����������

����My best advice is to get involved. You get to have a period of your life where your main responsibility in life can be learning. This is a great privilege, so make sure you use it. Get involved in clubs and research. This is how you can stand out and build the connections you will need later to get jobs. Don't worry if you don't click with the first project you try—take the time to find a project you love.”

�����ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’25
����Academic Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science��

����Prioritize your own growth and avoid getting distracted by comparisons. College looks different for everyone, and it’s important to recognize what works best for you. Advocate for yourself, believe in your potential and understand that setbacks are part of the process. Success isn’t always linear—stay open to learning and adapting along the way.”

�������𳾷��Բ���’25
����Clough-Weimer Most Improved Student Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

����Your PhD (or MS) is not the best thing you'll ever do, and it is not supposed to be. Do good work, but get in—learn—and get out/move on to your next big thing.”

����PhDMatSci’25
����National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; University of Colorado Dean’s Graduate Innovation Assistantship

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����I would not have been able to engage so deeply in this community without my mentors' encouragement. There are students and faculty in this department that want to contribute to the scientific community and, by extension, invest in your success. My advice is to seek them out, ask questions and approach every interaction with humility and curiosity. If you do, you will find this community has much to offer and you have something valuable to contribute to it, as well.”

�������𳾵����Ƿ��Բ���’25
����Research Award and Academic Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science; Outstanding Course Assistant Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

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����Get involved on campus and don't be afraid to reach out for help or advice! Consider every opportunity that comes your way—you'll never know what you'll learn or what connections you'll make. Professors and upperclassmen are almost always happy to help you out, just take the opportunity to ask!”

�����ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’25
����Community Impact Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

����Get involved and treat every year like your freshman year. Talk to new people, make connections, join clubs and intramurals, and stay excited! CU offers an overwhelming amount of opportunity that will help you grow personally, academically and professionally.”

�������𳾷��Բ���’25
����Research Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science; Silver Medal Award, Colorado Engineering Council; Outstanding Senior Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

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����Don’t be afraid to ask ‘dumb’ questions; most breakthroughs start with curiosity and the courage to admit what you don’t know. Embrace failure, seek feedback and remember: Real growth happens outside your comfort zone.”

����M�ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’25

����Do what you love, and good things will come. There’s nothing more meaningful than having fun doing what you love. Also, college is the best time to learn from mistakes. It’s OK to not be perfect. At the end of your college career, your GPA doesn’t matter nearly as much as the experiences you had, the memories you made and who you shared them with.”

�����侱�����Բ���’25
����Global Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

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����My advice is to be an active listener who seeks to understand others without judgment. Approach every interaction with kindness, joy and a genuine interest in other people's lives. The way you treat others defines a meaningful life, and building compassionate relationships creates a powerful legacy.”

�����ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’25
����Global Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

����Your coursework matters, but so does your mental and physical well-being! It’s amazing what a 15-minute walk outside can do to reset your mind, especially in a place like Boulder, where nature is so accessible. Make time to ground yourself, as it will help you show up better for everything and everyone else.”

�����ѵ���’25
����Graduate Newsletter Assistant, Office of Faculty Affairs; MBAA VP of Community Outreach; Co-president of MBA Women In Business; Co-president of MBA Natural and Organics Club

����Always take advantage of any opportunity you can. There are so many experiences available at CU, and you never know what doors will open as a result!”

����Mus�����’25
����George Lynn Memorial Award, Chancellor's Recognition Award

����Push forward, make friends, try to go to many conferences, take advantage of opportunities and have fun! Meeting other students at conferences is motivating and can help you remember you are not alone in the graduate school struggle.”

�����ʳ�ٴ�����Ƿ��Բ���’25

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����It may sound cliché, but you really do miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t take. ����������—more specifically, the CU Teach program—has provided me with more opportunities than I ever could have imagined. If I hadn’t listened to the people who believed in me and encouraged me to take chances, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned here is that people truly want to help you succeed—you just have to be open to letting them.”

���������’25
����School of Education Outstanding Contribution to Teaching

����My biggest piece of advice for new PhD students is to make the experience your own. CU has so many incredible faculty and learning opportunities at the PhD level, but it is important to trust your gut and invest in the opportunities and relationships that will help you accomplish your goals for the degree. Alongside that, it's important to be open to new ideas and areas of study you might not have expected. Some of my most important learning experiences throughout the program resulted from working with an expansive group of colleagues and across program areas that were not part of my plans when first admitted to the program.”

����PhD�����’25
����School of Education Outstanding Teaching

����Don’t be afraid to fail. Try new things and put yourself in uncomfortable situations. It’s OK to fail—you’ll grow and become better for it.”

�������ٰ����ٰ�dz���’25
����William W. White Outstanding Senior, Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design

����Practice saying ‘yes’ to as much as you can handle because you won't regret the memories you make, the friends you meet and the pictures you take. It is certainly easier to learn to say no after all the clubs you got involved in, the new foods you tried, the places you travel and the classes you TA for. Your college time is what you make of it; one of my favorite times of my life was studying abroad because I was not afraid of saying yes.”

����OpsMgmt, ���ܲ����Բ�’25
����Henny Reinhardtsen Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations Division Outstanding Student Award; Academic Achievement Award��

����Explore courses outside of your focus area that interest you because you might not have another opportunity to formally learn an exciting topic from incredible professors in the field. I've always wanted to learn Arabic and mountain meteorology, so I'm grateful that I branched out and added them to my schedule!”

�����Ѵ�����Ƿ��Բ�’25

��

����Life will give you setbacks, but you can choose how to respond to them. Sometimes, your emotions can get the best of you, so cry it out until you feel tired of crying and slowly heal with the help of your support system, friends, family or use CAPS on campus.”

�������𳾷��Բ���’25
����Distinguished Peer Mentor Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

����Set ambitious goals, and wake up every day with a plan to achieve them.”

����Acct, Fin’24; MAcct’25
��

����Discover what excites you and explore it wholeheartedly. When you engage in what brings you joy and meaning, you naturally build a community that inspires and supports you. Before you know it, you will be graduating from this program, grateful that you chased your passions and have a whole community there to support you.”

�����������󷡲Բ���’25
����Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering; Community Impact Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

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����When people say, ‘You are your own worst critic,’ they're really not kidding. Don't allow your inner doubt to paralyze you from moving your ideas and projects forward. What you do in your time here will not be the best thing you do in your life, and it's not supposed to be. Just show that you can take something from start to finish, learn from your inevitable mistakes and disappointments along the way, and keep moving.”

����M�����’25
����School of Education Outstanding Master's Graduate: Contribution to Community Engagement

����Classes are important, but make sure to prioritize down time and time with your friends. You will remember time with your friends more than any homework assignment or exam.”

�������𳾵����Ƿ��Բ���’25
����Research Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science; Outstanding Senior Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

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����Be brave! Sometimes you can feel out of place, but this campus is so full of opportunities. Join a club, explore research opportunities, and connect with people you find interesting. It might open up a world of possibilities, so do it scared!”

����M���Դڴdz�����’25
����Education Diversity Scholars Program Coordinator

����My advice to future students in research is to recognize the power they hold. Every individual contribution strengthens the collective effort to achieve greatness. You have the power to change lives, so use that potential to build a career and a life you're proud of.”

�����侱�����Բ���’25
����Research Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

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����You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going yet. What matters most is caring about what you’re doing and who you're doing it with.”

����Mgmt, PolSci’25

����An education is most powerful when it's holistic. Push yourself to connect ideas across disciplines, and remember that contributing to your community can be just as important as your academics!”

�����ʳ�ٳұ�DZ�’25

����Explore anything and everything! Spend time outside on nice days, get involved in campus activities and embrace life at CU beyond the classroom. Regardless of your interests, try something new, academically or otherwise, to make the most out of college. Worst case, you'll discover something you don't like!”

�������𳾵����Ƿ��Բ���’25
����Research Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science; Distinguished Peer Mentor Award, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

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����Say yes to things that scare you a little—you grow most outside your comfort zone.”

�����ѵ���’25
����Alumni and Networking Chair

����Learn to find fun in everything you do. School can feel like a battle if you’re stuck in the wrong mindset—but it doesn’t have to. You’ll succeed more easily if you try to enjoy the process, the work and the learning along the way.”

�������𳾷��Բ���’25
����Outstanding Sophomore Award, Deptartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering

����Your legacy will be defined more by what you help others accomplish, rather than what you solely achieve. Always invite opportunities to be the flame that lights a peer's candle, reaching out to provide guidance, mentorship, support and camaraderie.”

����AeroEngr, CompSci’25
����; Graduating Leader of the Year
����President, Senior Class Council

����Don't be afraid to ask questions. The material you are learning is difficult, and not understanding it is only natural. Asking for help is the fastest way to grow.”

�������𳾷��Բ���’25
����Academic Engagement Award and Research Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

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����My main piece of advice is to be curious. There are so many ways to make a difference. Every class is an opportunity to learn more tools that can be used to improve your life, your community and our world. There is no better time to equip yourself with a foundation of values and skills that will help you build a career that solves the biggest issues facing our modern world. So go be curious, ask the hard questions, understand as many perspectives as you can and do your research.”

�����Ѳ�����’25
����Leeds Undergraduate Impact Award; Henny Reinhardtsen Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics Division Outstanding Student Award
����Board Chair, Sustainable Business Club; Undergraduate Representative, CESR Advisory Board

����In a place as vast as Boulder, don’t just search for where you belong but try and create that space and invite others into it. Help those who feel lost and offer them the safety and support you once needed. And when you’re tired, remember you are human, too. Be open to help, just as you strive to uplift others. You are not alone. Your presence is powerful. Let it silence your doubts. And above all, do what makes you happy and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

�����ѱ𳦳󷡲Բ���’25
����Community Impact Award; Perseverance Award; Culture Impact Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

����Say ‘yes’ to working with new people; say ‘yes’ to trying out a project; say ‘yes’ to helping professors; and say ‘yes’ to trying out clubs! These experiences will shape your journey at ����������, help you figure out your career path and provide some of your favorite memories of your time here.”

�����������󷡲Բ���’25
����Academic Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

����Lean into what makes you different, stay relentlessly curious, and don’t wait to feel ready, just begin! Most of the time, it’s the courage to start that opens the door to everything else.”

�����ʳ�ٴ�����Ƿ��Բ���’25
����Three Minute Thesis (3MT) finalist; Caltech Trailblazing Young Researcher Award; Rising Star in Computational Mechanics and Data Science; IEEE Women in Services Computing Award

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����Many opportunities will come and go throughout college, and I encourage others to step a little bit outside of their comfort zone in order to pursue them. Whether it's a job you don't think you're qualified enough for or a new club that covers topics you know nothing about, college is the time to be bold and try new things. From there, doors can open, and your path could change in ways you never thought possible. Even if it doesn't work out the way you thought it might, there is always the possibility of a good experience coming out of it. So, join that club, talk to that stranger, apply to that job and see what happens!”

����CritMediaSt, Soc’25
����Outstanding Graduating Senior, University Libraries

����My best advice for current students and future students has to be to know that you belong. Engineering is challenging, but you are not alone. Seek out mentors, seek community and, most importantly, seek help. It’s OK not to know everything. Imposter syndrome is very real, but please remember that your perspective and contributions are beyond valuable. Your journey will have obstacles, but perseverance, resilience and a strong support system will guide you. More than anything, never let self-doubt dictate your potential because you are capable, you are worthy, and you have the power to make a difference.”

���������Dzѱ�巡�Բ���’25
����Community Engagement Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science

����College is a great time to figure out what you like, both academically and in extracurriculars. There’s no shame in trying a bunch of different things until you find what actually brings you joy.”

�����ѱ�徱������’25
����William W. White Outstanding Senior, Department of Media Studies