Editor’s note: This article by Stephanie López is the latest installment of monthly contributions to Boardhawk from Ednium: The Alumni Collective. Stephanie recently won Ednium’s “Dream Investor” award for outstanding community impact.
My mom and dad were my first role models. They loved our community and served those around us in a huge way. I witnessed them supporting others in any way they could, and it planted a seed in me at a young age.
My father passed on when I was a student at Columbine Elementary School. It was a very challenging time for me, but I felt fortunate to have such incredible educators who supported me in my learning and cared about who I was as an individual.
This truly set the tone for my journey and was formative in how I valued the intentionality of my teachers and the school leadership. I observed that intention as a student and it nourished a sense of community within me.
As I went through Smiley Middle School and began to understand institutional policies and the challenges some of my peers faced, I witnessed great educators ensure students were equipped with resources to overcome obstacles, such as transportation or food insecurity. This is where I began to see education as a tool to face barriers.
I graduated from East High School, where my teachers sparked my love for nonprofit work. They brought organizations in to work with us, come to our classes, and give us opportunities to refine skills that would be beneficial post-graduation.
I began to understand that the needs we all face in this ecosystem are not just solved within the school walls; they require all of us. Educators, businesses, the city, and the community must work together to create access to opportunities.
After I left East, I became interested in the systems of support for communities. I felt called to be a part of social work and ensure opportunities were open for all. I was a Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) recipient and received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Denver.
It feels like a full-circle moment, as a DSF Alum, to have joined the DSF team 10 years ago. Throughout this journey, I have grown professionally while the organization itself has grown.
In my role, I work with scholars and alumni to grow their leadership and professional skill sets so they have tangible tools to live the life they want. I also work with DSF alumni to connect them with community resources such as Ednium.
Based on what we have heard internally and how Ednium has advocated for changes directly based on alumni feedback, we have been intentional in how we can partner more deeply to support all alumni.
I was one of the very first alumni engaged in discussions that eventually led to the creation of Ednium: The Alumni Collective. We partnered with then DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova to take our experiences as alumni and ensure that our educational system improved for future students while strengthening the things that were working well. I’ve been fortunate to partner with Ednium over the last several years by participating in programming and offering my feedback. And as of this month, I am serving on the Alumni Council.
Receiving The Dream Investor Award from Ednium at the Homegrown Awards means so much because it comes from my peers. My heart is so full of gratitude because I am naturally an encourager, and this award feels very aligned with what I hope to live out as someone who supports peers with their vision.
It’s hard for me to accept being in the spotlight because I am a small part of alumni journeys behind the scenes. They are the ones planting the seed; I water it as it grows, nurturing it until it’s ready for the next part of their journey.
It’s the small actions that pave the way to significant opportunities or changes that are felt city-wide. I’ve been grateful that Ednium acknowledges the different stages of alumni journeys and experiences. People are creating in so many different ways, and it’s important to value the progress of their journey, not just the final outcome.
Recognizing the process honors their effort, growth, and story. And for that, I am truly humbled to receive this honor.
When I see my peers growing in their fields, finding their voices, and sharing their experiences, I feel so much hope for the future. Each small act of encouragement, each seed we plant together, has the potential to bloom into something extraordinary for our whole community.
We have work still to do, but it’s beautiful to see alumni I have interacted with go on to complete something so personal to them. Seeing my community in action in different spaces—some not meant for us—reminds me that real progress begins with belief in ourselves and each other.
