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The most important lesson I’ve learned from these kids is how passionate they are and how much they want to succeed. I went into this volunteering to help them, and they helped me.��

Each person has potential, and our environment helps encourage us to discover and cultivate that potential into purpose and impact.

��At CU Boulder, we know that mentorship plays a large part in understanding our personal potential, which is why we partnered with Colorado Mountain College to develop a for high school students in the Roaring Fork Valley. Through this program, high school students work closely with local mentors to talk about college, forge dreams and establish a plan to accomplish their goals.

More than anything, impact is key. Many of the students participating in the program are first-generation college prospects determined to achieve their dreams. The focus of the program goes beyond the classroom, as the mentors’ main goal is to help shed light on the positivity and empowerment behind individual choice. As mentor Adrian Sikus notes, the program has a positive effect on the lives of the students and the mentors: “The most important lesson I’ve learned from these kids is how passionate they are and how much they want to succeed. I went into this volunteering to help them, and they helped me.”

The students in the Pre-Collegiate Development Program are driven to live the lives they envision. The relationships established between mentor and student transform into authentic camaraderie, strengthening and unifying the Roaring Fork Valley community.