Students in Focus

When Chidobe Awuzie arrived at CU Boulder in 2013, he had a goal and a dream: to earn a college degree and the chance to play in the National Football League (NFL).

Graduating CU Boulder students share some of their favorite moments from their time on campus.

As a child immigrant and bilingual student, Adriana Alvarez says she often felt isolated in school. Now graduating with a PhD, the former school teacher continues to promote biliteracy and challenge the injustices faced by emerging bilingual students.

Kaylee Ortega credits a host of student groups, scholarships and support services with giving her the tools she needed to fulfill her academic dreams of pursuing public policy work to level the healthcare playing field for underrepresented communities.

Maddie DeWinter's time at CU has taught her a lot about teamwork and collaboration. "I've learned . . . you don't have to be in the spotlight to be part of that success. It's a lesson I will take with me long after I'm done playing lacrosse."

Toluwanimi Obiwole, an ethnic studies major and Denver’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate, shares her future plans of graduate school, slam poetry readings and driving social change.

Nadya Hill is a vocalist, violinist, visual artist and full-stack Javascript web developer. As her time in Boulder draws to a close, Hill hopes to put her many skills to use wherever her path leads her next.

Meridith Richter’s journey from creative writing, to computer science, to the ATLAS Institute’s Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) program was one of self-discovery.

Danny Rankin is a farmer, designer, artist, instructor, musician, hacker, coder, craftsman, husband, veteran and visionary. And this spring, he adds Master of Science to his credentials.

Though her childhood dreams of playing professional sports fell through, Monica Rowand has lent her academic expertise to campus programs that bridge the gaps between athletics and sustainable practices.