The Boettcher Foundation’s theme for 2026 is the Power of Place, an exploration on how the places we grow up shape our character, perspectives, and leadership.
Read on as Boettcher Scholars from very different parts of Colorado share how their hometowns helped them become who they are today.
Time Niemeyer: 2024 Scholar, Peyton
Sydney Cure: 2022 Scholar, Burlington
Bryce Hunter: 2025 Scholar, Centennial
Carmen Anarella: 2024 Scholar, Dunckley Pass/Yampa
Kalen Sieja: 2022 Scholar, Denver
What is your favorite place in Colorado and why?
Time: Garden of the Gods, the ancestral range of the Rocky Mountains we know and love today. These spires of reddish pale sandstone perfectly frame a sunset over Pikes Peak.
It’s no wonder Katharine Lee Bates wrote America the Beautiful after visiting Colorado Springs. The city sits on the edge of two landscapes that shaped my childhood: the amber waves of grain of the ranchland where I grew up, and the purple mountain majesties I explored as I got older.
Growing up in the country and attending high school in the heart of the city let me see the beauty throughout the whole area. I loved my drive to and from school, watching the sun rise over the prairie and set over the mountains in the city.
Sydney: My favorite place in Colorado would probably have to be Fort Collins. I love the college atmosphere, the accessibility into the mountains, and the ability to be on the Front Range. My friends have really made my experience here, and I am so grateful for the coffee dates, pasta nights and everything in between.
Bryce: The mountains. It can be a rough drive up there but if you go up with family or friends it’s all worth it. I love skiing, sledding down snowy hills, or walking our Husky-mix around the frozen dog park, so being in the mountains is exhilarating. Being surrounded by peaks and open space sometimes feels like you are in a different country. The scenery, the quiet, and the energy of being outdoors make it one of the best parts of living in Colorado.
Carmen: My favorite place in Colorado is the Flat Tops Wilderness Area! Growing up at the base of the Little Flat Tops, for me, the mountains became not only the symbol of my home but a place of peace, appreciation, and reflection for my family and me. When I am on top of a mountain, I am reminded of how little I am and am humbled to live where I do. I see the thousands of miles of trees existing in their own ecosystems, the headwaters of mighty rivers, and the trails by which I came. These features of a mountain landscape keep me grounded and are a representation of the state I have gotten to know and love.
Kalen: My favorite place in Colorado is Civic Center Park, as I have so many childhood memories walking through the park on field trips, attending pride festivals and protests, and experiencing the park as a hub for festivals and culture in the city.
How did growing up in your hometown influence the path you’re pursuing now?
Time: Growing up in rural Peyton taught me many lessons in discipline, work ethic, and opportunity. Raising cows was fun but often challenging. There were occasional blizzards and fires that swept through and taught me about the fragility of life and the necessity of discipline when caring for animals. There is no one else that will take care of the herd, bring the calves into the barn and feed hay during winter. Without effort, the animals that you have grown and love will not make it through the winter. Ranch life teaches you how to manage time and solve problems that others can not solve for you.
Growing up on a ranch will also teach you about creative problem solving and perseverance. An engineering professor once told me that some of the most successful engineers are not academics or perfectionists, but ranch kids who were raised to creatively and mechanically solve very real problems. While pursuing degrees in Computational and Applied Math and Engineering Physics, I often think about the roots of hard work and discipline ranch life grew in me.
Carmen: Although I consider Yampa, Colorado my hometown, I did not really grow up in the town! I lived up on Dunckley Pass away from all the small towns that compile SOROCO, which [are] added to the 500 square miles the district covers. Attending a small, rural public school (less than 400 pre-K through 12th grade) has guided me to my major in Elementary Education.
My motivation in studying education is rooted in my lived experiences and guided by the children I know and love that are still in school in SOROCO. I plan to apply my learning at CU in rural elementary classrooms and hope to strengthen the relationship between teacher education and the realities specific to teaching in rural areas.
Sydney: Burlington was integral in my choice of Soil and Crop Sciences today. Working in a community that supported me meant that I wanted to be a part of agriculture for the rest of my life. My family has long been a part of this community, and I have younger siblings continuing through the place that I grew to love. Today, I have the opportunity to continue that as I am looking towards graduation.
Bryce: I have been rooted in my community since the day I was born. I came home from the hospital to our neighbors holding up signs of congratulations celebrating my birth. I realize now that I was always surrounded by people who looked out for each other. If I was struggling, there were friends, neighbors, or teammates nearby.
Those experiences shaped the way I approach my life now. I am naturally drawn to helping my peers succeed and creating spaces where people feel supported. I learned a lot of my relationship skills from my childhood. Working as a lifeguard in my neighborhood pool taught me responsibility and the importance of staying calm while looking out for others.
Looking back, much of my motivation and professional drive comes from the example my community set while I was growing up. They invested in me, and now I feel a responsibility to invest that same support back into others.
Kalen: I had the opportunity to get civically engaged in local politics at a young age, which fueled my interest in political engagement and informed my political science major (and my aspiration to study civil rights impact litigation in law school!). I also had the fortune of attending a high school with an excellent speech and debate program, allowing me to develop my passion for public speaking that would lead me to my current position as curator of TEDxCU.
What have you learned through meeting Scholars from different parts of Colorado?
Time: There are many Boettcher Scholars I know who are pursuing studies and careers that are directly impacting the areas they grew up in. After meeting some current scholars in water law, local policy, and agriculture, I see that the Boettcher Foundation not only gives us the tools to better ourselves, but also the communities we grow up in. One common thread that every Boettcher Scholar can connect with is the natural beauty that Colorado holds. It is interesting to see how many hobbies the diverse Colorado outdoor landscape can foster. I went on one of my first trail runs and hiked my first ’14er with fellow Boettcher Scholars. It is special that we can all come together to explore this beautiful state.
Carmen: If you have met one Boettcher Scholar, you have met one Boettcher Scholar. As silly as it sounds, it is so true!
After meeting and interacting with Scholars from all over Colorado, it is clear to me that we have all come from rich experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and communities. Each Scholar has taken or made opportunities for themselves; whether advocating for senior tech literacy while simultaneously living and working on a cattle ranch in Hotchkiss learning animal husbandry to inspire their future vet career, or dancing ballroom style with their community while saving lives working for search and rescue in Highlands Ranch, or commuting 40+ minutes to school every day while developing state-winning science projects and playing hockey in the San Luis Valley, I have observed Scholars to be living, breathing products of their loving communities. From the broad group of Boettcher Scholars, I have learned to embrace the life I have lived thus far to extend myself into creating good in my school and environment. I am constantly inspired, impressed, and learning from my fellow Scholars who are reflections of the Colorado home places they represent.
Sydney: Meeting peers from different parts of the state has shown me concretely the diversity in Colorado, and although I knew this about agriculture, it has become my favorite piece of my friendships with other Scholars.
Bryce: Meeting Scholars from different parts of Colorado has shown me how differently people can experience life, even when they come from places that look similar on the surface. It has helped me realize that the culture of the community often shapes people more than the physical location they come from. I’ve also seen how personal background influences the way people approach challenges, opportunities, and relationships.
Being part of the Boettcher community and meeting different Scholars has introduced me to perspectives that are different from my own and has expanded my thinking and understanding. I realize a lot about myself and have had increased opportunities to grow and learn by engaging with conflicting ideas, gaining a better understanding of my own perspective and values. The differences of the ideas that I have encountered has shown me that unity and respect can exist in any group. Learning about others has helped me learn about myself better, and that self-awareness is an important part of figuring out the path I want to follow.
Kalen: One of the most valuable experiences Boettcher has afforded me is the opportunity to meet Scholars from different areas of the state! As a Denver local, I didn’t have background knowledge on many rural areas of Colorado before college, and it has been eye-opening to meet so many Scholars from different parts of the state. I have especially appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the unique challenges rural communities face, and the political dynamics at play in addressing those challenges.
That’s the Spirit of Boettcher.
