Alumni Stories Archives - Page 4 of 10 - Colorado Mountain College

Jim Spell: The CMC “A-Frame”

After a particularly large and somewhat dangerous fire at the Vail maintenance building in the late 70’s, those of us volunteering for the fire department thought we might need more training. Steadfast in our conviction, we went to the CMC A-frame by Gore Creek between Vail and Lionshead and worked together to start a fire science degree program.

It seemed like a good idea at the time as we had enough advanced degrees in our ranks that we could teach classes as well as attend others. Collectively we could learn to be better firefighters and get an associate degree in the process. Pretty straightforward from our point of view, after all - we were firefighters and we had a training room in the firehouse. Administratively however, it was a laborious process of applications, paperwork, credentialing and more paperwork.

Ironically, most of the early fire science archives were lost to water damage. Remember, the CMC A-Frame building was next to the creek, a creek prone to spring runoff. Early on, the joke was that it took 4 years for a BA and 11 years for an AAS from CMC, especially if your records were “displaced”.

To everyone’s credit - literally, and in CMC’s tradition of truly helping students, firefighters who had lost their paperwork were allowed to test out of most courses they had previously taken in route to their degree.

What we learned in the college-level fire science program was invaluable. Everyone associated with its initial inception benefited from what is today an important program to firefighters and their communities throughout the region and beyond. What is true for the fire service, as in most disciplines - education is critical to advancing endeavor.

From those early days at the A-frame, CMC has always supported the first responder with a commitment to education. And now even more with the advent of the Starting Hearts First Responder Scholarship Program – “first on scene and first in our hearts.”

Scott LeBaron: CMC Couldn’t Have Been a Better Fit

It was 1978. I was coming over the top of the hill and seeing the Spring Valley campus for the first time. I was a bit nervous coming from a high school graduating class of 750 and now a college with about half that! Yikes!

But it couldn't have been a better fit! Great people came into my life both in faculty and students. Ted Magnuson (1st year photo professor) was real good about sharing real life examples.

A bunch of us would sit on the cafeteria tables outside the darkrooms and talk about everything, including photography. We sat on the front lawns a lot to soak in the beauty of the surroundings with fantastic people, what amazing times.

I graduated as part of the Class of 1980 and went right to work for a few large studios and labs in the Denver area. I started my own studio in 1982. Still going and love sharing the craft I learned at CMC.

I toured the campus just a month ago and was blown away at the wonderful growth and all that is available at the school now, especially in the photography arena! Congratulations on turning 50, CMC.

Kristen Wells: Prepared at CMC for Stanford

Leadville native Kristen Wells misses her hometown and the Rocky Mountains. The Lake County High School graduate and former CMC student is now pursuing her Ph.D. in genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine. Though she yearns for views of the Collegiate Range, the allure of being on the cutting edge of medical research is more compelling.

“The coolest thing about Stanford is that all the top research is happening right here,” Kristen said. “We’re the first to implement many of the latest innovations in the science world, then a year later everyone hears about it and is talking about it in the public sector. It’s really fun to be a part of that.” For example, Kristen is using CRISPR, the revolutionary new gene editing technology, in her daily work. Her thesis, in layman’s terms, is about looking at gene expression that’s involved in preventing autoimmune disorders. Using CRISPR “really speeds up the research because we can manipulate an individual gene and see what it does,” she explained. The research may eventually lead to improved treatments for devastating autoimmune diseases like MS and lupus.

Wells credits her experience at Colorado Mountain College Leadville with setting her up for success in college. By the time she was a high school junior, she had maxed out on all the science and English courses available at her school. A counselor suggested that she take some college-level courses “up the hill” at CMC. So she did, taking Spanish with former Professor Mary Ebuna, and English with Associate Professor Jeff Runyon. “CMC was an incredible experience for me, especially Mr. Runyon who made English really fun. He pushed me, and made English exciting.” She learned early the rigors of college-level study, including increased homework and higher expectations from her instructors. “It made the transition to college much easier for me.”

Upon graduation from high school, Wells won a Boettcher scholarship and a full ride to Colorado College where she earned her bachelor’s in biology. She then was accepted into the doctoral program at Stanford where her education is completely paid for by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. “I use the writing skills I learned at CMC in my work now”, she said. “There’s a lot more creativity in science than you would expect, as writing and communication are a big part of the process. We write and publish papers, and orally present our work to our peers.”

For now, Kristen’s return to her home state will have to wait. She estimates it will take 4 more years of study to complete her doctorate. After that, she would like to continue advancing the study of genetics, wherever that pursuit takes her.

Craig Tate: Great Place to Learn and be Enlightened

Why CMC? Because my high school counselor said with my GPA, I wouldn’t make it at any other college in Colorado. So, I arrived at the Spring Valley Campus in the fall of 1978.

I came to CMC with the anticipation that I would raise my GPA and get into a music engineering school. A funny thing happened on my way to being a music engineer.

A teacher by the name of Gene Minor taught a philosophy class. In that class, we did not harp on the mechanics of the great thinkers and what they espoused. Gene emphasized learning to think for ourselves. I took that lesson to heart. I realized that the world needed some good answers. I wanted to be a part of solving the problems rather than making great music records.

It was like someone turned the light on for the first time in my education. I was introduced to the idea of sustainability, which included solar energy, rooftop gardening, energy efficiency and new ways of transportation.

CMC became a staging ground for all sorts of ideas and people who were making a difference. I thrived at CMC. No longer was I uninterested in scholastics, I craved it. My first semester I achieved a 3.8 grade point average and eventually graduated Phi Theta Kapa (top 1% of my class). I was awarded a scholastic scholarship for my achievements in my second year. I took on special projects in the area of sustainability and reopened the campus greenhouse as a learning lab.

Because of CMC, I pursued renewable energy and energy efficiency. I came back to CMC several years after getting my associates degree to be one of the first students to participate in CMC’s new solar energy vocational program.

Since then, I have worked in the energy efficiency field for over 35 years. I was able to settle in Glenwood Springs and find a career at Holy Cross Energy as an energy auditor and member service representative. I owe it all to Colorado Mountain College. What a great place to learn and be enlightened.

Samantha Blea: CMC to the Naval Academy

If you looked up the definition of “hard worker” in the dictionary, you would see a picture of Samantha Blea.

The Rifle native earned her associate of arts at Colorado Mountain College while still a teenager. By taking dual credit class, she graduated from both CMC and Rifle High School in 2007. From there, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy.

“I took online classes through CMC,” says Blea. “It was really convenient to be able to work at my own pace while staying on top of the syllabus for each class and it allowed me to do my high school work at the same time.”

Blea’s first post in the Navy was aboard the USS Ford in Everett, Washington. In a 2015 Post Independent newspaper article, Blea explained she then was stationed in San Diego and worked as an electronics material officer.

The Navy told the paper, she was part of a “53-person crew that rotated between the USS Independence and USS Coronado.”

"I am now on my second ship and have traveled around the world to eight different countries,” Blea told the Post Independent. “I've worked with electronics warfare and weapons systems and will be shifting toward information professional including cyber and network security.”

Working aboard some of the Navy's newest ships, Blea says she knows she and her crewmates are “building a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.”

Barbara & Crissi Boe: Fewer Doubts and More Options

Barbara Boe was a ranch wife and mother when the bottom dropped out of her life.

“All I had known was taking care of five children,” says Boe, recalling how she felt when she and her husband separated in 2005, leaving her with their children, aged 4 to 14, and a ranch on Silt Mesa near Rifle. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Years later, she has far fewer doubts and many more options thanks to her time at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle. It was there she completed her applied engineering technician Associate of Applied Science degree, a program that trains graduates to work in a variety of industries including oil, gas, waste and water treatment, and power and electric plants.

Best of all, her daughter, Crissi Boe, studied right alongside her mom for the same degree. Both were on the President’s List.

“I’ve always told my children to go to school, get your education,” says Barbara. “It’s something that no one can take away from you. It’s something that you have forever.”

But it’s just the beginning for this mother and daughter duo. They went on to pursue the college’s Bachelor of Applied Science degree. The BAS allows those with associate of applied science degrees to seamlessly continue studying for a bachelor’s degree, increasing their employability and opportunities for advancement.\

For Crissi, having the opportunity to go to college with her mother and stay in western Garfield County has been ideal. She has learned from her mother the importance of developing marketable skills and knowledge.

“Having the opportunity to go to CMC has been amazing because it allows me to be where I want to be,” says Crissi. “My experience in the applied engineering program has been awesome. And, as a woman, you don’t have to rely on anyone.”

Jim Spell: The CMC “A-Frame”

Scott LeBaron: CMC Couldn’t Have Been a Better Fit

Kristen Wells: Prepared at CMC for Stanford

Craig Tate: Great Place to Learn and be Enlightened

Samantha Blea: CMC to the Naval Academy

Barbara & Crissi Boe: Fewer Doubts and More Options

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