In 1967, Gil Cisneros was newly married and feeling the pressure to get started on a career.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t see myself working underground for the rest of my life”, says Cisneros, who was working as a miner at Climax Molybdenum Mine in Leadville.

He started taking classes at the newly opened Colorado Mountain College - East Campus, where he was able to study in between his shift work at the mine.

“My experience at CMC Leadville was exceptional”, Cisneros recalls, 50 years later.

He knocked out several core courses in science and foreign language, transferred to Adams State College and completed his bachelor’s degree in three years. Since that time, he has had an illustrious career, culminating with the founding of the Chamber of the Americas in Denver in 2001.

The Chamber fosters trade and investment relationships primarily between South American countries and U.S. business interests. His work has been lauded by numerous professional organizations, including Hispanic Magazine which in 2002 recognized Gil with the U.S.-Latin American Friendship Award at the Hispanic Achievement Awards. Prior to that, the Mexican government honored him as Businessman of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Region, 2000, and in 2007, the Institute of International Education presented Gil with the “Global Colorado Award.”

“I’ve been very, very lucky”, he says of the opportunities that have been available to him. “I was in the right place at the right time, several times in my life and it started with attending CMC”.

Now, at the age of 73 and a grandfather of two high school students, he encourages young people to look beyond the traditional college path and consider the advantages of community college. He tells his grandchildren about his time at CMC and how the flexibility of the faculty and class structure enabled him to find his path to a rewarding and fulfilling career.

“CMC was a wonderful, wonderful experience for me.”

Leadville local Lorene Martinez was unsure about college. But she took one class at Colorado Mountain College. Then another. With encouragement from faculty, this single mom realized she could succeed. And she did, all the way to a Ph.D. in microbiology from Colorado State University.

“CMC is one of the best choices I ever made,” she says.

Now Martinez researches new ways to detect tuberculosis. She helped to develop genetic fingerprinting protocols to aid in tracking the disease in cattle and wildlife.

Making an outdoor hobby into a career is a dream shared by all Outdoor Recreation Leadership (ORL) students. Hundreds of aspiring mountaineers, raft guides, and rock climbers have joined the ranks of Colorado Mountain College Leadville students, looking to gain the skills necessary to turn that dream into a reality.

Don Nguyen, a 29-year-old ORL alumnus from Oklahoma City, is currently living in Washington state, working as a climbing instructor and mountain guide on Mount Rainier and Mount Shasta. He credits the Colorado Mountain College Leadville outdoor program and faculty for bridging the gap between hobby and career.

“CMC’s program and its experienced instructors gave me the technical skills, certifications and direction to work the dream job I have now,” says Don. “I learned about the types of leaders, and how various leadership styles relate to the many fields of outdoor guiding and instructing.”

Though he is currently content exploring the Pacific Northwest, Leadville will always hold a special place for Don. “I miss that beautiful mountain town charm of Leadville.” said Nguyen, “Seeing Elbert and Massive out my window framed by conifers was a pleasure I will never forget.”

Truly a life-long learner, Don has found various opportunities to continue honing his outdoor skills, both on and off camera. He was recently featured on the Discovery channel survival series, Naked and Afraid.

“I was dropped into Namibia with a person the TV network chose to be incompatible personality-wise with me.” says Don, “I used every single teamwork building and conflict resolution exercise I had learned from CMC. I felt that having these techniques and strategies helped reduce conflict with my partner on the show, built teamwork, and gave a good frame work on running the camp and staying on mission to finish the 21-day challenge.”

Don’s advice for future ORL students is clear: Colorado Mountain College is a place where students that are dedicated and invested in their education will have all the tools necessary to succeed.

“CMC is a school where you get a return proportionate to what you put in.” said Nguyen, “If you study hard, practice, and in your spare time get out and build on your skills, those skills become yours.”

Since graduating in 2014 with a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership, Brett Menter has led heli-ski trips in Alaska, guided ice climbing trips on glaciers, coordinated outdoor activities for disabled children and more recently, taught outdoor orientation classes at Colorado Mountain College Leadville.

A natural born leader, Brett saw that he would need to learn skills to excel in the outdoor industry. The ORL program at Colorado Mountain College Leadville was the perfect match. Brett learned both technical and “soft” interpersonal skills to build on his innate abilities.

“Of course, I learned the whole spectrum of technical skills necessary to be a mountain guide.” says Brett, “But most importantly, I learned communication and human development skills. Being able to communicate with people, keep people safe and talk people through fear and risk is crucial for an outdoor leader.“

These soft skills were a primary tool for Brett while working with disabled children during his time at the summer camp in British Columbia.

“We worked with children that were vision impaired, hearing impaired… children on the autism spectrum, children with physical aggression.” says Brett, “I talked these children through fear and risk, often using non-verbal communication like hand gestures and hugs.

“The most important skill is being able to adapt those communication abilities to whoever you are working with,” says Brett, “whether it is a high-end heli-ski client paying $10,000 or a five year-old from foster care who can’t speak at all.”

Motivation, dedication and a healthy dose of humility are crucial elements to a successful outdoor career, but it takes a strong role model to put those in perspective. The Outdoor Recreation Leadership program in Leadville is fortunate to have leaders with this ethos teaching tomorrow’s mountaineers and raft guides.

“I’m motivated to become a leader because it is a place I feel comfortable,” says Brett, “I’ve embraced it, while maintaining a humble attitude. I look to people like Kent Clement and Cooper Mallozzi, who are incredibly humble and immensely talented. They’re great mentors.”

Now Brett is giving back as a role model and field instructor.

“I love being a resource for current and future students and giving back to the Colorado Mountain College community,” he says. “I think a lot of students see what I have done and know it’s possible for them to get out there and find a job doing what they love, too.”