The CU Boulder Masters of the Environment Program is thrilled to announce our inaugural Diversity Leadership Fellows! From left to right: Ximena Alverde, Cheyenne Fouts, Danielle Furuichi, Tejas Srikanth, Sydney Dynek and Faculty Advisor Colleen Scanlan Lyons. Thank you to the VF Foundation, which aims to drive movements for the betterment of people and the planet, for your support in bringing this program to life.
These five MENV students will receive a $10,000 scholarship that will go directly towards their MENV tuition costs. They will be paired with an industry mentor with whom they will meet regularly, and will participate in professional development activities during this academic year to help further their own careers. They will serve as members of the MENV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and help plan community engagement events and workshops/speaking events for the MENV community around increasing DEI in the environmental sector and outdoor industry. Fellows will also contribute content for an interactive, visually compelling webpage to share the narratives of professionals from under-represented backgrounds. Finally, fellows will meet with underrepresented communities, share the stories of minority alumni and industry leaders to highlight career pathways, and support expansion of our recruitment efforts to new populations.
The Fellows will aim to achieve three goals:
- Increase access to advanced education for students from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing careers in the environmental sector or outdoor industry
- Close the skills gap so graduates are workforce ready
- Amplify voices of students and professionals from underrepresented backgrounds so future students can see themselves in these careers.
Congratulations! We look forward to this journey and can’t wait to see the amazing work that lies ahead.