Helping students find their purpose and build confidence

Did someone teach you how to shake hands? When to make a phone call instead of sending an email? How to feel confident in a job interview? These are a few of things students in our Career Readiness Academy have learned over the past two months.

What is the Career Readiness Academy?

We launched the pilot of our Career Readiness Academy in January 2022. This program is designed to provide 20 low-income BVSD high school students with workforce readiness skills, training, and leadership development to help prepare them for success after graduation. 

The sessions are delivered in partnership with industry and community professionals who know firsthand how the application of these skills leads to success. So far, students:

• were guided through a self-knowledge journey and exercises to find their purpose with Ross Wehner of the World Leadership School,

• learned about professional communications and networking, including best practices for emails, phone calls, texting, and tips for expanding their networks, from Royce Hauw of Goodyear and Natasha Wright of Google,

• learned and practiced new skills through an evening of mock interviews with local HR professionals who shared their wisdom and experience.

How one student described the most valuable thing they learned:

“Communication, because I didn’t realize I could make a stronger impression from just shaking someone’s hand.”

Career Readiness Participant

What other skills will participants gain?

In the remaining four workshops, Career Readiness Academy students will learn about different skill sets and what jobs they may align with, the impact of social media, and participate in workplace simulations. We’ll also be working closely with our community partners to help students line up summer employment and put all of their new skills to use.

Is your company is interested in supporting our work?
Learn about corporate partnerships >>

Thank you to our Career Readiness Academy sponsors, Anchor Point Foundation, Seagate Technology, Premier Members Credit Union, Cielo Foundation Boulder, and Google. And thank you to IOE volunteer Cathleen Kendall for leading the preparation for our mock interview session last week and the 20 volunteer business leaders who participated.

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BEFORE YOU GO …

Impact on Education is a nonprofit organization, and we depend on our community to help us put our mission into action. We support Boulder Valley public school students with community funding and resources in order to meet critical needs and eliminate opportunity gaps. Your support keeps us going strong and your donation will help us equalize opportunity, bolster academic success for local students.

We’re excited to announce our new Career Readiness Academy! This program will provide low-income BVSD high school students with workforce readiness skills, training, and leadership development to help prepare them for post-secondary success. 

10th and 11th grade students with an openness to learn, explore and share will be admitted into the first cohort, launching in January 2022. Priority is being given to students facing financial hardship.

Why we’re launching this program

The Career Readiness Academy workshops are designed to introduce and develop critical skills found essential yet lacking in job applicants. The sessions will be delivered in partnership with industry and community professionals who know firsthand how the application of these skills can lead to post-secondary success.

51% of the members of the Society for Human Resources believe education systems have done little or nothing to address the soft skills shortage.

What students will learn

The students will attend a series of professional development workshops focusing on key career readiness competencies that employers value, including: critical thinking and problem solving, teamwork and collaboration, professionalism and work ethic, and oral and written communications. Staff will also help students line up summer jobs that align with their interests and goals.

The students enrolled in the Career Readiness Academy will:

• gain knowledge about post-secondary options and possible paths
• gain knowledge of and experience with professional (soft) skills
• build self-confidence and self-knowledge
• gain real-world job experience 
• earn valuable skills and a $250 stipend

One of the key focus areas of our work is college and career readiness. In addition to providing college scholarships, this new Career Readiness Academy will be a key initiative for helping students find success after graduation. 

To move through life both professionally and personally, you have to be a good people person.

Yancey Spruill, CEO DigitalOcean

What I Know Now: Yancey Spruill, CEO DigitalOcean

Student Advisory Board Member Noah had the opportunity to speak with Yancey Spruill, CEO of DigitalOcean, just before he graduated from high school. Yancey shared insights from his education and his professional journey from engineer to Wall Street to working in technology. Tune into our latest episode of What I Know Now to hear these highlights and more from Yancey’s interview: 

• using statistics for assessing risk in his day to day life
• the importance of always learning and growing
• the benefits flexibility brings to work and learning environments
• his perspective on issues of race and class

About Yancey Spruill
As Chief Executive Officer, Yancey drives the overall strategy for DigitalOcean leading the company through its next phase of profitable growth. He brings a wealth of technical, financial, and leadership experience and spent the last 15 years in senior executive roles at technology companies including SendGrid and DigitalGlobe. Yancey started his career working as a manufacturing engineer at Corning Incorporated and The Clorox Company. He also has extensive investment banking experience focused on mergers and acquisitions at JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers, and Thomas Weisel Partners. More about Yancey >>

About the Student Advisory Board
Our Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District high school students. The SAB brings together 13 students enrolled in Boulder Valley’s high schools to share their perspectives in order to advise Impact on Education’s initiatives and guide our investments. More about the SAB >>

What I Know Now: Maris Herold, Boulder Police Chief

I’m a big believer that opportunity structure is the number one reason we have crime and disorder.

Boulder Police Chief, Maris Herold

Sara and Jasper, two members of our Student Advisory Board, had the opportunity to speak with Chief Maris Herold of the Boulder Police Department back in May. Prior to her 2020 appointment as Boulder Police Department’s Chief of Police, she worked for the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) for 23 years where she focused on innovative strategies to better her community and the department itself. Watch Chief Herold’s What I Know Now interview to hear more about the following highlights and more:

• How her early experiences as a social worker and psychology intake worker continue to influence her considerations for underserved populations as Police Chief 
• How her non-traditional career path from social worker to Police Chief has given her unique opportunities to understand and benefit the communities she has worked with 
• Why diverse representation and recruiting practices are critical for police departments to adopt and her own efforts in promoting diversity focused policies
• Her police reform goals for the next several decades 
• The policies Chief Herold adapted when she was first appointed in Boulder County to address police brutality and citizen accessibility in communicating with the department

About Maris Herold
First appointed as Boulder Police Chief in 2020, Chief Herold previously served as Chief at the University of Cincinnati Police Division (UCPD) and has 23 years of experience with the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD). She has an educational background in Sociology with a Bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. Chief Herold has prioritized diversity-focused recruiting initiatives and officer access to enhanced technological platforms. She has been recognized for her crime reduction initiatives and was awarded the 2017 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing for her work at CPD. Learn more >>

About the Student Advisory Board
Our Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District high school students. The SAB brings together students enrolled in Boulder Valley’s 13 high schools to share their perspectives in order to advise Impact on Education’s initiatives and guide our investments. More about the SAB >>

“It doesn’t have to be familiar, it doesn’t have to be safe all the time. I can go and take these risks and grow as a person.”

Shaz Zamore, ATLAS Institute

What I Know Now: Shaz Zamore, ATLAS

Dr. Zamore (they/them) obtained their PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington Seattle in 2015 and is currently an ATLAS Instructor with the University of Colorado. Their work combines a background in neurobiology and neuroengineering and their drive and focus for diverse social engagement. Our Student Advisory Board members, Emery and Paul, had the opportunity to interview Dr. Z, and here are a few highlights from our latest episode of What I Know Now:

• How their experiences with math in early academic spaces and dislike of the subject ended up becoming a critical skill in their career and post student life. 
• Discussing how safety is not always congruent with manifesting personal growth, which is why they encourage students to take risks and explore nontraditional opportunities in high school to diversify and better your academic and extracurricular experiences. 
• Perspectives on how the pandemic will affect academia in the long-term, they note the incredible power online learning has to promote more accessible and flexible education. 

About Dr. Shaz Zamore 
Dr. Shaz Zamore (they/them) is an ATLAS instructor and STEM outreach coordinator at the University of Colorado. Their interests span a range of scientific promise from creating accessible science and education outreach with a focus on neurosciences, to exploring the neural network and sensations of animals. Dr. Zamore is a first generation American who is heavily invested in outreach and inclusion. 

About the Student Advisory Board
Our Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District high school students. The SAB brings together students enrolled in Boulder Valley’s 13 high schools to share their perspectives in order to advise Impact on Education’s initiatives and guide our investments. More about the SAB >>

“Unconscious bias is huge. How do we address unconscious bias in the culture in our organizations? How do we make our workplace more equitable?”

Dr. Everette Joseph

What I Know Now: Dr. Everette Joseph, Director of NCAR

Student Advisory Board Members Lindsey and James had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Everette Joseph, Director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Prior to his work at NCAR, Dr. Joseph was the Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center at the University of Albany, where he co-led the New York State Mesonet, providing direction for advanced weather detection. Dr. Joseph was also the Director of Howard University’s Program in Atmospheric Sciences. Tune into our latest episode of What I Know Now to hear these and more highlights from Dr. Joseph’s interview: 

• How an interest in aviation and enjoyment of science fiction helped lead him to a career in science and atmospheric research
• Funny stories from his field research in Africa
• The importance of a global education and why he values interdisciplinary collaboration between a wide range of fields for the purpose of accessible communication of knowledge
• How NCAR is working to increase the participation of and recruitment of underrepresented minorities
• How he addresses unconscious bias in his hiring practices
• Questions he uses to challenge himself and his employees

About Dr. Everette Joseph
Everette Joseph became the Director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in 2019 after leading the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center at the University of Albany. Dr. Joseph originally received his Ph.D in Physics from the University of Albany with an emphasis on atmospheric science. Since 2014, he has remained a Board member of the Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine alongside his roles as principal investigator of over $90 million of research projects and grants from a range of national research organizations. More about Dr. Joseph >>

About the Student Advisory Board
Our Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District high school students. The SAB brings together students enrolled in Boulder Valley’s 13 high schools to share their perspectives in order to advise Impact on Education’s initiatives and guide our investments. More about the SAB >>

“As students, we have to start asking the really important question of who’s making the decisions for us.”

Marta Loachamin

What I Know Now: Marta Loachamin, Boulder County Commissioner

Marta Loachamin was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2020 and is the first Latina to hold the office in Boulder County. Marta is a long-time Longmont resident who has worked for social, economic, and housing justice by building opportunities for families throughout Boulder County and the Front Range.

Audrey and Bella from our Student Advisory Board joined Marta for a virtual interview in which you’ll learn:

• How her experiences as a student and former educator helped her find both confidence and success. 
• How she connects the dots between student experiences in our community and local government.
• Why she influences and campaigns for diversity and advises our students to do the same.

About Marta Loachamin

Marta was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2020, with a term continuing through January 2025, representing District 2. More about Marta >>

About the Student Advisory Board

Our Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District high school students. The SAB brings together students enrolled in Boulder Valley’s 13 high schools to share their perspectives in order to advise Impact on Education’s initiatives and guide our investments. More about the SAB >>

We’re excited to share that we have awarded up to $24,000 in scholarships to three graduating high school seniors. Applications were reviewed by a group of trained community volunteers, and student winners were selected based upon their academic achievement, financial need, and other eligibility requirements.

“From the number of applications we received for both scholarships to the strength and accomplishments of the applicants, this year highlights both students’ incredible drive to pursue their post-secondary education and goals as well as the deep need for post-secondary resources.”

Jen Biegen, IOE Program Coordinator

Our new Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship, is awarded from a $500,000 endowment left to Impact on Education by its namesake. The couple grew up in Boulder County, attended Boulder Valley public schools, and were well known in the community for their love of aviation, history, education, and travel. The scholarship is intended for students planning to study engineering, forestry, nursing, or medicine in the state of Colorado.

Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship

The $5,000 Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship was awarded to Shannon Blanco, a senior at Monarch High School. Shannon plans to pursue biomedical engineering & the Business Engineering Tech Program at CU-Boulder in the fall. This scholarship award is renewable for up to four years, with the potential to fund $20,000 of Shannon’s college expenses.

“On my service trips and volunteering in my community, I have seen the disparity of medical resources for under-served populations [which has] inspired me to look deeper into people’s access to medical equipment and aid. My overall goal is to transform the accuracy and efficiency of medical equipment to provide more accessible medical aid to those in need, specifically in struggling socio-economic communities and developing countries.”

Shannon Blanco, Senior at Monarch High School

Dennie & Donna Wise Scholarship

One of Impact on Education’s longtime scholarships, the Dennie and Donna Wise Scholarship, was endowed by a former board member to support up to two students a year planning to pursue a vocational, technical, or community college education. 

A $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Maria Garcia Diaz, a senior at Fairview High School and to Rodrigo Marquez, a senior at Boulder High School. Maria plans to pursue child psychology at Front Range Community College in the fall, and Rodrigo plans to pursue law enforcement also at Front Range Community College. This scholarship award is renewable for up to two years, funding a total of $2,000 of each recipient’s college tuition. 

“My goals are to make my parents proud as well as myself…I want to become a child psychologist. I have the opportunity to work in a field where I’m able to not only help others but make other people feel heard. I’m able to use my own life experiences to better understand others and help them know that they’re not alone.”

Maria Garcia Diaz, Senior at Fairview High School

“Since I was a child, my dream has been to become a police officer and help my community, especially the Latino community, my family, and friends. I want to help make changes that can help solve problems, and my goals have been influenced by my parents.”

Rodrigo Marquez, Senior at Boulder High School

We offer these scholarships to support Boulder Valley students in financial need who wish to pursue higher education. We’re able to provide this type of important financial support thanks to generous bequests left to the organization from local community members. If you’d like to discuss opportunities for planned giving, including bequests, gifts from a retirement account, charitable trust, or real estate, please contact darcy@impactoneducation.org.

Between playing basketball and cooking, Roane Edwards also spent time on the Student Advisory Board during his last two years as a student at Fairview High School.

The 18-year-old Boulderite got involved in the Student Advisory Board through his mom, who worked as an educator and suggested he apply. He said the experience was an eye-opener, specifically a summit the SAB attended in his first year.

“We were in these breakout groups where we were discussing ways to improve certain curricula and improving school life, both academically and socially. And that is something I feel pretty passionate about,” Roane said. “It was pretty cool to be in a room with people that could actually make changes … and be able to share my thoughts with them.”

Roane said he was proud that the Student Advisory Board became more diverse over the span from his first to his second year.

“That first year it was mostly white kids as it tends to be from Boulder, and we talked a lot about getting more people from different ethnicities and demographics involved in Student Council and Student Advisory Board,” he said. “And the next year — this year — I noticed that there were more kids from all walks of life in the group.”

“It was pretty cool to be in a room with people that could actually make changes in that field and be able to share my thoughts with them.”

Roane Edwards, Senior at Fairview High School

Roane was excited to come back to the Board for his senior year and celebrate all the traditional high school senior milestones, but those plans were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many people, his understanding of what 2020 would look like evolved as the year went on.

“I really enjoyed the first two months because my brother came back from college, and it was just me and him hanging out at the house, having a good time. Then, as it became more apparent how long this was going to last, and how many things I would eventually miss out on and it took more and more of a hold on my mental health, it was rough,” he said.

All in all, Roane only attended the last two months of his senior year in-person. He found bright spots to be grateful for, however.

“I got to play my last season of basketball. Even though it was half as long and we had to wear masks during games and practice, I was just happy we got to play,” he said. “We’re going to have a prom at the Denver Aquarium, so that will be nice. I’m hoping I’m not going to be dancing with a girl with our masks on.”

Roane likes to cook when he’s not playing basketball, and he also has an interest in environmentalism. After graduation, he plans to go to San Diego State University. 

“I’m not exactly sure what I’ll study out there but probably either marine biology or sports management. Those are two very different things,” he said with a laugh. “Other than that, I plan to travel, save as much money as I can, and learn what I can and see where that takes me.”

Maya Clements joined the Student Advisory Board as a high school senior, which meant that despite many hours of meetings, they have never met their peers on the SAB or the Impact on Education staff in person.

The 17-year-old is politically active, attending protests and advocating for causes on social media.

“My motivation for getting into a lot of political things is that I am an intersection of a lot of different identities. My household is multicultural. My mom is from Bolivia and grew up there, and my dad is Japanese and white, and then I’m also queer,” Maya said. “So I can represent a lot of different communities.”

Although Maya’s year on the Student Advisory Board was different from others’, they brought value to the group by acting as a liaison to the Equity Council.

“I feel that one of the capacities I have been helpful in is as the only person who overlaps between the Student Advisory Board and the BVSD Equity Council.”

Maya Clements, Senior at Boulder High

“My first year was definitely a little weird with the pandemic going on. But I feel that one of the capacities I have been helpful in is as the only person who overlaps between the SAB and the Equity Council so it helps both sides and I can connect those two,” Maya said. 

Maya joined the Board in order to advocate for more sensitivity training among the school district staff and to increase opportunities for district employees from more diverse backgrounds.

Maya said that their involvement with the Student Advisory Board helped them with interpersonal skills, like interviewing. As part of their role on the board, Maya was able to interview fellow person of color Bhavna Chhabra, the tech site director for the Boulder Google campus.

“Being on the board really helped me with knowing how to interview someone. I had never done that before, and I really enjoyed that project,” they said.

In their free time, Maya likes to paint, do artistic sewing projects, and practice martial arts. 

“I do kickboxing but not in a formal capacity yet because I’m still getting used to the idea of going back to a space with other people,” they said. “I’m trying to get back into embroidery projects because I used to do it as a kid, and I always have a little project going with stuff sketched out.”

After graduation, Maya plans to attend either Lewis & Clark College in Oregon or Smith College in Massachusetts.

“I’m still kind of exploring all my paths. Lately, I’m more interested in the idea of becoming either a human rights lawyer or an immigration lawyer because it seems like a service that a lot of people need right now.”

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