When I first became involved with Ednium, I didn’t realize how much it would shape me as a young professional. I was navigating the challenges of being a first-generation student and transitioning into a career and adulthood. Although I was participating in the Leadership Launchpad, when I couldn’t show up, I just didn’t. 

During the Launchpad, the Ednium team pulled me aside and told me how important it was when I took up space in our sessions; when I was fully present, it made a difference.

They said something that stuck with me: “Your voice is missing when you are not here. It is really noticeable when you don’t show up.”

That mattered. That is what community does; it holds you accountable to your full potential. It made me understand my value even more. That moment reminded me that giving isn’t just about money—it is about showing up even when it’s hard. I didn’t have much to give then, but I realized they valued my time, voice, and presence just as much as a monetary gift. Impact doesn’t require a title, a big donation, or even a plan; it begins by showing up for your community.

I found a space to connect with young alumni who crave leadership and community, and want to give back at the same time. Those connections reminded me that small actions, when shared across a community, can create the momentum to transform systems.

Over the past five years, Ednium has evolved alongside me. From the Leadership Launchpad to the Advocacy Accelerator, interning with the team, joining the Alumni Council, and participating in the Building Generational Wealth pilot, I’ve grown into someone who views leadership as both personal and collective. I’ve learned to meet people where they are and understand that someone’s experience, although different from my own, matters.

Many, if not all, of the alumni we have engaged are feeling the same way about their school experience and what they were missing. Alumni experience goes beyond race or socioeconomic status, and, in reality, our varied experiences are exactly what is needed to change the system for future and current students. 

That’s what makes Ednium so special. As a collective, we understand our differing opinions and return to the same truth: there is value in reinvesting in our homegrown talent.

Ednium exists because young people deserve to have endless choices before they graduate and to know they already have the power to shape their city. There is already so much brilliance in our backyard, and we want to ensure all our people thrive. We’re homegrown alumni pushing for real change, like making tangible skills and trades a graduation requirement. That idea came from our cohort, and now it’s creating statewide momentum.

In just five years, we have:

• Helped unlock up to $10M in scholarship reimbursements for DPS graduates
• Championed Cultural & Ethnic Studies and Financial Literacy requirements
• Connected hundreds of alumni to meaningful career pathways

Look at what we’ve built together—and imagine what we could do with even more people, resources, and support.

As I step into my new role as Alumni Council Chair, I think a lot about how we build and sustain that leadership. Giving isn’t just about money. It’s about time, talent, and testimony. Whether it’s mentoring a student, showing up to a meeting, sharing your story, or donating $5—if it’s meaningful to you, it’s meaningful to us.

I grew up in a culture of giving. At Abraham Lincoln, I was deeply involved in clubs and sports, but I was also on free and reduced lunch, fundraising for prom, and facing many of the same challenges as my peers. When I attended DU, it opened my eyes to how many resources existed in the world. I was still mindful of every penny we spent in our club budget, but that early scarcity mindset made me appreciate the value of every single dollar. It taught me that generosity isn’t about the amount—it’s about the intention. When I give, I remember what it felt like to make something meaningful out of what we had.

That’s why I believe everyone has something to give—and Ednium recognizes the value of every gift, no matter its size or form.

Too often, young alumni feel they don’t have enough to give, or new neighbors to our city feel that Ednium’s work isn’t meant for them. But this work belongs to all of us. You don’t have to have a lot, or be Denver-born, to invest in Denver’s future. We want everyone to see the importance of investing in our city's young people and understand why this work matters.

Because if Ednium didn’t exist, there would be a gap—a missing space between potential and power. Fewer young people would have access to pathways that influence systems and policies. We’d lose a community where alumni voices drive opportunity, where shared experiences spark solutions, and where every young person learns their story actually matters.

Just as I’ve grown through Ednium, so has our community. Every time someone shows up, it adds up to something bigger than any of us.

This year, as Ednium celebrates five years of impact, I’m reflecting on just how far we’ve come—and where we can go. Five years of alumni leading change from within their own neighborhoods. Five years of challenging what’s possible for public school graduates. Five years of building a city where every young person has endless choices before they graduate.

But we’re just getting started.

When you give, no matter the size, you’re investing in alumni who are building a better future for all of us.

Celebrate five years of alumni-led impact—give today and invest in Denver’s future.