Three years ago, Loveland native Josiah “Joe” Olmstead walked onto the Front Range Community College campus with a question on his mind: “Am I going to be able to keep up?”
The now 32-year-old veteran—who at the time was fresh from medical retirement due to a traumatic brain injury—says he didn’t know what to expect. But today, he’s gearing up for graduation, serving as living proof that the right mindset can transform uncertainty into opportunity.
A Choice That Felt Right
Joe enrolled at FRCC as a general engineering major.
“I knew that going back to school at an older age, I didn’t want to jump straight into a big university. … I thought maybe a community college would be a little bit nicer for easing into it,” he said.
From day one, he found FRCC’s supportive environment a perfect fit.
Thriving and Achieving
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect going back to school, … but from the first semester, I felt like I had a place that I could go and get help. All of my professors were extremely approachable and very helpful.”
And his belief in community college paid off. He has maintained strong grades across the board and will graduate with his Associate of Engineering Science degree before transferring to the Colorado School of Mines this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Eventually, he has his sights set on a master’s and eventually a PhD in physics.
Overcoming Health and Learning Challenges
After serving in the military for nearly nine years, Joe was medically retired from the U.S. Army after sustaining service-related disabilities, including a traumatic brain injury in Iraq.
“I basically had to learn to write, talk. I had to do all of it all over again,” he recalled.
“When they say for a four-credit class you need eight hours outside of class … for that four-credit class a week, I double it because that’s what it takes,” he explained.
Because of four surgeries during the time he’s been in school—including a reconstruction of his left wrist in March, and lingering mobility issues—Joe logged twice the recommended number of study hours for some of his courses.
Persevering and Seeking Help
Despite the extra workload and time commitment, Joe stuck with it.
“The Academic Success Center has been huge in my success. The instructors who take time to go in there … really do love teaching.”
He also sought help through FRCC’s Disability Support Services, Veterans Services and the Testing Center as needed.
Making the Grade
In the end, he did well enough in physics to serve as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader, helping other students master the concepts in the challenging course. And he joined the engineering club and Phi Theta Kappa honor society, further embedding himself in the FRCC community.
FRCC instructor Nicolas Lenk describes Joe as someone he “would pick first on my dodgeball team of life.”
“He wasn’t afraid to ask questions,” Lenk said of Joe. “He wasn’t afraid to sort of be specific, if my answer didn’t quite get where he was needing support.”
“In car culture there’s a phrase that goes, ‘There’s no replacement for displacement,’” Lenk added. “Well, Joe embodies the phrase, ‘There’s no replacement for engagement’ for students.”
Quiet Determination
Meanwhile, physics instructor Luc-Amrit “Lucam” Chauny has watched Joe’s journey firsthand. Chauny’s Calculus-Based Physics 2 class covers thermodynamics, electromagnetism and optics, which he notes as a particularly demanding class.
“Joe was a thoughtful and quietly determined student, always fully engaged with the material,” Chauny said. “He faced serious health challenges, including major hand reconstruction surgery, but showed incredible resilience. He remained committed to the course and ultimately earned an A.”
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
As Joe’s tutor at the Student Success Center, Chauny also saw him embrace collaboration with his peers.
“He consistently sought to master the material by working collaboratively with other dedicated students,” he noted. “He not only solved problems correctly but justified the use of formulas and scientific principles — a standard he met with high rigor.”
First-Gen, Blue-Collar Roots
Joe is the first in his family to graduate college. Raised in a “blue-collar home,” he was taught early that manual labor was his path.
“From a young age I just kind of knew that I was going to have to work, use my body … then I, through the military, wrecked my body,” he said. “Once my body broke, I decided, let’s see what I can do with my brain.”
He admitted he “wasn’t a very good student in high school,” finishing with less than a 2.0 GPA. Yet at FRCC, he found motivation and a new love for learning.
“I wasn’t a big fan of learning [in high school]. But [at FRCC] I’ve just embraced it and enjoyed it,” he said.
Understanding Different Perspectives
Joe encourages other students to “embrace your peers,” adding that collaboration provides diverse perspectives both in academic settings and in life.
“In math and things along those lines, … there are 100 different ways to do a problem. Which way is fastest? Which way is least complex? And you can take that same ideology to meeting people,” he said. “You’ll learn so much when connecting with your peers.”
Looking to the Future
This fall, Joe will transfer to the Colorado School of Mines to pursue a bachelor’s degree, followed by graduate work. At commencement, he plans to walk across the stage to honor his parents and 85-year-old grandmother. These accomplishments highlight his journey from veteran to first-generation college graduate.
His instructor Nicolas Lenk emphasized the importance of the commencement ceremony as a milestone for students.
“Crossing through goal posts along the way is validating when you’re working so hard and you don’t get much validation until you get to these graduation points,” he said. “A lot of it is a lot of intrinsic motivation, and it should be celebrated because school is very hard.”
More to Accomplish
And as for Joe, though he’s come far, he’s says he’s just getting started.
“It’s not to say that I’m not proud. It’s just that I know there’s still a ton more to do … continuing to get my bachelor’s,” he said.
