Student finds her people, place and passion at FRCC.
If you had told Madison Smith seven years ago that in a few weeks she would be graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in Spanish and a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Abroad (TESOL), she might not have believed it.
She was finishing up eighth grade—a homeschooled student attending Colorado Early Colleges (CEC) part time—but admits that school was never her favorite thing. “I didn’t even plan on going to college until I realized I could do so through CEC in high school,” says Madison, a Colorado native who grew up mostly in Thornton and now lives in Broomfield.
CEC enables students to earn a postsecondary credential or 60 college credits upon high school graduation. Madison started with concurrent enrollment classes through FRCC, then started taking classes through Colorado Online. She finished her high school curriculum in 2022 and continued her college education at FRCC—both the Boulder County Campus and the Westminster Campus.
Discovering a Love of the Spanish Language
From an early age, Madison enjoyed working. At 14, she started at her grandfather’s fence company, then worked at a Mexican restaurant and a feed store throughout her teen years. “I loved earning money and keeping busy,” she says.
In the summer of 2022, she went on a mission trip to Mexico. “Living in Colorado, where there’s a large Hispanic population, you hear Spanish often,” Madison says. “I’d been exposed to the fun side of the language at the restaurant because the cooks spoke Spanish and were always friendly and joking. But the mission trip really opened my eyes to the beauty of the language too.”
That fall, Madison changed her major at FRCC to Spanish.
Finding Fulfillment in Teaching
Madison has continued travelling and doing missionary work—mostly in Mexico. But she also travelled to Kenya in the summer of 2023 and Tanzania in January 2024. In Tanzania, she was asked to teach Bible lessons to people in the village where she was staying.
“I loved doing that and seeing people learn,” Madison says. “When I returned, I researched ways that I could travel and experience different cultures and languages, and found the TESOL certificate. I decided to do that too.”
Moving to Mexico to Teach English
In the summer of 2024, Madison took a group of high school students from her church to Rancho El Camino, a ministry that serves the community of La Paz, Mexico, with a children’s club, equine therapy center, youth services program and other community development programs. That opened the door to an internship that will start in July 2025 and an opportunity for Madison to join the ranch full time in January 2026.
“Rancho El Camino is building a community center and needed an English teacher, so when they heard what I was studying in college, it was a great fit,” Madison says. This summer, she’ll learn everything about the ranch, and when she returns next year, she will teach English in the community center.
Madison’s strong work ethic will serve her well. “In addition to teaching English, I’ll help with the kids program and anything else needed,” she says. “The ranch is the type of place where everyone pitches in with maintaining the grounds and that kind of thing.”
A Community of Like-Minded People at Front Range
As Madison reflects on her years at Front Range, she says the experience has surpassed her expectations in every way. “The instructors in both the TESOL certificate and the associate degree program have been great and so helpful and understanding that we have lives outside of school,” she says.
“I also love learning how people learn a second language while I’m learning a second language! It is fascinating and so much fun.”
With just four other students in the TESOL program, Madison has formed bonds with people who share her interests. “All of us plan to teach English in other countries, so that’s been a cool connection,” she says.
“Those classmates are friends I know I’ll keep, and Front Range made those relationships possible.”
The sense of community is one of Madison’s favorite parts about FRCC. “There’s something really special about seeing the student in high school sit at the table with the woman who is a grandmother finishing a degree she started years ago,” she says.
“I love that part the most—that everyone feels welcome. Front Range is for everybody.”
