For Robert Lamm, returning to college was about more than earning a degree.
It was about rebuilding confidence, discovering a career path and learning how to advocate for himself.
After losing much of his vision in 2019 due to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Robert returned to school as an adult learner at Front Range Community College and found the environment and support he needed to begin building a new future.
Turning Education Into Impact
Today, Robert is building a career where he finds both meaningful and rewarding. As an environmental designer, he works in water supply and environmental consulting, helping communities confront one of the West’s most pressing challenges: water scarcity. His work focuses on drought solutions, resilience and water banking.
Robert credits his time at FRCC and the people who supported him along the way, with helping him turn his interests into a career with purpose.
“I honestly feel like I’ve landed my dream job, and that’s all thanks to the interdisciplinary education that I got,” he says of his time at Front Range Community College.
“Front Range was the best place to dip my feet in and get started,” he says.
Building Confidence, Recognizing Strengths
At FRCC, Robert connected with Disability Support Services and worked closely with his disability advisor. The support helped him navigate college with a visual disability, but its impact went much further.
Through that experience, Robert gained greater confidence in his abilities, recognized his strengths and began to see more clearly what he could bring to the classroom, his career and the world beyond FRCC.
“I came to Front Range as a non-traditional student, but also legally blind,” Robert says. “I really doubted myself and my abilities.”
Learning to Advocate for Himself
He also pursued scholarships for students who are blind or have low vision, with support from his disability advisor.
“She helped me gain confidence,” he says. “She also helped me highlight my skills, and all around, understand my purpose.”
Learning to advocate for himself became an important part of Robert’s experience at FRCC—and a skill he would continue to use as he moved into his career.
Building a Bridge to CSU
When Robert first came to FRCC, he planned to transfer to Colorado State University to study civil engineering. His experience with FRCC’s transfer support helped him consider a different path and connect his academic plans at FRCC with his eventual goals at CSU.
A key part of that journey was the program now known as the Ram Transfer Academy, which was called Wolves to Rams when Robert participated.
Expanding His Bubble
His transfer advisor helped him stay focused on his long-term plans.
“My advisor really helped me tie in my Front Range academic plan with my CSU transfer agenda and helped me stay on track,” he says.
The program also helped Robert develop skills that went beyond academics. He learned about professionalism, networking and the importance of telling his story.
“They helped me get on LinkedIn really early,” he says. “They also helped me learn the value of telling my story and really branding myself well.”
That encouragement pushed Robert to pursue opportunities he might not otherwise have considered, or in his words, “expand the bubble of things I wouldn’t have even considered for myself.”
From Education to Employment
After transferring to CSU, Robert discovered how his interests in engineering, environmental issues and water management could come together. His studies exposed him to the complexity of water management and the need for solutions that consider more than engineering alone.
“I got to understand how we can’t solve all of our problems with engineering,” Robert says. “We really need more socio-economic solutions to solve our problems.”
Into the Workplace
That interdisciplinary approach now plays a role in his professional work.
His transition from college to the workforce reflects one of the broader themes of National Disability Employment Awareness Month: recognizing the skills, talents and contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace.
For Robert, the journey to employment began with having the opportunity to rebuild his confidence as a student.
Building a Foundation at FRCC
Looking back on his time at FRCC, Robert describes the college as the place where he could establish a strong foundation before taking his next step.
“Front Range was just so fantastic for me,” he says.
He compares his experience at FRCC to starting in a smaller environment before moving into a larger one.
“I kind of use the analogy; it was the smaller pond I needed to acclimate.”
The combination of disability support and transfer advising helped him move from building confidence to applying that confidence in a new environment.
Finding Opportunity Through Willingness
Robert encourages students who are beginning their own educational journeys to remain open to new experiences and opportunities.
“Really, just be willing,” he says. “Willingness helps you explore those new opportunities. It helps you find the opportunities that are right for you and the ones that are wrong for you. It really helps you find those communities that you belong in.”
For Robert, some of the most meaningful parts of his education happened outside the classroom. Getting involved, building relationships, and pursuing opportunities helped him understand how he could use his education to contribute to his community.
“Just get involved outside of the classroom,” he says. “That’s where you really find how to make your education impactful.”
Support That Matters
His story is ultimately one of growth—from a student rebuilding confidence to a professional pursuing work he is passionate about. Along the way, support from disability services and the Ram Transfer Academy helped him develop academically, personally and professionally.
For Robert, that support made all the difference.
