Always with an open mind, CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� graduate Samantha Lane dives into new opportunities and challenges in her life however unexpected they may be. 

Lane decided to major in Leadership and Community Engagement as she was interested in the community-based, hands-on experiences that the major offered, as well as making a difference in educational spaces. 

Her time at CU ����Vlog�ƽ��, however, started unexpectedly and with challenges during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Yearning to make connections, she found and joined numerous new programs: as a coach for K-12 students in Public Achievement–a youth led civic engagement that promotes student voice and transformative change–, as a member of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity, as a Learning Assistant for a class she surprisingly loved–Weather and the Atmosphere–, and much more.

“When I started CU during the pandemic, my experience was anything but what I had expected it to be,” said Lane. “As I begin the next chapter of my life, I will do my best to remember that it's OK if not everything turns out perfectly or how I would expect it to, as there is a lot of beauty among the imperfect and unexpected if you look for it.”

Lane is a 2024 Outstanding Graduate, and her peers in her major describe her as “always the first to volunteer at any leadership opportunity within her group.”  

“She doesn’t leave anyone behind and is always so thoughtful about the impact she has on others,” they said.

In her own words

Please tell us a bit about yourself

  I am a ����Vlog�ƽ�� native and have lived in ����Vlog�ƽ�� my entire life (I graduated from Fairview High School). I love ����Vlog�ƽ�� as I love doing outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and skiing, and ����Vlog�ƽ�� is a great place for that! I decided to major in Leadership and Community Engagement because I was interested in making a difference in our education system without going into teaching, and I felt that the Leadership major would be a great way for me to learn more about the education system. I was also really drawn to the major due to the community-based, hands-on experiences that it offers. For example, through the major I have gotten to work with youth outside of traditional classroom settings in many ways, such as through afterschool programs, alternative classes and community organizations. It is through these experiences that I have been able to figure out that I want to have a career working with youth in alternative settings to school.”

What is one of the most significant lessons from your time at CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter?

  One of the most significant lessons I have learned from CU is that the most wonderful experiences and opportunities often arise in the least expected ways, so it is important to have an open mind, as you never know what amazing opportunities you'll find when you do. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to go to college, and I always loved to picture what my college life would look like. In fact, in high school, I even picked out many of the student organizations and programs I hoped to join when I got here. However, when I started CU during the pandemic (Fall 2020), my experience was anything but what I had expected it to be. However, I persevered, and in an attempt to meet new people during a year that seemed determined to keep me isolated from others so I wouldn't get sick, I decided to join some organizations I hadn't heard of before college, such as Public Achievement and Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity. In both of these organizations, I tried my best to be open minded and friendly, which helped these to become two of my favorite communities at CU ����Vlog�ƽ��, and I made some of my closest friends through these. Another example is my first year I randomly decided to take ATOC 1050 Weather and the Atmosphere to get a natural science credit out of the way, and I ended up loving the class so much I became a Learning Assistant for it for two semesters. Even though it was a very different subject than what I was majoring in, I ended up having a lot of fun and learning a lot of new facts and skills I wasn't even expecting to learn when I first started college! As I begin the next chapter of my life, I will do my best to remember that it's ok if not everything turns out perfectly or how I would expect it to, as there is a lot of beauty among the imperfect and unexpected if you look for it.”

What does graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� represent for you and/or your community?

  For me, graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� represents strength and resilience. Especially due to starting college during a pandemic, like for everyone in my year.There were a lot of challenges thrown my way. Graduating represents that I, along with my entire graduating class, overcame these challenges, and as such, I give huge kudos to the strength and resilience that everyone in my graduating class has been able to show to get to this point!”

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

  My best piece of advice for incoming students is that it's OK if not everything turns out perfectly and if college feels really hard at times. Going into college, I always heard about the fun times that various adults around me had had in college and had heard from others that "college was the best time of their life." When I got to college though, I learned that while there are so many fun parts to college, there are also a lot of parts that are really hard, and sometimes people don't tell you about these parts before you begin your journey. People will talk about the lifelong friends that they made in college (which I did make several lifelong friends through college), but people don't always tell you how stressful it is to manage your classes and a job and your social life all at the same time. So I want to be the one to tell you, your experience is not going to be perfect. It's going to have a lot of ups and downs and sometimes you're going to experience a rollercoaster of emotions. There will be moments where you're going to feel lost and confused. And that's OK! That's normal! Everyone else around you has or will also experience challenges in college too! When you feel overwhelmed or stressed or any other emotion, feel it fully, as these emotions are valid and part of the college experience. It is through these experiences and emotions where you will grow the most. There is so much beauty in the imperfect and unexpected, so you have to have imperfect moments to find this beauty! It is in the moments where life is really hard where you will learn you have a strength that you didn't know you had! It is when you make it through the hardest times when you will feel the most accomplished! So embrace the chaos that is college, and know that every experience and every emotion, whether good or bad, is valid and brings beauty and strength.”

What are your next steps after graduation?

  After graduation, I am moving to San Diego. I will be spending the summer working as a unit leader at the Jewish Community Center summer camp, and I hope to find a career doing program management for either camp or afterschool programs (or for another program focusing on youth learning in alternative spaces).”

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Cynthia Corral Robles considers herself “lucky enough” to have stumbled across the Leadership and Community Engagement major in the School of Education.

She first discovered the INVST Community Studies program and its summer justice tour of Colorado, which unleashed her passion for community leadership. She traveled the state of Colorado and listened to community stakeholders’ various perspectives with an open mind and with a group of other empassioned students who became her close friends.

In addition to her work with INVST Community Studies, Corral Robles has participated in the leadership and community engagement major, Public Achievement, and a two year-long research project with Aquetza — all programs based the in the School of Education’s CU Engage: the Center for Community-based Learning and Research — plus her leadership connected with her ethnic studies major, education minor, and sorority. 

My passions for working with youth stem from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others...Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it firsthand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of​."

Her dedication and commitment to social justice is exemplified by her exceptional record of impact. Corral Robles was chosen by her Leadership and Community Engagement peers and instructors as the 2022 Outstanding Graduate in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her nominators noted that she is one of the most hardworking people in the major, and they praised her passion for justice, empathy, reliability, and enthusiasm. 

Corral Robles’ contributions embody the ethos and values of the major, to “nourish and honor the leadership and dignity of those around her such as her peers and the young people she works with.” This work is often behind the scenes: to listen, ask critical questions, connect with others, ensure all voices are heard, and take on sometimes unglamorous tasks. One student stated, “Cynthia shows the true definition of what a leader looks like.” 

This academic year, Leadership and Community Engagement Capstone Seniors co-created a community-based research project with Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism. This project focused on student voice and school board decision-making within the Denver Metro Area. Corral Robles’ peers note her leadership on the project team and her passion for centering relationships and social justice. 

Her many CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� leadership experiences coupled with the capstone project have inspired Corral Robles to continue working with youth and become a teacher after graduation. She has been accepted into Teach for America and will continue her equity and social justice work as a classroom teacher.

“My passions for working with youth stem from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others,” she said. “I want to create a world in which people of all identities are seen, accepted, and supported especially within the education system. Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it firsthand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of.

In her own words 

Please tell us a bit about yourself

  I have grown up in Colorado. My hometown is Aurora, CO where I first became inspired to work with the community and help others. I decided to attend CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� because I did not want to be that far away from my family. Once here, I was lucky enough to stumble across the Leadership and Community Engagement major. I decided to add it as my second major because I knew that I wanted to continue working with youth post graduation and that this major would continue to give me the tools to do so.”

What is one of the lessons from your time at CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter?

  One of the greatest experiences I will carry into my next chapter of life is the INVST community studies summer program that I was able to participate in. I was able to travel around states with an incredible group of people. I was learning about how to engage with various community members while actually going into different communities. My happiest memories come from this trip as I was able to rekindle my passion for fighting to create a better world and to top it off I was able to meet my best friends. I will take with me the importance of going into something new with an open mind and how valuable it is to get out of your comfort zone.”

What does graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� represent for you and/or your community?

  Graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� to me represents an opportunity to give back. It is the ability to take what I have learned and pour it back into the communities which helped me achieve this success. Overall I think it represents a lot of hard work and uncertainties, but overall the idea that everything works out exactly how it is suppose to.”

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

  Do your best to find a community in which you can be yourself. It may be a campus club/organization, a sorority, or simply a really good group of friends. Whatever it is, I urge you to find like minded people which can help you grow and make your college experience very fulfilling.”

What continues to drive your passion for your work after graduation?

  After graduation I will become a teacher in Denver. My passions for working with youth stemmed from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others. I want to create a world in which people of all identities are seen, accepted, and supported especially within the education system. Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it first hand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of.”

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For Sara Swain, the old adage is true: mom knows best. 

Swain came to CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� originally majoring elementary education after working with the kindergarteners in her mother’s classroom at her childhood elementary school in Evergreen, Colorado, but she soon questioned if teaching was in her heart. Swain switched her major to Leadership and Community Engagement, because she never doubted her passion for social change, a thread connecting the two degree programs offered through the School of Education. It took a couple of years, but she was finally following the original advice of her mother.
 
 “I should have listened to my mom since the beginning,” she said. 
 
“Now into my senior year, I have absolutely fallen in love with my leadership major because of my incredible group of friends who were also my capstone team, the outstanding professors (Roudy, Ben, Sabrina), the work we got to do with the Righteous Rage Institute, and especially the space to tackle Whiteness and racism on a personal level rather than a theoretical level.”
 
Swain is part of an inaugural cohort of graduates of the Leadership and Community Engagement bachelor’s degree program, one of only 10 cutting-edge degree offerings nationwide. Designed to be paired with an additional major and attracting students on the forefront of social change, Swain’s leadership major is paired with a degree in Ethnic Studies and a minor in dance and Hip-hop certificate.

Now into my senior year, I have absolutely fallen in love with my leadership major because of my incredible group of friends who were also my capstone team, the outstanding professors (Roudy, Ben, Sabrina), the work we got to do with the Righteous Rage Institute, and especially the space to tackle Whiteness and racism on a personal level rather than a theoretical level.​"

Together with her cohort, the team tackled a capstone project working with the Righteous Rage Institute to interrogate systemic racism and work for racial justice locally. Swain’s peers nominated her for their program’s Outstanding Graduate Award, and professors note Swain is a team player and her respectful leadership style makes her an atypical activist. 
 
“Sara is a different kind of activist,” said Roudy Hildreth, faculty director for the Leadership and Community Engagement (LDCE) degree program. “You will not see her on the stage making fiery speeches, rather she works in the background, following the lead of and supporting the vision of BIPOC activists and regular community members.
 
“Sara best exemplifies the values and commitments of the LDCE major. It advances a vision of leadership that focuses on working with others to build capacity and bring about social change.” 
 
Her leadership and community engagement studies combined with coursework in ethnic studies have colored her relationship with and her passion for dance. Swain’s activism in Hip-hop aims to disrupt the pattern of majority white dancers profiting from black culture and to elevate the ways in which Hip-hop is a tool for racial healing. She has worked to transform her dance team, the Verve Collisionz Street Dance Team, from a group that formerly concentrated on performance to a group that pursues dance and critical race theory. 
 
Swain’s mentors taught her that in Hip-hop, “‘hip’ is the way you think, and ‘hop’ is the way you move.” As Swain moves into her future, she said her many professors’ teachings are forever etched in her heart and mind as she continues to pursue work dedicated to social justice. She has even considered getting a tattoo commemorating her teachers as those who have come before and opened doors for her, she said.
 
“I cherish all the amazing professors I was able to learn from, and I will carry their wisdom, teachings, and advice with me for the rest of my life,” she added. “I do not take lightly the hard work and sacrifice/risk all of these mentors took so that I could be stepping into/creating a world that I love/desire."
 
In particular, something said by Rennie Harris, CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� artist-in-residence and renowned Hip-hop dancer and scholar, helped closed the loop on the tension Swain has been experiencing amid her love of dance and Hip-hop: “movement is the last manifestation of reality.”
 
“This statement knocked me out of my chair,” she said. “I have had a struggling relationship with dance, but this statement has rebuilt the lens I approach dance forevermore. Dance can be spiritual, healing, affirming, cathartic, etc. and I, as a guest in Hip-hop culture, can appreciate and humbly tap into this gift.”

What does graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� represent for you?

Dr. Rabaka (and I think he quotes his mother for this saying) says that the college certificate hanging on your wall after graduation is a receipt. It is there to hold you accountable. What am I going to do with this education after these four years of learning? It matters more what I do with this degree and less about the accomplishment of its completion. So what does graduating from CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� mean to me? Well to me CU ����Vlog�ƽ�� is where I met all my mentors. Graduating from here means that I need to do good work and continue to unlearn the Whitewashed narrative that I grew up knowing and believing. It is a reminder that I cannot let all my professors’ labor and love that they poured into me go to waste.”

Sara’s special thanks

I just want to thank my capstone team from the bottom of my heart. The six of them, Jessie, Erin, Matthew, Mercedes, Abby, and Jack, were the ones who nominated me for this award and I appreciate the love and kindness they give me everyday. They have seen me at my most vulnerable and uncertain and yet have always believed in me. They have taught me a lot about honesty, listening, leading with love, and letting go. I know they will all do world-shaking things.”

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