Dean for Advancement Matt Youngǰvisit our Giving page.

Learning that you’ve been accepted to the college of your choice is an exhilarating moment for any student. But for some, that excitement is tempered by concern about how they and their families will pay for it.

For these students, getting a scholarship can make all the difference, allowing them to pursue or finish their education with one less worry. That is certainly true of the first three recipients of the Srivastava-Waelde Scholarship, started in 2019 by CU Boulder alumni Ashok Srivastava (ElEngr’91, M’93, PhD’96) and Lynn Waelde (MPsych’91, PhD’95).

The three students have a lot in common – they are all computer scientists, they are invested in diversity in engineering, and they are the first in their family to go to college. They also have all had to navigate a portion of their college career during the COVID-19 pandemic.