Governor Polis made a visit to Community College of Denver (CCD) on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, for a roundtable discussion with Care Forward Colorado, Career Advance Colorado, and ACE scholarship recipients, along with other students. Many of the students present were Hispanic and had the opportunity to talk about their education and life journeys with the governor.

CCD is one of 14 colleges and universities in Colorado that is federally recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). At Community College of Denver, we believe being an HSI means foraging a successful path to higher education with the proper tools and support needed for our Latino/a students before they even step foot in a classroom.

Every CityHawk that shared their story was extremely inspiring. Marlene, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student, is a mother of three teenagers who worked in the hospitality industry before deciding to go to school and build her dream career in healthcare. With help from the Care Forward Colorado and Career Advance Colorado programs, she will graduate debt-free.

Alé is a recent CCD graduate, receiving multiple certificates in Early Childhood Education. Originally from El Salvador, Alé is a mother of three who set a goal of getting a better education in the U.S. She achieved her goal and much more.

Sebastian is an Environmental Science major whose mother immigrated to the United States from Mexico to give him the education of her dreams. He, too, will graduate debt-free thanks to the ACE Scholarship. In fact, Sebastian is about to go to Washington, D.C., to present his research on birds.

Each student expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Governor during the discussion for supporting these programs so they could launch the career of their dreams at CCD. Thank you to the incredible students who shared very intimate parts of their lives and how much their education means to them. Our CityHawks inspire us every day and we are proud to be part of your journey. #CCDProud