Gunnar Barnwell is one of four CMC ski team members who have qualified for the US Alpine Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho that begins April 1.

Local ski racer Barnwell to compete at US Alpine National Championships

This story from the Tahoe Daily Tribune was published March 22, 2023 and features Gunnar Barnwell, a member of the CMC ski team. In addition to Barnwell, CMC ski team members Mary Kate Hackworthy, Matthew Macaluso and Nicola Rountree-Williams have also qualified and will compete at the US Alpine National Championships in Sun Valley in April. Article reprinted by permission.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Gunnar Barnwell, who starred on the slopes at Whittell High School and now at Colorado Mountain College, has been selected to compete in the U.S. Alpine National Championships at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

The championships presented by Stifel kicks off April 1 and hosts elite and next generation ski racers vying for spots on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team.

The racing event, which runs April 2-5, is the final competition on the hotly contended US national ski racing circuit and is the culmination of a season-long showcase of the best of the best in US ski racing athleticism.

Both men and women compete in slalom, giant slalom and super-G events. The course at Sun Valley has a storied history of alpine racing, having hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships previously in 2018 and 2016 and having tested hundreds of local and visiting athletes with its technical and challenging terrain over the years.

The award-winning grooming and steeps contribute to the long list of merits that makes Sun Valley as the perfect choice for this event.

Prior to attending Colorado Mountain College, Barnwell attended the elite Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation on scholarship before the pandemic and is excited to see coaches and friends back in Sun Valley.

Barnwell was selected for US Nationals while attending SVSEF but the event was canceled due to COVID and the season was essentially lost.

After a stellar racing season for CMC where he helped the team finish ahead of the University of Nevada, Reno Ski Team, Barnwell was selected for US Nationals based on his college points alone, although his FIS points have been significantly better overall this season.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes expected to compete at this Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships event will include 2022 Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle and 2023 World Championships gold medalist River Radamus, as well as local Sun Valley athletes Ryder Sarchett, Jack Smith and Dasha Romanov. The athletes will be racing for national titles, as well as increased prize money, courtesy of Stifel.

“The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team is very excited to return to Sun Valley for the 2023 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships presented by Stifel for the first time since 2018,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “Not only will many of the best alpine skiers in the country be competing for coveted national titles, but it’s an amazing opportunity to inspire the next generation of ski racers who can see their favorite athletes up close on a resort that has helped produce so many champions.”

Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s best-selling novel, “Woman of Light,” is CMC’s 2023 Common Reader selection. The author will give talks at four CMC locations, two of which will be livestreamed.

CMC’s Common Reader's ‘Woman of Light’ author talks take place starting March 27

March 1, 2023 – Denver native Kali Fajardo-Anstine is a nationally best-selling author whose second book, “Woman of Light,” was published in 2022. This historical novel has been selected as Colorado Mountain College’s 2023 Common Reader, which features a group read, an art and creative writing contest, lesson plans that interweave the book into CMC classes and live author presentations.

Accolades for Fajardo-Anstine’s work are numerous. Among them are nominations for the National Book Award and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She’s received the American Book Award and is the endowed chair in creative writing at Texas State University. Fajardo-Anstine also has written for numerous publications including The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Yet, achievements and acknowledgments weren’t always part of this acclaimed 36-year-old author’s life. As a teenager, she struggled with depression and during her senior year in high school, a teacher told her that students like her couldn’t be successful. Shortly after hearing that, Fajardo-Anstine quit school.

Today, in addition to literary recognition and a vibrant writing career, Fajardo-Anstine is a woman who is an inspiration for anyone who has felt defeated – including CMC students.

“I’ve known about CMC for a long time,” Fajardo-Anstine said of the college, which has open enrollment where students study for high school equivalency diplomas as well as bachelor’s degrees. “I know the value of CMC for students like I was. In high school, I was not a typical GPA star student. School was not for me, but I loved learning and I loved books.”

Ten years

Soon after quitting school, Fajardo-Anstine’s love of books, of writing and of family storytelling propelled her back to academics – only this time, it was on her terms.

“My father told me to get my GED right away, which I did and then enrolled at Metropolitan State University,” said this second eldest in a family of seven children.

From there, Fajardo-Anstine took a methodical path, ultimately towards a writing life. First, she earned a bachelor’s degree, where professors began to acknowledge her writing abilities. Later, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wyoming.

“Woman of Light” took her 10 years to finish, she said.

“I wasn’t a full-time writer,” she said. “I didn’t know if I’d be published. I had to work, so I was teaching high school dropouts, I was working at a zip line. I know CMC students understand having to work. All the time, I was writing on weekends and at 4 in the morning.”

Then, finally, it came: a book publishing contract from Random House.

Little Light

“Woman of Light,” available at bookstores, libraries, at CMC locations and its virtual library is a fictional, mystical story based on Fajardo-Anstine’s family, tracing her ancestors from their Indigenous past to 1880’s southwestern Colorado to 1930’s Denver.

Fajardo-Anstine’s family is as complex and multicultural as the characters in her book. It’s a book about Indigenous Chicano people and celebrates CMC’s recent designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

“My father is a white man from Nebraska,” Fajardo-Anstine said, noting that her background includes Belgian, Chicano, Jewish, Latino and Filipino. In “Woman of Light,” the novel pivots around her heritage through Luz “Little Light” Lopez, the main character who collects her family’s stories. She also resembles Fajardo-Anstine.

“Every single character – even the bad ones – are within us,” she said.

Common Reader - Colorado Mountain College’s group read, art and creative writing contest, and author talks

“Woman of Light” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Author talks and book signings

All talks will be held at 7 p.m.

Monday, March 27 – CMC Breckenridge, 107 Denison Placer Road (livestreamed)

Tuesday, March 28 – CMC Leadville, 901 S. Highway 24

Wednesday, March 29 – Morgridge Commons, 815 Cooper Ave., 2^nd Floor, Glenwood Springs (livestreamed)

Thursday, March 30 – CMC Vail Valley at Edwards, 150 Miller Ranch Road

Art and creative writing contest

All entries are to be inspired by Kali Fajardo-Anstine's book, “Woman of Light,” and her visits to CMC sites. Entries should focus on the themes of Indigenous roots, rights and responsibilities. All CMC students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to participate. Submission deadline: April 9 (go to art and creative writing contest for entry instructions.)

Students left $3.5 billion on table last year

How to unlock debt-free financial aid for college

March 9, 2023 - For many students, the cost of a college education can seem like a roadblock, despite the potentially life-changing opportunities provided by postsecondary studies. That's why college financial aid experts say students should learn all they can about a range of funding opportunities, including free grants, scholarships, on-campus employment programs and traditional student loans - by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Otherwise, they might be leaving money on the table.

Jesse Moreno is completing his Associate of Applied Science degree in paralegal at Colorado Mountain College's Salida campus. Moreno says his FAFSA application was a game-changer, allowing him access to funding that's given him the chance to commit full-time to his studies.

"I hadn't been in school for 20 years, and I was looking for something with a lot of flexibility, especially after the pandemic," Moreno says. "This has set me on a new path in life. I was uncertain about school and getting into debt, and wondering if I could make enough money while studying. But the after-effects of applying for financial aid absolutely changed my life."

Working with the college's financial aid office, Moreno discovered that the FAFSA application unlocked free grants that allowed him to focus entirely on education, taking on more credits to complete his studies more quickly. He's now interested in continuing to a bachelor's degree and possibly completing law school.

"The benefit for minimal effort is great, if you sit down and set aside an hour to complete the application," he says. "I qualified for much more aid than I expected and was able to pick and choose what I accepted. I was able to entirely opt out of loans. I was able to get enough funding to pay for books, the cost of school and my living expenses."

While the FAFSA process might seem complicated to incoming college students, applications are down in recent years, which means billions of dollars of educational funding, including scholarships, are going unused.

Janelle Cook, CMC's director of financial aid, says the issue is nationwide, with some $3.58 billion in available Pell Grants unclaimed by 2022 high school graduates, according to the National College Attainment Network.

What's more troubling, she says, is that Colorado's FAFSA application numbers are among the lowest in the country, with 44% of high school students completing the process.

"There's still a misconception that FAFSA is only for loans, but that is not true. There may be federal or other state grants available once the student completes the FAFSA form," she says.

"It's the first step in opening the door to financial aid. We encourage students to complete the FAFSA to ensure they are not missing out on funding opportunities. It is absolutely worth your time and effort."

When students and their parents have questions about the process, Cook says she and her financial aid team are there to offer personal guidance at any stage of the application.

FAFSA offers a gateway to student funding including campus employment opportunities, scholarships and both state and federal grants, as well as more student loan programs. As Cook says, that allows students to make informed decisions about their educational plans, whether they can afford to attend full-time or part-time, and if they require additional funding resources.

It's also an important step to participate in CMC's new Colorado Mountain Promise program, which can provide tuition for any Colorado resident whose family income is below $70,000 - or independent students over age 24 whose income is less than $50,000.

Students who are unable to complete the FAFSA, including DACA students or those who are undocumented, may also use the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid as an alternative option to find out about free state grants or work-study opportunities and see if they qualify.

Also, Cook adds, the FAFSA application is free. She cautions students and their families to be wary of any online sites or services asking for a fee to help complete the forms.

Roaring Fork Valley local Ali Cottle received a FirstBank scholarship, which helped her reach her goals of earning a Colorado Mountain College associate degree in early childhood education. Today she owns and operates her own in-home daycare. Photo by Ben Suddendorf

FirstBank brings a Colorado Mountain College education within reach

Jan. 25, 2023 – Ali Cottle is a Roaring Fork Valley local who earned a Colorado Mountain College degree without leaving the valley, thanks in large part to FirstBank. In doing so, she joined more than 50 students since 2014 from CMC’s mountain region who have received financial support from Colorado’s largest locally owned bank.

Cottle attended Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale. After high school graduation, she opted out of the traditional college trajectory and instead, jumped straight into the workforce at age 18, earning a spot on the Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol. However, after nine years on the patrol and eight reconstructive knee surgeries, Cottle heeded her orthopedic surgeon’s advice and changed course.

That decision led her to Colorado Mountain College, where she learned she could earn an associate degree in early childhood education and receive financial assistance through FirstBank scholarship funds to pursue her goals. Cottle graduated with an AAS in 2017 and opened her own home daycare in 2020.

“Receiving support from FirstBank to attend CMC enabled me to pursue my passions within the field of early childhood development and education,” said Cottle. “I have also been able to serve my community by licensing my home as an in-home daycare, providing desperately needed child care for local families. The funding that I received eliminated the pressure of student debt, which allowed me the financial freedom necessary to start my own business.”

Scholarship season

It’s scholarship season at Colorado Mountain College. From Dec. 1 through March 1, prospective CMC students begin thinking of securing funds to pay for all or part of their college expenses for the upcoming school year.

“Empowering individuals with attainable access to education is paramount in building a sustainable and equitable community,” said Dave Portman, FirstBank Roaring Fork Valley market president. “FirstBank is proud to provide funding to ensure getting a degree is possible for more people and is pleased to see the investment manifest in the Roaring Fork Valley, where we have six Colorado Mountain College graduates on our team.”

This year, FirstBank is offering even more financial support to students through two annual scholarship opportunities:

The First in Family Scholarship - Supports local CMC students who are the first in their family to pursue an associate or bachelor's degree. Recipients can receive up to $2,375 per year as full-time students or $1,188 as part-time.
FirstBank Endowed Scholarship – This newly established $100,000 endowment will provide FirstBank scholarships to CMC students each year, in perpetuity.

Both scholarship funds benefit CMC students attending campuses throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, the Vail Valley campus in Edwards, and the Breckenridge and Dillon campus in Summit County. The funds help cover tuition, books, fees and other college costs.

Applications for both FirstBank CMC scholarships are available now. The priority deadline for applying is March 1, 2023, for the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information or to apply, visit CMC Foundation Scholarships.

Expanding for Impact

March 31, 2021

By Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser

Recently, I received my first COVID-19 vaccination. As the nurse who administered my shot – a Colorado Mountain College nursing program graduate – placed a small bandage on the injection site, I was once again energized by the contributions CMC makes to our state. This “shot in the arm” was both cause for optimism and a symbolic reminder that many challenges still lie ahead.

While it has been an exhausting year, it has also been inspiring and transformational. Ever since the pandemic rocked our world in March 2020, our team never missed an opportunity to make the dream of college a reality for students enrolled at CMC’s 11 campuses and online.

We worked nearly nonstop to gather facts, plan, innovate, communicate and implement strategies – all while maintaining an operation and facilities that support over 15,000 learners and nearly 2,000 employees without interruption.

Mere days after the Governor’s stay-at-home-order, we launched CMC Responds, a major initiative to provide local businesses with no-cost consulting and free summer tuition for thousands of students whose lives were disrupted by an economic nose-dive. Our employees and students agreed to practice the Five Commitments to Containment, which resulted in very few COVID-related incidents on our campuses.

This spring, CMC has offered more than 1,000 courses online or in a flex format, while safely delivering select classes in-person.

Facing a devastating recession, we were still able to secure several multi-million dollar grants, reinvesting them locally to make CMC even more accessible to learners in rural Western Slope communities.

I could not be prouder of our faculty and staff for their resilience and going above and beyond to maintain continuity of CMC services in new and creative ways.

And, their efforts paid off. We are on track to graduate the largest class of students in CMC’s history this May.

So, where do we go from here?

It will take more hard work, thinking differently about how we relate to each other and avoiding a “return to normal” that reinforces cultural divisions in our society. It means exploiting what this massive disruption taught us and using that information to more effectively reach all students.

And, by “all students,” I mean every individual who could benefit from CMC irrespective of income, age, gender, background or political beliefs and especially those marginalized by an unforgiving and rapidly-changing economy.

Colleges across the country articulate commitments to diversity and inclusivity. Noteworthy progress has certainly been made at CMC. The 15-point achievement gap between Hispanic and majority students when I arrived in 2013 is gone. The college’s senior leadership team is nearly equally gender balanced. I’m approaching eight years of service as the institution’s second female president.

While these are milestones to celebrate, the pandemic intensified barriers to college in our high-cost mountain towns. The lack of affordable housing, food insecurity and inadequate mental health services add great pressures to existing and aspiring CMC students.

Additionally, segments of the public remain dubious about the value of college. The pandemic’s heavy economic toll only reinforces their doubts. While higher education has become more open and accessible to a broader range of individuals, a renewed and charged perception that it is “elitist” has some students and families choosing to bypass its benefits. Better understanding and addressing this unfortunate narrative will be critical, especially for an open access institution that prides itself on welcoming everyone.

So, considering the challenges that will remain post-pandemic, we must recommit ourselves to finding and serving those still excluded from higher education.

CMC’s vision statement begins with these words: “We aspire to be the most inclusive, innovative and student-centered college in the nation…”

While this important phrase guides our institution daily, I also wonder if being “inclusive” underscores the disconnection some individuals feel? Inclusive implies inviting others in to an existing culture, environment, family structure or community. It doesn’t suggest that the culture or community itself must change.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate for higher education to expand itself to reach those not currently enrolled, aware or interested by examining long-standing norms and practices to find missing voices and divergent ways of thinking, challenging existing mind-sets and questioning operating practices that may exclude certain groups or individuals.

For CMC, “expansion” means looking differently at the hurdles that exist for our students (and potential students) to live, learn and thrive.

As we face the months ahead, I remain hopeful. This fall, all of our campuses will welcome students – both in person and online – with new tools, perspectives and attitudes. Together, our team will evaluate who is missing from the college, barriers that prevent their enrollment and strategies to ensure that all are successful and belong.

Sopris Theatre Company presents ‘The Nina Variations’

See the The Nina Variations Program Flipbook
Nina Variations Seagull Synopsis
Nina Variations Presentation

In its third and final production of the season, Sopris Theatre Company at Colorado Mountain College will perform “The Nina Variations,” a funny yet heartbreaking homage to Anton Chekhov’s play, “The Seagull.” The theater company will stream the play online at the college’s Spring Valley campus in Glenwood Springs and present nine virtual performances from April 9 through April 25.

Written by contemporary playwright Steven Dietz, “The Nina Variations” traps Chekhov’s star-crossed lovers – Nina and Treplev – in a room and doesn’t let them out.

While the play is written for two actors, the playwright encourages companies to use multiple pairs of Ninas and Treplevs, so four sets of actors will perform the two roles. Directed by Brad Moore, the play features Chris Walsh and Jaime Walsh; Brendan T. Cochran and Christina Cappelli; Ciara Morrison and James Steindler; and Joshua Adamson and Bostyn Elswick.

As has been the case with previous performances this season, “Nina Variations” won’t be limited to the Roaring Fork Valley area but will include viewers throughout the CMC district, and farther yet, who can now “go” to the theater virtually and be COVID safe. “The Nina Variations” will stream:

April 9, 7 p.m.
April 10, 7 p.m.
April 11, 2 p.m.
April 16, 7 p.m.
April 17, 7 p.m.
April 18, 2 p.m.
April 23, 7 p.m.
April 24, 7 p.m.
April 25, 2 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased at ShowTix4U.

Admission is $18 for adults and $13 for seniors and students, as well as CMC employees and graduates. Season ticket holders and CMC Spring Valley students must contact the Sopris Theatre Company’s box office at svticketsales@coloradomtn.edu or call 970-947-8177 to arrange tickets for the play.

The 2020-21 season of Sopris Theatre Company is presented by US Bank.

For more information, contact Brad Moore at 970-947-8187, bmoore@coloradomtn.edu or visit coloradomtn.edu/theatre.