Meet our May 2026 Graduating Student Award winners
During the Integrated Design Engineering Program recognition ceremony on Saturday, May 2, seven of our accomplished graduating seniors will be honored with Graduating Student Awards from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Read on for more on what graduating means to them, how CU Boulder helped prepare them for what's next or their best pieces of advice for current and future IDE students.
Community Impact Award
Post-graduation plans: Joining Mortenson Construction as a field engineer
Graduating means the next stone in my path is ready to be placed. As a first-generation college student, college was completely unknown territory, but through everything I experienced in and out of the classroom, I paved my way forward. I'll miss CU deeply, but I'm just as excited about what I'm going to build and accomplish after graduation."
Perseverance Award
Graduating from CU has shown me the importance of never giving up. No matter how many times I have to start from square one, as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will succeed no matter what!"
Global Engagement Award
Post-graduation plans: Joining the staff of Engineers in Action
I began working with Engineers in Action through their CU chapter, called Buffs in Action. This direct involvement with the organization as a volunteer helped me gain real-world engineering experience in the international development field and allowed me to build close relationships with the EIA staff."
Community Impact Award
Post-graduation plans: Pursuing an MS in mechanical engineering through CU Boulder's Bachelor's-Accelerated Master's (BAM) program
The best piece of advice I can give students is to say yes to everything that you are comfortable with. You will grow immensely as a person and discover new things that you love."
Perseverance Award
You don’t have to do everything the same way as everyone else. Build systems that let you show up consistently and take care of yourself. Seek out environments that support you and hold you accountable."
Community Impact Award
There are going to be so many times when your brain will try to convince you that you should be doing this or that, despite what the niggling feeling in your gut is telling you. Only when you find a place that feels right can you create significant change — regardless of whether it is something you 'should' be doing. Listen to your gut. It can't think, after all, so why reason with it?"
Research Award
Stay curious. Be curious about your abilities, your potential and the world around you. Explore interests beyond your major and stay open to different perspectives. When you follow your curiosity, it can lead to opportunities you weren't aware of and work that feels more aligned with who you are."