Off to a good start

CMC Rifle’s Chloe Krebill hopes to be a role model for persevering through challenging times

By Mike McKibbin

Chloe Krebill is making the most of her opportunities.

Krebill became a mom in her junior year at Rifle High School in 2017 and dropped out, but not for educational reasons.

"I was always a great student, in honors and I always loved learning," she said. "But I just wasn't sure how I could continue with my son."

Krebill earned a GED diploma at Colorado Mountain College Rifle in 2018. A Clough Scholarship winner, Krebill then received an associate degree in business in 2020 and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in business administration in May 2022.

From CMC student to mountainFLOW intern

Recently, Krebill, 21, was accepted as an intern with MountainFLOW, a Carbondale-based business that’s gained national recognition through its eco-friendly ski wax and bike lube.

Krebill learned of the internship from an email she received from Kristy Brooks-Olk, an associate professor at CMC Rifle and accounting program chair, and was encouraged by her Rifle campus advisors to act on it.

"I dismissed the email at first because mountainFLOW is in Carbondale and I didn't really want to make the commute and have to figure out how to care for my son," Krebill said. "But I never deleted it and kept thinking about it, so I eventually emailed my resume and had a video interview."

After a second video interview, Krebill was offered a three-month, part-time, paid internship. If she chooses, she can also earn three college credits for the internship though CMC.

"I wasn't really looking for an internship but I decided to take the opportunity because they are a sustainable-based business and in this day and age, that's huge," Krebill said.

Peter Arlein, mountainFLOW’s CEO, said Krebill is proving to be a valuable intern.

“Chloe has been an awesome addition to the mountainFLOW team,” Arlein said. “Running a small business involves a lot of odds and ends that require detail-oriented attention. Chloe has tackled these tasks and is learning super quickly.”

After she graduates, Krebill said she would love to work at a sustainable business.

"I just took my first sustainability course this fall and that really opened my eyes," she said.
Krebill began the internship on Dec. 7. Initially, she learned the company's systems, supply chain management and shipping orders process, and she hopes to find out more about mountainFLOW’s marketing and accounting systems, too.

‘Life doesn’t stop’

Brenda Walck, CMC Rifle academic advisor, submitted a letter of recommendation on Krebill's behalf to mountainFLOW.

"She is an amazing person who is going to do so much with her life and her surrounding community," Walck wrote in an email for this story.

Brooks-Olk noted that she got to know Krebill "from a variety of avenues in CMC and I would hire her in a minute myself if I was still in the industry. She has such a joyful personality and I relate to her on many levels. Seeing her succeed is such an amazing adventure to watch and participate in,” Brooks-Olk added.

Krebill was also involved in several programs at the Rifle campus, including working as a lead peer mentor guiding fellow students, taking part in a student/parent project, serving as president of the Rifle chapter of the PTK honor society and other roles at the collegewide level, such as giving the student address at CMC Rifle’s 2020 virtual commencement. Her son attends the Early Learning Center at the Rifle campus.

Krebill is very thankful CMC was there during her tough times.

"They taught me a lot, both professionally and personally," she said. "I know I would be in a very different spot if not for them."

Of her journey so far, Krebill said, "I hope others see me as some kind of a role model and see how life doesn't stop when things get hard."