Written by
Nicolle McMurray
Advocate for the arts
Jennifer Zidon is living proof of the proverb ‘when one door closes, another one opens.’ With a poetry degree and, soon, a master’s degree in arts leadership, Zidon is using her professional experience in community relations to advocate for artists and the planet.
Bringing communities together through memories, stories, and the National Park Service
From Japanese American confinement camps to National Heritage Areas, Alex Hernandez brings communities together for historic preservation projects as an assistant program manager and historian for the National Park Service.
Uncharted waters and an unexpected calling
Paul DeMaret wrote a mini-book about sharks in the fifth grade. Instead of foretelling a future as a marine biologist, the book foreshadowed DeMaret’s future as an English major and distinguished teacher.
Spreading hope at CSU through the Esperanza Scholarship
Madeleine Sheahan didn’t know it was unusual for a current student to establish a scholarship. Now an alumni, Sheahan continues to make a difference for students with the Esperanza Scholarship.
Using journalism and policy skills to advocate for health workers worldwide
As director of Frontline Health Workers Coalition and advocacy advisor at IntraHealth International, Vince Blaser advocates for improved access to health workers for millions of people in countries like India, Senegal, Guatemala, and Mali.
Resource economist reflects on international career
David Fischer, the first person to receive a Ph.D. in economics from CSU, taught natural resource economics around the world. Among other accomplishments, he developed a framework for studying large-scale environmental accidents.
Long-time politician breaks gender and race boundaries to reach many “firsts”
After growing up in a mixed-race neighborhood in Greeley and facing discrimination and prejudice as a Latina woman, Polly Baca worked to break gender and race boundaries, becoming many “firsts” in Colorado’s legislature.