Hello! I am Cicilia Saenz or Cici which ever you prefer, this is currently my third year at MSU, hoping to get my degree in Special education with a concentration in CLD. As a Puksta scholar I have been able to make many wonderful connections, and for that reason it is something I have come to love. Within Puksta I have been able to learn my capabilities and what I can do with them, such as informing people of something I am very passionate about. I have also met some wonderful people that have many amazing qualities that I have been able to learn from and will hold in my heart. As a Puksta scholar my goal is to reach out to low-income communities and inform them of special education resources, so that parents and students are able to advocate for themselves if they feel that something in their education is missing. Within this project I also hope that students are able to learn that it is okay to need a little extra support. I hope to accomplish this by using all the resources that have been provided to me by Puksta.
Winter Retreat Gallery
Puksta Intercollegiate Winter Retreat 2019
Over the weekend of the January 19 th 2019, Puksta Scholars came together for the annual Puksta Collegiate Winter Retreat. The retreat hosted 64 scholars, and 6 coordinators at the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Denver, Colorado. Before heading out to the streets for the Womxnβs March, Kathleen Ferrick the coordinator from Denver University provided a quick overview of the Womxnβs March history and how it has developed into what it has become today. This was followed by Roudy Hildreth, the coordinator at CU Boulder. Roudy discussed how to be an observer rather than one who participates in these types of events, in order to understand and acknowledge numerous viewpoints from the side. After being very well-prepped for the march, scholars laced up their posters with Puksta colors, pamphlets, and matching balloons they were off to spread their passion. Once everyone was back at the Wells Fargo building, an amazing lunch spread by Illegal Petes was served. With sore feet, tired arms, and worn out vocals the scholars lined up to enjoy a taco spread to refuel for the rest of the day ahead. While everyone finished up their meals, Dr. Abbie Beacham, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UC Health and also the speaker for the weekend came to discuss resiliency. During a break between part 1 and part 2 of the Resiliency presentation, scholars participated in the first annual Puksta rock, paper, scissors tournament. After numerous rounds, Marwa Osman, won the award which comprised as a rock, a set of scissors, and a paper with an Amazon gift card taped to it. After the break, part 2 of resiliency presentation resumed and once those who volunteered to share was done, everyone was able to clean up the space and be presented with their hotel key cards for the Hilton down the road. Dinner was later served at Maggianoβs, an Italian restaurant downtown, where seniors presented their skits to the rest of the group and a fireside chat with Puksta Alumni, Travis and Amy Macy. Day two everyone went to breakfast at Hershner Room. After having breakfast, business continued back at the Wells Fargo Building where 5 scholars presented their projects to everyone else. Follow this link to watch the days unfold!
2018 Puksta Reflections
Click here to open our Newsletter!
Watch the inspiring speech given at MSU’s Fall Commencement by Puksta Scholar, Luis Paredes
Puksta Scholar and Presidents Award Recipient, Luis Paredes, gave the commencement speech for Metropolitan State University. Luis graduatedΒ with a Bachelor’s of Accounting and a Master’s of Professional Accountancy in 5 years. All while working 45 hours a week, buying a home for his mother and father and raising $8,000 in scholarship funds for his Dreamer brothers and sisters. Way to go Luis!!
Click on the video below to hear his story, the power of positiveΒ impact, finding your motivation and making the right choices for our communities.
Are You Curious Enough?
Are you curious enough? This is what one of our Puksta Scholars, Allie Grossberg, asked in relation to the health of your mind and how it relates to your susceptibility to certain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Click on the video above to learn more about Allie and her Puksta Project.
Puksta Alumni, Luis Paredes – Defying the Odds by Crunching the Numbers
His story of resilience and perseverance is trulyΒ inspiring!
“I used to be very ashamed of my Dreamer status. I know there are students out there who may feel the way I did. I want to show them thereβs no reason to,β ~ Luis Paredes
Click here to read more!
Sabrina says Yes on 300
Sabrina says Yes on 300
YES on 300 will give thousands of other students like our Puksta Scholar, Sabrina, the opportunity to achieve higher education! Scholarships have transformed Sabrina’s life. That’s why she supports #YESon300.
βA college education can give you that competitive edge, and sometimes a high school education isnβt enough to prosper anymore.β
Sabrina’s Puksta Scholarship has empowered her to help children with disabilities. Her Puksta Project takes grade school students out of their traditional classroom and into the CSU environment and incorporates service animals to practice reading, writing, and speaking skills.
~”The Puksta Foundation has not only enriched me as a student, but they have given me so many opportunities that have mase me a leader and given me those life lessons and experiences that I want to leave my campus with.”
Meet Evan and vote YES on 300
Meet Evan, a Puksta Scholar and a graduate of Poudre High School, who is pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Denver. The Puksta Scholarship he received allows him to pursue his dream of higher education without the financial stresses.
Through the Puksta Scholars Program at DU, Evan has developed a social impact project working on the issue of gender violence, in hopes to deter sexual assaults on college campuses.
Evan wants to work as a youth grief counselor when he graduates from DU. #YESon300 will empower thousands of students like Evan to achieve their dreams and positively impact the Denver Community. Learn moreΒ https://www.prosperitydenver.com
Please SHARE this video to show your support.
#PukstaScholars #SocialImpact
Ethnic Studies Puksta Fellows presented during this CU Denver’s RaCAS on Equality, Justice, and Dignity for all!
5 of our amazing Ethnic Studies Puksta Fellows presented during this CU Denver’sΒ Annual Research and Creative Activities Symposium: True Apodaca, Binh Phan, Alisya Rodriguez, Tiffany Tasker, and Ji Yoon. They are presented on behalf of Equality, Justice, and Dignity for all.Β They all did an absolutely outstanding job!
A special congratulations to Ji Yoon, who Β won 1st place in the Arts and Humanities Oral Presentation division competition at RaCAS. Her excellent presentation, βSocial Consciousness in Youth: Civic Engagement in Community and Career,β was ranked unanimously as the top oral presentation by all the judges.
So proud of this program! What a way to shine!
π Tuesday night, we had the pleasure of hosting a special dinner for our Puksta Scholar graduates at our home in Denver. It was a wonderful evening filled with delicious food and great company! We enjoyed a delicious dinner including salmon, tri-tip, mac and cheese, and more if you can believe it... Then we had the audacity to top it off with brownies and ice cream for dessert. π½οΈπ¨
We had a fantastic time chatting about summer plans, sharing lots of laughs, and celebrating all the hard work and achievements of our scholars. Best of luck to all our newest Puksta alumni! We are going to miss having you in the program day to day, but please keep in touch now that you are alumni, and congratulations on your achievements! πβ¨ @whereispastor
#PukstaScholars #PukstaAlumni #Graduation #Congrats #StayInTouch #Denver #DeliciousDinner
πβ¨ Congratulations to our amazing 2024 MSU Puksta Graduate, Gracie Leal! β¨π
Majoring in Social Work at MSU Denver, Gracie has made significant contributions through her Puksta project. She focused on providing awareness and resources for homelessness, sustainability, policy, and victim services through social media with CO Aware Denver πβ€οΈ
As she embarks on her journey to pursue her MSW this fall, we celebrate all that she has achieved and look forward to her continued impact in the field of social work. Way to go Gracie we know you are looking at a bright future ahead! ππ
@leal.graciie
@coawaredenver
@msudenverc2hub
#PukstaFoundation #MSUDenver #SocialWork #Classof2024 #CommunityImpact #HomelessnessAwareness #Sustainability #DenverResources
πβ¨ Congratulations to our 2024 CU Denver Puksta Graduate, Guinevere Vigil-Goltermann! πβ¨
Majoring in Geography and Urban Planning at CU Denver, Guinevere worked on an incredible project focused on educational access. They created a comprehensive database of historical resources that often go overlooked in traditional history education. ππ
"Puksta has given me a community on campus I did not have before." π
Join us in celebrating Guinevere`s achievements and the impactful work they have done to bring lesser-known history to light! ππ #PukstaFoundation #PukstaGraduates2024 #EducationalAccess #HiddenHistory #CUdenver #Community #Pukstaalumni #Classof2024
@guinny.actually
Wow, the DU Puksta Passage on Wednesday night gave us a lot to celebrate:
π Christy Vo, Dhiona Carter Jaramillo, Marissa Martinez Suarez, and Sunjoi Gandhi are graduating;
π¬ DU Alumni `23, Camilla Rodriguez, joined us to share her reflections on the program and what she`s been up to since graduating;
π Several other alumni are actively involved in our community and joined our event! Great to see you @Oliver Martinez-Reyes, @Oscar Saenz, and @Aaquil Anwar!
π€© Our DU scholars are making significant contributions on and off campus addressing issues of importance to them;
π We got to meet Eva Martinez-Reyes, one of our new scholars and Oliver`s sister - welcome to our Puksta family, Eva!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful reflections seniors, we are thrilled to welcome you into our alumni community and are cheering you on as you take your next steps on your journey!
#puksta #pukstafamily #alumnicommunity #graduating #celebrate #journey #classof2024
πβ¨ Meet Fernanda Cerros, a CU Boulder Puksta Scholar `24 grad in International Affairs & Political Science! π Fernanda has dedicated her time to advocating for immigrant rights, mentoring students, and pushing for ethnic studies in schools. As a Puksta Scholar and key member of CU Engage, she won the Presidentβs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award this spring. Her journey is all about revolutionary love and making a real difference. Congrats, Fernanda! πͺβ€οΈ #Graduation2024 #CUBoulder #CollegeGrad #PukstaScholar #Inspiration #ChangeMaker #SocialJustice #CommunityLeader #YouthEmpowerment #Diversity #Inclusion #Education #StudentLife
We had a wonderful evening at the Metropolitan State University Puksta Passage. Not only did we congratulate π Graciela Leal on her graduation (whoo hoo! π ), we also got to hear about the fabulous ongoing community engagement endeavors of our current scholars, and meet our five incoming Puksta scholars! We are thrilled to welcome you to our community, Artemis Douglas, Alexa Madrid, Brazil McNeal, Arbay Mohammad, and Edwin Sigala-Nunez π
This event was also bittersweet as we said goodbye to our dear MSU Puksta Coordinator, Kaila Russel, who who is moving to Connecticut after spending two years with us. Thank you for the love and dedication you have put into the Puksta program, Kaila! We wish you and Graciela the best on the next steps of your journey, and remember your Puksta family is always here for you!
Wow, there were some water works at the CSU Puksta Passage, hearing the heartfelt and vulnerable reflections of our five graduating seniors - π Congratulations π Melanin Armendariz, π Ahn Bui, π Josie Duenas, π Joel Ibarra, and π Pastor Niyogusengwa! Of course, we are not actually saying goodbye, as we welcome all of these scholars into our flourishing Alumni network. Once a Puksta, always a Puksta! π
This spring, Yosii Rivera, Andrea Pereida, Josie Duenas, Miguel Lopez, Anh Bui, Lensa Wako, and Pastor Niyogusengwa (CSU Puksta Scholars) participated in the Multicultural Undergraduate Research Art and Leadership Symposium (MURALS). A special congratulations to π Anh π, who took the Rising Star Award for Service Learning and Leadership, and to π Yosii π, who took 1st place in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at this event! We hope you all felt recognized and appreciated for your amazing work. π€©π€©π€©
CSU MURALS is an undergraduate research and artistry symposium that provides a platform for undergraduate students with marginalized identities to showcase their scholarly work. MURALS is inclusive, rigorous, and culturally relevant. We highly recommend attending next year!
There was a lot to celebrate at the CU Denver Puksta passage on Thursday evening:
π Maddie Kessley & Guinevere Vigil Golterman are graduating;
π¬ CU Denver Puksta Alumni `19, Rob Hatcher, joined us to share some amazing spoken word poetry;
π€© Our other scholars have accomplished amazing work in their communities; and
π Karina De Jesus officially stepped into her role as a new Puksta Coordinator!
Of course, this is bitter sweet as it means saying farewell to Jaimie Carrington, who has served as Puksta Coordinator for the last two years. We wish Maddie, Guinevere, and Jaimie the best in the next steps of each of their journeys!
We attended the CU Boulder Puksta Passage Tuesday night to celebrate these fabulous scholars, and congratulate our graduate, Fernanda Cerros! It was powerful to hear about all of your work to increase access to higher education as well as financial literacy for young people.
Fernanda, you certainly did teach us something! We are so proud of you and grateful Puksta was such an integral part of your journey.
This past Monday we visited our scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder. Skoo Buffs!
#PukstaFoundation #CommunityImpact #HigherEdAccess #FinancialAid #EducationFunding #ScholarshipOpportunity #Grants #ScholarshipSearch #EducationGrants #TuitionAssistance #Puksta #CommunityLeadership #SocialChange #ServiceLearning #Empowerment #SocialJustice #CommunityService #Activism #makingadifference
This past Friday the University of Colorado Boulder Cohort had their team bonding day attending Boondocks, Seoul Korean BBQ, and Ay Guey Mexican snacks.
For incoming scholars this is just one of the many days full of activities and memories Puksta has to offer.
#PukstaFoundation #CommunityImpact #HigherEdAccess #FinancialAid #EducationFunding #ScholarshipOpportunity #Grants #ScholarshipSearch #EducationGrants #TuitionAssistance #Puksta #CommunityLeadership #SocialChange #ServiceLearning #Empowerment #SocialJustice #CommunityService #Activism #makingadifference
The gateway to solve your social justice and community change begins with Puksta!!
#PukstaFoundation #CommunityImpact #HigherEdAccess #FinancialAid #EducationFunding #ScholarshipOpportunity #Grants #ScholarshipSearch #EducationGrants #TuitionAssistance #Puksta #CommunityLeadership #SocialChange #ServiceLearning #Empowerment #SocialJustice #CommunityService #Activism #makingadifference
Join the community of bright and young scholars to make a difference.
https://loom.ly/6Q3qpMw
#PukstaFoundation #CommunityImpact #HigherEdAccess #FinancialAid #EducationFunding #ScholarshipOpportunity #Grants #ScholarshipSearch #EducationGrants #TuitionAssistance #Puksta #CommunityLeadership #SocialChange #ServiceLearning #Empowerment #SocialJustice #CommunityService #Activism #makingadifference
CU Denver Puksta Alum `16, Will Mundo was just featured in the Denver Post as a Denver doctor making a difference! We`re proud of you, Will! Needing some inspiration today? Read his story!
https://www.denverpost.com/2024/01/29/will-mundo-denver-health-doctor-health-equity-cu-denver-latino-health/
Our Puksta Scholars at Metropolitan State University visited the Denver Center for Visual Art last night to see an exhibit right up Puksta`s alley - Pressing for Change!
Artists in this exhibition critically confront contemporary social issues. As printmakers, they provide an accessible voice for change. Through a variety of approaches, these print makers inspire action while exploring relationships of community, land, and the environment. We highly recommend going to see it if you live in the area!
Applications are OPEN for Fall 2024!
Each year, Puksta scholars collectively contribute more than 6,000 hours to projects that affect social change in in our state. Incredibly, they perform this work while also pursuing degrees at Colorado`s finest institutions. That`s nearly a full day every day, all year round when Puksta Scholars are involved in supporting their communities!
Metropolitan State University is accepting applications through March 31st! Please share with anyone planning to attend this fall!
Applications are OPEN for Fall 2024!
The Puksta Foundation promotes civic engagement among students at five of Colorado`s top universities. How? By offering scholarships to students ready to get involved in causes on and beyond their campuses. Human rights. Impacts of music education on at-risk students. Get-out-the-votes efforts. If you`ve got a desire to make a difference in your community, you may qualify for a Puksta scholarship.
University of Denver is accepting applications through March 24th! Please share with anyone planning to attend this Fall!