Author: Kristi Arellano
30 Mar Mae Boettcher Inducted into Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame
DENVER—Mae Boettcher (1912-2001), the longest-serving member of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees, was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday, March 28. Boettcher, who was married to Charles Boettcher II, served as a Trustee of the Boettcher Foundation for 43 years. During her tenure, the Foundation’s assets grew from $11 million to more than $220 million. Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation, joined by Boettcher’s friend, Bronwyn Bateman, spoke on her behalf during the event. Kramer noted that Boettcher helped guide the Boettcher Foundation’s philanthropy in Colorado and stewarded its investment in the people and organizations making a difference in the state. “She did this with a particular focus on women and girls, and she filled her role with grace, compassion and wisdom,” Kramer said. Mae Boettcher’s photo and biography now join the permanent collection of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. The organization notes on its website that Mae was “an unassuming and thoughtful philanthropist” and a “forward-thinking cultural pioneer.” Read the full entry on Mae Boettcher on the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame website.... 23 Mar Boettcher Scholar Postcards: Katrina San Nicholas, Germany
Boettcher Scholars have the opportunity to expand their educations by using international education grants or educational enrichment grants offered as part of their scholarship package. Through their travels, Scholars have learned new languages, experienced diverse cultures, or honed their skills through internships and classes. Many Scholars tell us that these were among the most impactful aspects of their college careers. Recently several Boettcher Scholars volunteered to blog about their travel experiences. Here’s one of their stories. Katrina San Nicholas 2014 Boettcher Scholar Educational Enrichment Grant: Karlsruhe, Germany After a summer of laboratory research, I ventured to Karlsruhe, Germany to participate in a program with students from 22 different countries. Although I completed classes on international relations and intercultural communication, I learned the most from the casual experiences: taking the trains, walking down the street, and eating at German cafes and restaurants. My original goals included making international connections, learning more about sustainable practices, and earning course credit through the McBride Honors Program at Colorado School of Mines. The program surpassed my original hopes and my biggest takeaways are as follows: Multicultural groups are not as efficient — but that is okay. I worked on a group poster/oral presentation with a girl from China, a guy from Greece, and another girl from Jordan. Because we all had such radically different ideas about what a presentation actually is and how it should be approached, it took us forever to even settle upon a topic. However, our finished result (which included some drawings and a small skit) was much richer and more diverse than could have been created with a mono-cultural group. Sustainable practices are everywhere in Germany. During my trip, I took the train on errands and for day trips to other cities and found the system to be quite manageable. Similarly, the recycling system in Germany, which differentiates between different colors of glass and types of paper, necessitates a bit of extra work but ultimately ensures that a wide range of materials are reused. Making these changes in the United States might be difficult, but Germany does set an example that the country could follow. I feel very fortunate to speak English. Even though I was in Germany, this program was conducted entirely in my language and this put me at a great academic advantage. English is a lingua franca, a business language of the world, and, even though I am gradually learning Spanish, many countries adapt to my communicative structure. As I pursue other adventures around the world, I hope to use this as a way to meet others but also to always respect local languages and customs. Shared interests can transcend all else. While I expected to be having very serious conversations about world politics and cultural variation, I actually connected with the other participants over more superfluous matters. Alkis (from Greece) and I spent several hours talking about the merits of the TV show Lost, and some friends from China and I talked a lot more about fashion than foreign policy. Ultimately, I would highly recommend this particular program. It is ideal for students who cannot go abroad for an entire semester and allows participants to meet people from all over the globe with similar interests. The program is annual and more information can be found here.... 23 Mar Boettcher Scholar Barry Shioshita Builds Pathways to Community Well-Being
Saturday mornings in the southeast Colorado town of La Junta (population 7,000) are more active – and muddier – than they used to be. Each Saturday, regardless of the weather, 1971 Scholar Barry Shioshita and a group of friends gather at a variety of locations to train for obstacle racing. The core members, known as Team OGZR (“Old Geezer”), began meeting five years ago to train for Spartan mud runs after Barry, a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, sought a new training regimen. However, not long after completing their first race, they realized the potential for a new mission: transforming a muddy arroyo into a channel for community wellness. As the CFO for Southeast Health Group, a nonprofit that provides behavioral and primary care health care, along with comprehensive wellness services across six counties in southeast Colorado, Barry was aware of the lack of community awareness and the stigma associated with those suffering from mental illness. He also knew that the arroyo bordering the Southeast Health Group building was the location of a long-planned trail. Inspired by these two needs, Barry, Team OGZR and employees of Southeast Health Group launched La Junta’s first-ever Mud Sport event in April 2013, in celebration of Children’s Mental Health Month. “The first mud run helped us to grow a concept, and develop the course route,” said Barry. Since then, the event has become a staple in La Junta each April, with nearly 250 runners enjoying muddy obstacles, music and a tour of Southeast Health’s integrated healthcare facilities. Recently, the city and Southeast Health Group developed a disc golf course adjacent to the trail, a permanent amenity that engages up to 50 people on sunny Saturdays, and is indicative of Southeast’s philosophy of healthy lifestyles. “In rural Colorado, if you don’t partner, you don’t get it done. You can have a great idea, but it takes collaboration and hard work to make it happen.” Barry loves rural life, and the slower pace and the opportunities for connection it brings. “You have the opportunity to know the people you sit next to in the coffee shop. People truly care about each other, and look out for each other’s kids.” Growing up on a family farm in the San Luis Valley, Barry raised animals, harvested alfalfa and potatoes, and loaded semi-trucks with 50-pound bags of cabbage. “We learned to work hard, and to appreciate that when you give 100 percent, you get 100 percent back.” After attending Sierra Grande High School and receiving the Boettcher Scholarship, he studied business administration, economics, and marketing at Adams State. Barry and his wife moved to La Junta where he began a three-decade career as a county administrator, overseeing the day-to-day operations of counties in Colorado and northern California. He returned to La Junta in 2011 to provide financial and strategic oversight for Southeast Health Group, the largest healthcare provider in southeastern Colorado. As a healthcare administrator in rural Colorado, Barry has a direct hand in responding to community needs and adapting to challenges. A few years ago, the community was faced with a drastic reduction in the number of primary care providers who were in the area. Southeast Health recognized an opportunity not only expand its market, but also provide an integrated approach to healthcare. Barry, staff, and volunteers spent weekends and nights on the facility renovation, taking it from concept to opening in seven weeks. In response to changing needs, Southeast Health has also added a mental health peer advocate drop-in center, fitness equipment, and the only hydrotherapy pool between Pueblo and Kansas. Barry is a strong believer that the integrated healthcare model of one-stop shopping for primary care, behavioral health, and physical therapy works. Barry said, “If we are successful in our risk taking, then the end goal is a benefit to our community and the region that we serve.” For Barry, community isn’t just where he lives – it is how he lives. Community-building has shaped his profession and public service since winning the Boettcher Scholarship in 1971. “Winning the Boettcher Scholarship meant the opportunity to go to school and pursue whatever my dreams were going to be. People believed in me, and in turn I was going to do my very best for my community.”... 18 Mar Boettcher Scholar Postcards: Amanda Cary, Washington, D.C.
Boettcher Scholars have the opportunity to expand their educations by using international education grants or educational enrichment grants offered as part of their scholarship package. Through their travels, Scholars have learned new languages, experienced diverse cultures, or honed their skills through internships and classes. Many Scholars tell us that these were among the most impactful aspects of their college careers. Recently several Boettcher Scholars volunteered to blog about their travel experiences. Here’s one of their stories. Amanda Cary 2014 Boettcher Scholar Educational Enrichment Grant, Washington D.C. Using my Boettcher Educational Enrichment Grant to participate in an academic and internship program in Washington, D.C. was truly one of the best decisions that I made in my four years of undergraduate education. As a journalism major earning a political science minor, participating in a rigorous, hands-on journalism program not only taught me valuable tangible skills, but also gave me hope for the future of journalism. In addition to the academics, interning at the U.S. Department of Education allowed me to learn more about education in America – a topic I am passionate about. After I graduate, I will be headed to South Carolina to teach secondary English. Had I not spent time in such an empowering yet challenging environment like the Department of Education, I do not think I would have opened my eyes to the potential of a postgraduate position with Teach For America. D.C. challenged many of the constructed ideologies that I once held about the world and about my own path. I am so grateful that the Boettcher Foundation opened this door for me, and I am committed to paying it forward in my future....
16 Mar 2017 Year in Review
In 2017, we marked the Boettcher Foundation’s 80th anniversary of investing in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans. This milestone anniversary is all the more meaningful because it came during a year when we celebrated an exciting new chapter in the Foundation’s history. Our 2017 Year in Review highlights some of the exciting new initiatives we championed in 2017. We invite you to read the full report. ... 06 Mar Alumni Board Scholar Profile: Q&A with 2006 Scholar Raquel “Kelley” Ritz
Members of the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board are interviewing their fellow Boettcher Scholars to help the community get to know one another better. The following Q&A was compiled by Boettcher Scholar Gergana Kostadinova. Scholar Year: 2006 Hometown: Frederick College(s) and degree(s): University of Denver, Russian and Economics, 2010 Tell us about your current work and how long you’ve been doing it. What is your favorite aspect of your current occupation? I currently work as a deputy sheriff for the Denver Sheriff Department. Over the last few years, our country has experienced a shift in the perception and respect for law enforcement. Given how I was raised to help and serve others, I am most excited about being a part of the change to the law enforcement community. I want to restore the public's faith in us because we help and protect a part of our community that most people don’t even want to think of. What role has being a Boettcher Scholar played into where you are and what you are doing now? Like every other Boettcher Scholar, this scholarship has changed my life, giving me opportunities I would have never had otherwise. Having no debt allowed me to explore options after college including volunteering as a victim advocate, which led me to find my passion in civil service/law enforcement. In addition, being a Boettcher Scholar has given me such enriching experiences with my Boettcher family. I have served on the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board, and as a Boettcher Ambassador and Boettcher Class Champion, the last few years where I have been able to reconnect with incredible Alumni and plan fun events that reengage and inspire Alumni, including the 2018 Signature Event in June! Tell us about your involvement in activities, organizations, or groups outside of work. Beyond serving on the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board planning events, and serving as a Boettcher Ambassador and Class Champion, for more than four years I volunteered as an on-call Victim Advocate with Victim Outreach Inc. For years I have been paged in the middle of the night to respond to crime scenes and meet with victims of crime and traumatic events. I love being a part of each of these organizations because I believe so fully in their missions and contributions to the State of Colorado. What’s the best advice you’ve received and what advice do you have for new graduates entering your career field? First, find what makes you happy and settle for nothing less. And most importantly, the advice my mother taught us was that if you have the ability to help others, you also have a duty to. If you could have dinner with one person or a few people from history, whom would you choose and why? I would love to have dinner with my grandmother. She died when my mother was 10 and she talks about how similar we are. I would love to meet her and get her advice on everything.... 05 Mar Alumni Board Current Scholar Profile: Q&A with 2014 Scholar David Andrews
Members of the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board are interviewing their fellow Boettcher Scholars to help the community get to know one another better. The following Q&A was compiled by Boettcher Scholar Gergana Kostadinova. Scholar Year: 2014 Hometown: Louisville College(s), Degree(s): Colorado College, English - Focus in Creative Writing (Poetry), Class of 2018 What are you currently interested in pursuing after graduating? After graduation I will drive out to northern Massachusetts to work as a summer session teaching intern at the Northfield Mount Hermon School. I will be teaching the “Writing in the Outdoors” course alongside a master teacher during the six-week program. I am also waiting to hear back from the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program. This fall, I also applied to teach English in Uruguay during the 2018-19 school year. Before I leave for Massachusetts and become an adult, I hope to make use of the touring bike I bought this summer and go for a multi-week tour in the western United States. Tell us about what activities, groups, and/or organizations you have joined in college and why you joined them. I joined the student radio station, the Sounds of Colorado College, during my first year at CC mostly so I could spend more time with a friend who also had a show on the station. Surprisingly, I’ve stuck with my radio show since 2014 and still spend an hour every Monday streaming music to around 17,000 listeners across the Front Range. Just kidding. At most, I have five listeners every week, but it’s still a good time. In addition to DJing, I am a writing center tutor, I lead backpacking trips with the Outdoor Education Community, and I was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper for two semesters. Tell us about an important mentor you have had. The boss of the ice cream shop where I worked in high school is probably the most important non-parental mentor I’ve had in my life. He always gets good haircuts, which is something I aspire to. In addition, he is a literal force of nature and wakes up every day with the desire to achieve his dreams. He recently told me that I should challenge myself and take risks in the next couple of years while I’m fresh out of college. This time in my life, he said, is one of the rare moments where my decisions will only truly affect one person: me. What's the best advice you've ever received? The Four Agreements were introduced to me by an Uber driver in Los Angeles in 2015. He had little water bottles and fun-size Snickers in his Honda Odyssey, but was also packing some indispensable life advice. The Four Agreements are as follows. 1. Be impeccable with your word, 2. Don’t take anything personally, 3. Don’t make assumptions, and 4. Always do your best. I encourage everyone to read The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz to learn more. The agreements are based on the idea that humans live a “dream” conjured by their perception of the world, but it is possible to control this dream and attain happiness and peace. If you could have dinner with one or more people from history, whom would you choose and why? James Baldwin would be a great dinner guest. My dad recommended I watch “I Am Not Your Negro” last year, and I was very interested in Baldwin. I doubt he’d have much interest in having dinner with me, but I think our dinner would have the potential to be an enjoyable two- to three-hour experience. I would ask him some questions about his time living in France, his opinion on hip-hop’s place in American culture, and learn more about his writing process and favorite poets.... 03 Mar Wanted: Alumni to Host Health and Wellness Challenge Events Around the Country
By the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board Would you like to become more involved with the Boettcher Scholar alumni community in your area? The Scholar Alumni board is seeking Alumni to host Health and Wellness Challenge events around the country during the month of April. As you may be aware, recent survey data indicated that Boettcher Scholars report higher levels of stress than the general population. Since lower stress starts with personal wellness and strong social connections, want you to help put your fellow Scholars on the path to better health. What is the Health and Wellness Challenge? The Boettcher Scholar Alumni Boards’ Health and Wellness Challenge is an opportunity for Alumni around the country to join together to promote personal well-being for the Boettcher Alumni community! During the month of April, Boettcher Alumni will be invited to compete to see which class decade (i.e. 2010’s, 2000’s, 1990’s, 1980’s, 1970’s, 1960’s and prior) can make the biggest impact in improving their personal health and wellness. Impact will be measured by hours spent on health and wellness activities, and the winning decade will be announced at the Signature Event in June. Alumni can participate in two ways, both of which will accumulate hours towards determining which class decade can claim the title of “Health and Wellness Challenge Champions”: Participate with fellow Alumni in their areas in a Health and Wellness Event. This is the group event which you will be organizing and leading. You can choose the type of event you’d like to host, and the possibilities are endless! Some examples include organizing a hike/bike ride/run, a yoga class, a healthy cooking class, a day of skiing, etc. Set an individual personal wellness goal and tracking the number of hours spent towards your goal If you are interested in hosting an event, please contact krystal@boettcherfoundation.org. ...