Front Range Community College hosted its first annual equity, inclusion and diversity award ceremony—celebrating the work of FRCC students, employees and community partners who are making a difference in how we create a welcoming environment to serve traditionally underserved students.

FRCC President’s Award

We start with the President’s Award—which goes to Rebecca Chavez, the TRIO program director at the college’s Boulder County Campus.

Becky has been a leader in FRCC’s equity efforts for almost a decade. As the director of admissions and outreach at our Boulder County Campus, she forged strong connections with many organizations in the community that serve people of color. This led directly to an increase in the number of students of color attending that campus.

Becky was one of the early advocates for producing more marketing materials in Spanish and adding bilingual outreach advisors at the college. She was also one of the first people to suggest that FRCC needed to hire an equity officer.

Becky was instrumental in developing the Latinx Excellence Achievement and Development Series (LEADs) program on the Boulder County Campus. LEADS has helped more than 100 mostly Latinx students develop confidence, pride in their culture and goals for the next part of their journeys. Many LEADs alumni have gone on to bachelor’s degrees and beyond; at least one graduate now has a law degree.

One of the best things about LEADs is that it has led directly to FRCC hiring more bilingual Latinx staff. We currently have four fantastic team members who are LEADs alums—two of them are now coordinating the program.

Moving Mountains

Named after some of the highest mountains in Colorado, each of the following awards recognizes the honoree’s major achievements, as well as the significant challenges they are working to overcome.

The “Mount Antero Award” (14,276 feet)

This award goes to a current student who has demonstrated advancement in research, community building, engagement and advocacy—someone who advances the climate of diversity, equity and inclusion at FRCC. Nominated students must have demonstrated a strong record of engagement, mentorship, campus change and/or outreach that positively impacts the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Emilia Morales was chosen as the 2022 recipient for exemplary service to our campus and community through active leadership, engagement and involvement in college partnership initiatives. Emilia has helped FRCC strengthen the college’s offerings in several ways as we move toward becoming a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution.

Upon arriving at FRCC Emilia joined LEIA, the Latinx Leadership program at FRCC’s Westminster Campus—and began looking for ways to apply that learning to support and strengthen underserved communities. Emilia also began volunteering to help with cultural events on campus.

As a student, Emilia is continually learning—both in and out of the classroom—and working to find ways to apply that knowledge to support other students. FRCC is fortunate to have such a dynamic and involved student on campus.

The “Blanca Peak Award” (14,351 feet)

This award goes to a student organization for collaborating with campus or community groups to create, sponsor and implement programs, initiatives or projects around diversity and inclusion. This year’s winner was chosen for exemplary service through active leadership in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture.

Club PRISM at our Westminster Campus is doing an exceptional job at providing a safe space for our LGBTQIA+ student population. PRISM stands for Pride, Raising awareness, Inclusiveness, Support and Mentoring.

This group has built a sense of community and friendship, creating a safe and welcoming space for self-identifying trans and queer students. PRISM has built a membership and support group of approximately 50 students who are creating great friendships and instilling in its members a sense of acceptance and sense of self.

The students and club leaders are always forward-thinking. This semester, PRISM invited various campus leaders and other student clubs to work together on supporting people affected by the Marshall fire in Boulder County.

PRISM plays a vital role in our campus culture, and FRCC faculty and staff are grateful to have the chance to honor these students and their important work.

The “Uncompahgre Peak Award” (14,321 feet)

This award is for outstanding efforts to foster a diverse and principled academic community—including exemplary service in the areas of student and employee recruitment and professional development. Faculty members and instructors who are considered for this award:

• Demonstrate a sustained commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism by documented efforts that exceed the routine expectations of one’s job.
• Establish policies and procedures that recognize and celebrate exemplary individual and team behaviors that promote diversity and inclusion.
• Demonstrate a strong record of published research academic visibility, teaching, mentorship, and/or outreach that positively impacts the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Successfully use pedagogy, student engagement and exemplary scholarship to address the challenging issues of inclusion, equity and social justice.

Faculty member Kathy Mullins is our 2022 Uncompahgre Peak award winner. Most people who have spent time on an FRCC campus have either been to a Safe Zone training or seen the rainbow stickers on name tags and “Safe Zone” cards on office doors. Kathy co-facilitates these trainings and shares her own stories.

It’s not easy to be continually vulnerable in an effort to change people’s hearts and minds. Yet, for years now, Kathy has shown up to help others understand what it means to create a space where LGBTQIA+ people can truly feel safe.

In the classroom, Kathy constantly refines her teaching—from practices to curriculum—in order to move beyond creating an inclusive environment. She goes the extra mile to create experiences that lead to more equitable outcomes for students in her writing classes.

Kathy lives a life devoted to creating a more inclusive and socially just world. She is a daily inspiration to her colleagues and students.

The “Maroon Peak Award” (14,163)

This award is also for outstanding efforts to foster a diverse and principled academic community—including exemplary service in the areas of student and employee recruitment and professional development. Staff members who are considered for this award:

• Demonstrate a sustained commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism by documented efforts that exceed the routine expectations of one’s job.
• Establish policies and procedures that recognize and celebrate exemplary individual and team behaviors that promote diversity and inclusion.
• Demonstrate a strong record of published research academic visibility, teaching, mentorship, and/or outreach that positively impacts the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Successfully use pedagogy, student engagement and exemplary scholarship to address the challenging issues of inclusion, equity and social justice.

The 2022 Maroon Peak award goes to Elizabeth Griswold, administrative assistant at FRCC’s Boulder County campus. Liz has demonstrated an ability to work toward equity through internal growth—and through personal and professional relationships—for the community at large.

Liz was instrumental in developing a new training called Equity Essentials: Unite the Wolfpack. She facilitates this six-session long intensive training for any staff or faculty at FRCC who want to learn about and examine their personal experience with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

The training addresses such topics as micro aggressions, implicit bias, history of racism in the US, actions to take to work as an ally, how to examine one’s own personal biases—and how to interrupt:

• Racism
• Sexism
• Homophobia
• Transphobia
• Ableism
• Discrimination based on religion
• Hate speech

The topics that come up in equity essentials are as vast and diverse as the people who take the training. Liz is deeply committed to the ongoing journey of equity and is an advocate, an ally and accomplice in this work—a true equity champion.

The “Castle Peak Award” (14,279 feet)

This award goes to a department, organization or committee that:

• Sponsors or actively promotes programs, initiatives or projects in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Collaborates with campus or community groups in creating, sponsoring and implementing programs, initiatives or projects in the area of diversity and inclusion.
• Establishes policies and procedures to recognize and celebrate exemplary individual and team behaviors that promote diversity and inclusion.
• Provides exemplary service to the campus and/or community through active leadership and involvement in college partnership initiatives.
• Promotes activities that document success in the recruitment, retention and professional development to increase the diversity of FRCC faculty and staff.
• Participates in activities that lead to the creation of leadership teams and organizations that promote a diverse and inclusive culture.
• Promotes activities that document success in attracting and/or recruiting students who increase the diversity of our school, or to help ensure the success of those students.

This year’s Castle Peak award winner is the Admissions & Outreach team at FRCC’s Westminster Campus. Nominators said, “This team works on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout all of their work.”

This team is a great resource for FRCC’s DEI work. They have a student-centered focus throughout the enrollment process including going to high schools, providing resources on campus and their willingness to work with each individual student to figure out what is best for them.

The Admissions & Outreach team is committed to approaching their work through a lens of equity. When approaching the question of “who gets to be a college student?,” they are dedicated to making sure that the answer is inclusive and reflects our wider communities.

The “Mount Ouray Award” (13,961 feet)

This award is given to a community member for collaboration with campus or other local groups on creating, sponsoring and implementing programs, initiatives or projects in the area of diversity and inclusion.

FRCC chooses someone who has shown exemplary service to the campus and/or community through active leadership and involvement in college partnership initiatives—and whose work helps lead to creating leadership teams and organizations that promote a diverse and inclusive culture.

This year’s Mount Ouray Award goes to community member—and proud FRCC alum—Meca Delgado.

Meca has always been a strong advocate for the college. In various roles throughout Boulder County, she always makes sure that FRCC is part of the conversation. Meca was integral in starting the Latino Excellence Achievement and Development Series (LEADS) program at FRCC’s Boulder County Campus and has continued to be a vital part of the LEADS planning committee since the first cohort launched.

Meca has served on the boards of the YMCA, the Friends of Longmont Youth and Parents Involved in Education/Padres Involucrados en la Educación. We are proud to be able to recognize this FRCC alum and exemplary community leader.

Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners!

And thank you to everyone who is working so hard to make these efforts succeed.