Read words of wisdom听from some of the many talented听and innovative students who graduated in May 2024, leaving听inspirational legacies鈥攚ith advice and reflection鈥攆or those who follow.听
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What will you carry forth?
Ava Barnett
听My time at CU has taught me the importance of leading with kindness, empathy, and integrity鈥攑rinciples I am proud to carry with me into my next chapter.鈥�
Fin, Acct鈥�24
听Leeds Undergraduate Impact Award
Joe Constancia
听No institution has impacted my life more than CU Boulder. Ten years ago, I came to CU as a recycling collector. Since then, some of my most significant milestones have taken place on this campus. The opportunities and kindness I have received have humbled and inspired me to pay it forward. My confidence and belief in my abilities are at an all-time high, and I am excited to use my skills and education for the betterment of both my community and the world.鈥�
听Mgmt鈥�24
Sydney Kheng
I will carry my passion for diversity into my next chapter. The unwavering support of the Office of Diversity Affairs at the Leeds School of Business has been instrumental to my personal and professional growth. As I transition to the next phase of my life, I am committed to paying forward this support to uplift and inspire the diverse communities that lie ahead. I am forever grateful for the dedicated staff and amazing friends who have supported me these past four years!鈥�
BusAna, Mktg鈥�24
听Leeds School of Business & Office of Diversity Affairs Visionary Award
Bethany Morton
听As I have learned more about the complexities of the education system and issues of injustice and deficit perspective, my professors not only showed the importance of advocacy but also showed me ways to be an advocate for teachers and students. From improving my capacity to support students鈥攕ocially, emotionally, and academically鈥攖o understanding what truly serves students鈥� needs, my experiences at CU Boulder have equipped me to be an advocate for students and teachers.鈥�
听MEdu鈥�24
听Outstanding STEM Education Master鈥檚 Graduate
Silvia Ortiz
听The most profound, significant lesson I take away from my time at CU Boulder is this: All of our students come to us with various gifts and talents. It is up to us, educators, to explore such gifts and talents and leverage them to inspire and nurture independent learners and thinkers. By disrupting injustices created by systemic oppression, we give our students opportunities to thrive.鈥�
听MEdu鈥�24
听Outstanding Education, Bilingualism, and Biliteracy Master鈥檚 Graduate
Shelby Roberts
听I will carry with me the generous, inspiring and collaborative spirit my peers and professors have shown me throughout my time here.鈥�
惭耻蝉,惭耻蝉贰诲耻鈥�24
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Doha Shahba
听听My time at CU has taught me the importance of learning things outside of my comfort zone鈥攁nd the perseverance it takes to do so鈥攁nd having a strong community behind me when facing challenges. I could not have accomplished my goals without the support of my family, friends, faculty and community in the Office of Diversity Affairs at the Leeds School of Business and the Business and Engineering Women in Technology program.鈥�
Acct, Fin, Mgmt鈥�24
听Leeds School of Business & Office of Diversity Affairs Outstanding Senior Award
Nicolas Tamayo
听I will take with me the connections I鈥檝e been able to make with people from so many corners of life. They鈥檝e taught me lessons that I may never have learned without their friendship and mentorship.鈥�
Fren, Jour鈥�24
听William W. White Outstanding Senior Award; Fulbright awardee
President, CMCI Student Government
Your best piece of advice
Lisa An
听I learned that keeping your work to yourself because of the fear of not being good enough does no good. If you share your work and receive feedback, you are able to improve your craft and obtain opportunities you otherwise never would have been able to.鈥�
Art, CritMediaSt鈥�24
听William W. White Outstanding Senior Award
Nikki Bechtold
听Take advantage of all the incredible opportunities that the university has to offer. Look on bulletin boards, read your emails and join as many clubs as you have time for. Some of my best experiences happened from the organizations and clubs I randomly joined.鈥�
叠耻蝉鈥�24
听Leeds Office of Diversity Affairs Salesforce Intern; Leeds Welcome Desk Specialist; Leeds P2P Mentor Executive Team Member
Peyton Biggers
听Take advantage of the many opportunities available at CU. Join clubs, attend sporting events, spend time on campus, and immerse yourself in the community. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone!鈥�
BusAna, Mktg鈥�24
听Leeds Academic Excellence Award;听Marketing Division Outstanding Student Award
Aja Bos
听I would tell future students to keep their minds and options open going into CU Boulder. I changed my career path several times in college, and I think it's important to remember to enter a degree you are passionate about for the sake of your future and not the future others think you should have.鈥�
EBio, Anth鈥�24
Elijah Boykoff
听Your professors are people just like you. Get to know them鈥攊f you are able to resonate with your professors on a deeper level, you will be much more enriched by the knowledge they have to share.鈥�
滨苍蹿辞厂肠颈鈥�24
听William W. White Outstanding Senior Award
Vincent Bursey
听Say yes to new opportunities and environments that have you feeling uncertain about the outcome. Your best friends and support group may be waiting on the other side!鈥�
InfSys, Mgmt鈥�24
听Leeds School of Business & Office of Diversity Affairs Outstanding Senior Award
Eleanor Gentry
听Work hard but rest harder鈥攜ou won't actually remember anything you do on no sleep or when you're so stressed you can't focus. If you stay on top of resting, then you won't struggle to get things done.鈥�
Phys, WomSt鈥�24
Luke Hatton
听Take advantage of all of the resources available to enrich your experience. There is so much more to benefit from beyond just time in the classroom.鈥�
惭叠础鈥�24
Robert La Trobe
听Be a leader in class and school organizations. It will enrich your school experience, hold you to a higher standard of excellence and ultimately help you land a job you're proud to have earned.鈥�
MBA, MSSCM鈥�24
MarieFaith Lane
听My advice to fellow students is to embrace the interconnectedness of their passions and skills. I encourage others to see themselves as universal musicians, trusting their individual paths and pursuing diverse disciplines that allow them to explore versatile career options. Especially鈥攂eyond becoming skilled musicians and broadly based professionals鈥擨 urge other students to prioritize developing empathy and kindness in all aspects of life.鈥�
MMus鈥�22; Artist Diploma in Solo Performance 鈥�24
听Graduate Teaching Assistant; Communications Assistant
Samantha Lane
听When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, feel it fully, as these emotions are valid and part of the college experience. It is through these experiences and emotions that you grow the most. So embrace the chaos that is college, and know that every experience and every emotion, whether good or bad, is valid and brings beauty and strength.鈥�
尝别补诲颁辞尘尘贰苍驳尘迟鈥�24
听Outstanding Leadership and Community Engagement Graduate
Milena Pajevic
I would advise other students to make efforts to leave their comfort zones! All of my best experiences in college (including my friends, classes, and adventures) were due to me pushing past my comfort zone and trying new things.鈥�
惭颁顿叠颈辞鈥�24
Bianca Perez
听Every connection I made at internships and with professors, every assignment and application, every interaction with peers in class, and every hour at the library has been in some way meaningful to me. Pay attention to the details because they coalesce together into a bricolage of knowledge.鈥�
Comm, MediaSt鈥�24
听William W. White Outstanding Senior Award
Andrew Schwartz
听Explore classes outside of your discipline鈥攜ou will learn more in a class about something new to you than in one you鈥檙e already familiar with.鈥�
InfoSci, Phil鈥�24
听William W. White Outstanding Graduate Award
Victoria Zaugg
听College can be an incredibly chaotic time, and tough, emotional situations are bound to happen; sometimes it's because we aren鈥檛 perfect people either. Try to focus on having a growth mindset that allows you to learn, have fun, build self-compassion and recognize that perfection is an unattainable goal.鈥�
Psych, Soc鈥�24
听Learning Assistant for PSYC 3102 Behavioral Genetics; LA Mentor
What graduation means to you
William Solorio Hernandez
听Graduating from college is a monumental achievement that represents all of the hard work my family and I have done to succeed in America. My parents moved to Colorado from Mexico before I was born and never got to pursue a higher education, and yet they were able to make a living in Colorado. Their dedication and grit inspired me to pursue a degree in physics, and I would not have made it this far without their support.鈥�
Math, Phys鈥�24
Emma Hoeschler
听Graduating from CU Boulder represents a long-held dream of becoming an active change-maker in my community. The skills and knowledge I have developed throughout my time at CU have prepared me to be a teacher who empowers her students to think critically about our world and work to advance our communities for the better.鈥�
Edu, Hist鈥�24
听Outstanding Secondary Humanities Undergraduate Teacher Licensure Program Graduate
Er-Hsuan Li
听As a first-generation college graduate, it is certainly a dream come true to earn a doctorate. With the challenges of the pandemic and a year of mandatory military service, I am proud of overcoming all the difficulties with resilience over the past few years. I learned to be a well-rounded musician, prepared to be a confident professional in the field. I will cherish all the connections I made at CU.鈥�
笔丑顿惭耻蝉鈥�24
听Dean鈥檚 Graduate Student Grant;听Nancy Brogden Booker Collaborative Pianist Award;听James and Lola Faust Chamber Music Scholarship
Norma Marquez
听Graduating from CU Boulder with a master鈥檚 degree further validates all the sacrifices, obstacles听and challenges my family and I have faced while trying to make a better life and establish ourselves in this country. This further exemplifies how education is the best way out of generational poverty for our communities. I would not be where I am today in my career had it not been for this program.鈥�
听MEdu鈥�24
听Program Manager for the Pre-Collegiate Center, CU Denver
Sujei Perla Martinez
听Graduating means carving a path for those in my family where there once wasn鈥檛 one. Growing up, I saw my mother work hard jobs to raise my brother and me. Every day, I try my hardest to show my mother that her sacrifice wasn鈥檛 in vain. I wouldn鈥檛 be here if it weren鈥檛 for my community, and for them I鈥檓 grateful.鈥�
厂迟谤补迟颁辞尘尘鈥�24
Nataly Diaz Ortega
听Graduating from grad school represents a lot of pride for myself and my family, as I am a first-generation student. Graduating represents the advancement of women in color in graduate school, and feels like an immense pride to reach this accomplishment for the Hispanic community.鈥�
听惭叠础鈥�24
Yazmine Lynette Pati帽o
听Graduating from CU Boulder represents sacrifice, growth and possibilities for myself and my family. I鈥檓 the first in my family to receive a bachelor鈥檚 and now a master鈥檚 degree, both of which I could not have accomplished without the unwavering support of my family. Every educational milestone also represents educational possibilities for my younger siblings.鈥�
听MEdu鈥�24
听Outstanding Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice Master鈥檚 Graduate
Dana Ritterbusch
听As a non-traditional student, I came to this campus with a passion for neuroscience and looking for a sense of purpose to match. Not only did I find myself among truly exceptional academic peers, I was warmly welcomed into an inclusive community of driven, compassionate, fearless young adults who have inspired me beyond measure. I leave听sad to say goodbye but with complete certainty the world is in hands that are immensely capable, guided by clear minds and open hearts; and I am better for knowing and having been loved by them.鈥�
Neuro, Psych鈥�24
Editor鈥檚 note: Quotes may include minimal edits for length and clarity. See a听list of degree abbreviations.
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