Voices Magazine

From student to custodian to principal, alumnus uses experience to transform local schools It feels good to be home, says Michael Atkins with his contagious smile, as the proud new principal of Denver’s Stedman Elementary, a dual language school. “I wanted to go back into the community and give back,”...

Hayley Breden (MAEdu’16), graduate in educational foundations, policy and practice, has taught social studies at Denver South High School for almost 10 years, and she is always looking for ways to create awareness and inclusivity in her classroom. In 2004, when Breden told her high school history teacher that she...

In 1979, the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder faced a threat: Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm’s budget proposal suggested eliminating the School of Education and encouraged making the University of Northern Colorado the state’s “center of excellence” for education. According to the Daily Camera’s Feb. 8, 1979,...

Most prestigious CU Boulder alumni award to honor Jackie Colt We all know educators who have changed lives, and the scope of Jackie Colt’s passion has enhanced the lives of countless students, parents, teachers and administrators. This fall, Colt will be recognized with CU Boulder’s most prestigious alumni award, the...

How today's youth are finding their voice, and what we can learn from them “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,” the high school students chanted as they carried colorful signs and blasted messages via megaphone. Drivers slowed and many honked as the marchers made their way...

Time and time again, we hear scholarships are one of the biggest factors in recruiting and retaining talented students. As the cost of living and expectations for education students continue to increase, scholarships are needed now more than ever to support promising and passionate students and future teachers. In their...

Many challenges that communities face are ones for which community members have the desire, knowledge and vision to address. What they often do not have, particularly in historically marginalized communities, are the resources—economic, institutional, educational—that could enable them to actualize those visions. Collaborations with institutions such as universities and nonprofits...

As a child, Enrique Lopez had a strong sense of scientific wonder, but his fascination with science education would come later. “I always enjoyed learning—like all kids do—but not so much school,”he said. “My interest in science was solidified when I failed my first chemistry class.” Lopez was a freshman...

As news of Hurricane Maria reached the mainland, doctoral students Astrid Sambolín Morales and Molly Hamm-Rodríguez were in Colorado, but their hearts were with Puerto Rico. Sambolín Morales, a Puerto Rican, and Hamm-Rodríguez, who has lived and worked in the Caribbean, were focused on the well-being of family, friends and...

The perspectives and experiences that Travis Dominguez brought to his leadership capstone class reflect the work ethic instilled in him by his family. Both of his grandfathers own businesses, one a barber shop and the other an auto shop. His father is an electrician at a nuclear power plant, while...