As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on how life has a way of coming full circle. In 2023, I was serving as the Executive Director of Secondary Schools at Denver Public Schools—my twenty-fifth year in public education. I was in a moment of transition, stepping away from a system I cared deeply about but still searching for a way to stay connected to the young people and communities who shaped such an integral part of my career.

At the same time, Ednium reached out about joining their Board of Directors.

From the very beginning, it felt like alignment. I had worked alongside them as the district liaison. I saw firsthand the investment they were making as an organization, and I wanted to be part of something that honored and expanded that work. I served on the board for a year before being asked to serve as Board Chair.

I’ve known Ednium to be deeply committed to the communities they serve, but they also hold the belief that young people can thrive in their hometowns and build on the rich history that shaped them. That they can invest not just in their high schools, but in their neighborhoods, and in the next generation of homegrown leaders.

Seeing their deep commitment to Denver made me want to be a part of the work they are doing.

Everyone in the Ednium community leads with such authenticity. No two describe Ednium the same way, but the quality of their values—community, trust, and action—drives the work in the same meaningful direction.

This year, I’ve loved watching the team grow and evolve. I’ve seen new board members bring fresh energy, programming launch with momentum, and partnerships—like the generational wealth work with U.S. Bank—take root in ways that open new doors for alumni. Ednium is not just continuing its mission; it’s making its own mark and stepping boldly into its next chapter.

I’ve also had the chance to witness our Leadership Launchpad firsthand. I attended their capstone presentations this year, and one young woman in particular stood out to me. She told me she was stepping into her first year of teaching. The connection was immediate. I introduced myself, spoke with her principal, and ensured she had the support she deserved in her first year as an educator. Now, she has the opportunity to continue to develop her leadership skills through Ednium and its programming.

There are so many young people like her out there—Black and brown alumni with brilliance, heart, and purpose—who would benefit from Ednium’s leadership development and alumni community. Some of them don’t even know opportunities like this exist. My hope is that Ednium continues to be a doorway for them to step fully and proudly into their own stories.

Another bright spot of the year has been watching our Alumni Connect work grow. The chance to reconnect alumni with their high schools is a big deal. Not many organizations create space for people to return to the places that shaped them—not only to celebrate what those schools did well, but to help strengthen what they didn’t.

The advocacy work also reached new heights this year. Financial Literacy has always been one of the biggest wins, but to see it has grown beyond a graduation requirement into statewide legislation and into deep partnerships, such as the work with U.S. Bank, shows how meaningful this work truly is. Ednium is tapping into resources across the metro region and ensuring that alumni don’t just walk away with a solid foundation in financial literacy, but also build on that foundation and continue conversations that foster community understanding of it.

As Board Chair, I’ve also been energized by our strategy conversations. We are not just planning for the future; we are building systems of accountability and execution that will take Ednium into the next five years with clarity and courage. They are the type of organization that not only puts plans down on paper but also executes with their community in mind.

As we close out 2025, I want to extend an invitation.

Come see the amazing impact for yourself.

Attend an event. Join Alumni Connect. Join the Launchpad.
Meet the young adults leading change in Denver.
Share Ednium with someone who needs to hear about it.

I don’t think I could be part of a better nonprofit than Ednium. It is not just any organization; it’s special, and that is exactly why it matters. It is bigger than me. Bigger than any one of us. And I hope you’ll join us as we continue to reinvest in homegrown talent.