On February 16th, 2019, Community College of Denver (CCD) welcomed Denver Public Schools (DPS) students and their families to the Auraria Campus for a day of celebration and fellowship.

In an effort to stress the importance of higher education, male students from DPS in attendance were awarded a $500 scholarship to apply toward their first semester at CCD.

VIP community leaders Mayor Michael B. Hancock, NFL professional football player Brandon Marshall, and City Councilman Albus Brooks were special guest speakers. They told the students about their lives and how they overcame obstacles to succeed.

"If you want to be above average you gotta do what most people aren’t willing to do," said Brandon Marshall. "It doesn’t matter what anybody else says about you, or what anyone says you can or can’t do, the only person who has to believe in you is you."

In addition to the speakers, students and their families attended workshops with CCD professors Carol Miller, Tommy Williams and Lynn Wilson on with the following topics:

• Financial Aid - Funding My Future (Students)
• Life at CCD - Student Panel (Students)
• A Conversation with Professors (Students)
• Getting Your Child to the Finish Line (Parents)
• Paying for College (Parents)

After lunch and a resource fair, Councilman Brooks closed the day. His call to action to the young men was defining your own narrative and staying open to the opportunities that present themselves when life takes a turn.