Rory Johnson: Second Chances

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Rory Johsnon

Second Chances

Rory Johnson / Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies

Rory Johnson didn’t plan to change the world through sustainability when he graduated from high school. He didn’t plan to attend CMC either. Lacking direction after high school, he says he chose to follow the well-worn path to a big-name university. After 3 years in Boulder, sitting on a mountain of student debt with no serious interest in his studies, Johnson decided it was time to change plans.

Having lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for most of his life, he ‘d always known about CMC and decided to give it a try. That choice eventually earned him a bachelor’s degree in Sustainability Studies from CMC. “I still have a bunch of debt I’m paying off from my last university and I didn’t even graduate from there. I didn’t take out any debt to attend CMC,” Johnson said.

After six years attending school and working simultaneously, Johnson graduated from CMC and landed a job with Marble Distilling in Carbondale, CO helping to enhance their sustainability efforts. After guiding the installation of a new water reclamation system, Johnson helped the distillery begin to save over 4 million gallons of water per year since 2015 and continue to save more every year. “Water has been an issue my entire life,” Johnson said. “If I can make a difference in even one area, that would be pretty cool.”

Johnson is currently working to implement a new sustainability score card that other distilleries can adopt to shine a light on businesses that emphasize sustainability in their daily operations. The score card measures different sustainability practices such as water recycling and energy saving methods.

Matt Vawter: A Legacy of Fine Dining

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Matt Vawter rose quickly through the ranks after graduating from CMC with a degree in culinary arts. He is currently the proprietor of the award-winning restaurant Rootstalk in Breckenridge.

A native of Summit County, Matt returned to the mountains after making a name for himself as executive chef at Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver. Matt often hires fellow CMC grads to work for him.

"My education at CMC has helped me in my career because of the three years of true kitchen experience,” Matt says. “Not only was I introduced to all of the elements of classic cuisine, but I also was able to apply my classroom education in kitchens around the resort on a daily basis. When I graduated, I was ready to step into any kitchen I wanted to.”

Sustainability degree follows Brocato’s lifelong aspirations

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Sustainability degree follows Brocato’s lifelong aspirations

Kate Brocato

Kate Brocato worked with the Bear Park Permaculture Garden, here, and beekeeping club at CMC Steamboat.

Kate Brocato was studying environmental science and had attended two large universities. Then, quite by surprise, she discovered Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs – and its sustainability studies program.

“The degree isn’t available at many other colleges,” Brocato said. “It covers the many facets of sustainability, from natural sciences to business and ethics.”

In addition, she appreciated the Steamboat campus’s approachable professors and small class sizes – different from what she had experienced before.

Brocato graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts in sustainability studies. In many ways, she had been aspiring to earn the degree her whole life.

“Even at a young age I recognized the harmful effects that human action could have on many of the places that I loved so dearly,” she said.

And when Brocato was 12, her dad and stepmom started a community garden – which still exists. She grew up appreciating fresh vegetables and local food.

“It was one of the primary drivers behind why I have leaned towards food systems work during my college career,” she said.

Many ways to grow

Brocato took part in multiple opportunities for learning and growth.

“Working with the Bear Park Permaculture Garden and as vice president of the beekeeping club has given me a trajectory for my future career path,” she said.

She said that sustainability professor Tina Evans taught her valuable lessons about permaculture – and more. “I learned leadership and team management skills under Tina,” Brocato said.

Brocato feels that Colorado Mountain College has prepared her well for entering the workforce and being a sustainability leader and communicator.

“The close-knit community of CMC and the friends that I have made along the way will be something that sticks with me for a lifetime,” she said.

A student, an advisor – now a BSBA graduate

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A student, an advisor – now a BSBA graduate

Residential advisors at Colorado Mountain College are mentors to students, providing peer-to-peer guidance while living on campus.

Dakota Roark

After working through numerous career changes, Dakota Roark is graduating from CMC Spring Valley with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Dakota Roark perfected the role of the RA in his six years at the residence halls at CMC Spring Valley. He graduated May 15 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, though that was not always his major. First drawn to study education, and then possibly to develop a career in the field, he worked with CMC staff to develop his degree path.

“Lisa Runck [CMC Spring Valley associate dean for student affairs] helped talk me through the 18-plus career changes that I worked through while here,” he said.

He is also grateful for Alisha Maes, CMC Spring Valley director of student life and housing, who he said “was my boss, mentor and friend throughout my entire time as an RA at CMC.”

Roark said he especially appreciated the connections he made with faculty while he studied at CMC Spring Valley. Even if he only had one class with one professor one semester, those connections remained.

“CMC has changed who I am for the better, and I am excited to tackle the future with the skills that I have learned here,” Roark said.

Molly Repetti

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Molly Repetti

Molly Repetti

Molly Repetti moved to New York City shortly after graduation from CMC. She began working at a post-production house and gained a love for photo retouching. With her roots in fashion photography she sought out photo editing opportunities in the fashion and beauty industry and now freelances for clients like Vogue, Vanity Fair, Louis Vuitton and Fendi.

For the past year, Molly has been working closely with Martin Schoeller on several of his intimate close up portrait projects.

mollyrepetti.com

Guadalupe Laiz

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Guadalupe Laiz

Guadalupe Laiz

Born and raised in Argentina, Guadalupe Laiz is an international artist, photographer, and explorer. She runs her own fine art photography gallery in Aspen, Colorado, and has clients from all over the world.

For the past five years, Guadalupe's main focus has been on creating an extensive body of work that captures the beauty and uniqueness of the indigenous horses in the country of Iceland. This imagery was published as Horses of Iceland by teNeus Press in 2019 and has been shown in exhibitions in the United States, France, Iceland and Switzerland. Read more about Guadalupe and her recent successes.

Guadalupelaiz.com