2021 Parent Giving Impact Report

$8,576,399

in total parent gifts across the university

$727,497

2,555

parent donors, including 995 donors to the Parent Fund

846

students in isolation supported with on-campus, socially distanced counseling, programming and individual activities

90

peer wellness coaching sessions, with over 90% of participating students reporting that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience

41,409

pounds of food distributed to students through the Buff Pantry

91%

of Buff Pantry student survey respondents said that as a result of the program, they were able to focus more of their time and energy on academic activities

Millie Wright

Parent of Benjamin (Mgmt’18)

Over three decades ago, Millie Wright discovered the practice of mindfulness — and it changed her life.

After experiencing anxiety and depression during a tough time, Millie learned how mindfulness could help her be fully present and alive in her body and mind. Through mindfulness meditation and other exercises, she learned to handle stress more effectively, regulate her emotions and build a stronger, more resilient relationship with the world and other people.

“I’ve been a meditator for close to 34 years now,” she said. “It’s provided me with a really solid foundation in life.”

After her son enrolled at CU Boulder, Millie wanted to provide Buffs with a way to engage with the practice. She now helps fund a mindfulness research project through the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at CU.

The project’s goal is to design and implement mindfulness- and compassion-based programming for CU undergraduates. As well as creating more resiliency and a grounded foundation for students to meet life’s challenges, the project also builds community on campus and beyond. That way, in addition to their academics, students gain a more holistic education that prepares them for life after college.

Students themselves are part of the co-design process, creating programs that welcome people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, abilities and backgrounds.

For other parents considering a gift to CU but not sure where to begin, Millie suggests starting with your larger purpose.

“What’s my intention? How do I want to help?” she advises. “Is it for me, or my student, or is it for the whole campus? What kind of experience do I want my child to have in college … and how can I support that?”

In her own life, Millie’s goal is an expansive legacy of wellness that starts at the individual level.

“I want to make my contribution to the betterment and growth of the human spirit and the well-being of all beings on Earth,” she said. “That begins with sharing my own knowledge about something that impacted and continues to impact my life.

“If it can have an impact on one person, I’m happy. If it can have an impact on many people, I’m very happy.”

Hunter Sherraden (IntPhys’21)

If Hunter Sherraden has learned one big thing from being a college student during the past year, it’s been resilience.

“We all learned a lot of skills in flexibility, adapting to different situations and rolling with the punches,” he said.

With support from the CU community, Hunter — an aspiring future physician — was able to find the silver lining in the situation and discover a renewed sense of purpose for his studies in public health.

He also found purpose in supporting others on campus. During 2020–21, Hunter was selected as CU Boulder’s student-employee of the year, recognizing his work as a Journey Leader mentor in the New Student and Family Programs office. For the past three years, he has helped first-year students and their families prepare for CU and get adjusted to university life.

Not only has his role supported other students, it has helped Hunter grow in new ways as well.

“My Journey Leader mentor role has helped me grow as a student and a person in the workforce — in the skills it’s given me, and the different people I’ve been able to work with … learning how to do business and work in settings with other professionals,” he said.

Hunter, a Colorado Springs native, is wrapping up his final semester at CU in the fall of 2021. After he graduates, he’s planning to pursue a master’s in public health, then go on to medical school in the hopes of one day becoming an emergency room doctor.

Financial and programmatic support from CU and parent-funded programs have helped Hunter pursue his goals.

“It means a lot to us as students to have CU parent support. It allows me to have a student job on campus, and for a lot of our programs to run. It really enhances our student experience,” he said. “It doesn’t go unnoticed, and it’s definitely appreciated.”

Laura Donahue

Parent of Lila (Fren’22)

After Laura Donahue heard about the King Soopers shooting in Boulder last March, she first felt relief that her own daughter was safe — then shock, anger and helplessness.

Giving to CU Boulder’s Student Emergency Fund was one way she could take action.

“I couldn’t do anything about the shooting. ... But in the community where the shooting was, there’s a group that I care deeply about — the CU Boulder community,” she said. “I could at least figure out how to help the people who needed it most there.”

The fund provides students with financial support for food, housing, books and other supplies, technology, counseling and more — wherever it’s needed most. Given the turbulence of the past year, including the King Soopers tragedy, emergency funding for students was more important than ever.

For Laura, that type of support is personal.

“I was that kid,” she said. “I was that kid who worked 35 hours a week, double-majored in college, and was trying to cobble together enough money to afford it — who had many moments of insecurity about making it all work.”

Now, years after those challenges, she’s paying it forward at her daughter’s alma mater.

“College campuses can help [students] build resilience if you have the reassurance that you’re not going to fall through the cracks,” she said. “Resilience is a superpower, and we’ve got to enable people to build it by leading with our heart.”

Through her gifts, Laura’s hope is to help to level the playing field and create a more connected, heart-centered world.

“It’s clear that I’m depending on [my daughter’s generation] to be the generation that is caring and compassionate and corrects some of the wrongs of my generation — creating an inclusive, sustainable, thoughtful, intellectually curious population that strives to do better and to make the world a better place,” she said.

“An institution of higher learning is a really important place to do that.”

Parent donors help create an environment where CU students can thrive — both now and for future generations. Thank you, parent donors, for helping Buffs weather the storm of the past year and look toward the future with hope.

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Helping CU Students Thrive

Millie Wright

Hunter Sherraden (IntPhys’21)

Laura Donahue