Scholar Category: Education

Nina Patterson

Major: Business

Project: My idea right now is trying to figure out a way to educate families and students specifically POCs on AP and concurrent enrollment classes. In order to increase the number of POCs that choose to further their education in college and how these classes can help them with that.

Inspiration: Growing up I had always chosen to take AP/Honors courses and in all those years I was usually one of the only POC in my classes and I didn’t notice it until about my senior year. And most of my peers didn’t take them because they were scared away by them being harder and counselors telling them that the regular classes would be easier for them. When in all reality they were not educated on the classes and how they could help them in the future.

Future Goals: I want to show POC students that they are worthy and just as capable as any other students to take those advanced courses and succeed in them. And I want families to have more education on the classes that their children are taking and the impact that they have on their futures.


Anahi Sarmiento Garcia

Major: Computer Science and Business Integration

Project: During my time at Puksta, I want to continue working on the program I started in my hometown school district, “Habriendo Puertas,” which focuses not only on first-generation, minority students but also the parents. We try to keep parents in the loop as much as possible so that they don’t fall into a hole of fear and stop their kids from continuing their education.

Inspiration: What inspired me to choose this project was that I went through this and I know many people whose parents also felt like this. Towards the end of our senior year, we discovered that parents are usually more understanding of things when they know what’s going on as far as what college is about.

Future Plans: I hope to see more people of color attending big universities. Diverse and inclusive schools would make people feel more welcome and incentivize more people to attend.


Victor Delgado

Major: Physics
Minor: Mathematics

Project: Find ways to fund tutoring and after-school programs. Find ways to get students of color to help in tutoring other students of color.

Inspirations: All of my professors are white, and I wouldn’t be able to take physics in Boulder due to the fact that I have no money for that kind of education.

Future Goals: Get more students of color to apply for STEM positions. Find a way to help our society in a different way.


Nyah Wyncoop

Major: Human Development/Family Studies

Project: I’m interested in bringing more inclusion to individuals with disabilities on campus and around Denver. I’d like to do this by hosting a social gathering of some sort that many people may not have access to due to funds or no opportunities. I’ve had experience teaching kids art and think this would be a great way to include all kinds of skill levels.

Inspiration: I’ve worked with individuals with disabilities, kids and adults, for 3 years now. I love being able to see growth in individuals’ skills and confidence by teaching new things.

Future Plans: I hope I can create a space where people can come together and feel welcome. At work, I’ve gone to Library for All events and the individuals love the ability to connect with others and learn new things. This is my inspection for my Puksta Project.


Keith Price

Major: Entrepreneurship

Project: I want to help present the idea of financial wellness to young individuals from marginalized communities at an early age.

Inspiration: I realized that there was a need for financial literacy among urban youth when I read a study for a class that showed African Americans are one of the most underbanked groups.

Future Goals: I want to empower young people to participate and benefit from being involved in the financial market. To build generational wealth.


Guinevere Vigil-Goltermann

Major: Geography- Urban Planning

Project: I will continue working on my free and open-source database in which people can access information about underrepresented topics in mainstream education. These include social and environmental justice topics.

Inspiration: I was inspired by the information I was able to find in my search for “social justice”. I wanted to share this information with others in a free and accessible way.

Future Plans: I hope to make it so people are not as intimidated by the idea of social justice in Denver and beyond. I wanted to make resources easier to find.


Jonathan Hardwick

Major: Psychology

Project: I want to provide an educational foundation as well as job preparation for the community by developing a mutual aid with volunteer teachers and career counselors. I would like to develop this program so it could be made available to vulnerable populations such as formerly or presently incarcerated individuals. If possible, I would also like to get the program approved as a sentencing diversion program making it an alternative to traditional criminal sentencing.

Inspiration: I was inspired to pursue this when I took an introductory class in forensic psychology, which taught me the correlation between education and crime as well as the immense racial and mental health disparities in the criminal justice system. These issues quickly became important to me because I felt that I could help change them with the career I am pursuing within the criminal justice field.

Future Goals: I hope to create more free education opportunities for people that have been negatively impacted by the criminal justice system and other racially inequitable systems.


Leo Banuelos-Rivera

Major: Construction Management, Minor in Entrepreneurship

Project: Finding a possibility of reusing construction material rather than it just being thrown out. Anything from drywall, and plywood to cabinets, and more, etc. After the material is damaged, just barely or even left over. A lot of times it is thrown out rather than saved or recycled.

Inspiration: I began working construction in September 2021 and was surprised when they’d tell me, “just throw it out”, and it could be material that was still good for a purpose. Maybe not at the time, but eventually it could have been used or rather donated somewhere to be used.

Future Goals: I’d like to reach out to an organization that has begun doing such things already, One I have found in the Denver area is “Perks Deconstruction”, which focuses on salvaging material during demolitions. I’d like to work alongside a group such as theirs to help push the thought of saving material even more.


Nour Zouhou

Major: Studio Art

Project: I hope to develop a project to celebrate, protect, and project the voices, identities, and stories of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people through the arts and literature. I would also love to explore this with a focus on Arab/Arab American identities.

Inspiration: I have always navigated the world through stories. Whether through books, movies, cartoons, or graphic novels I have been able to make the experience of my world richer by indulging in the creativity and stories of people from all stretches of life even if I was just at home. Art is powerful and it has moved me to care for so much of our world and I hope that I can contribute to that so that our world can be more compassionate, fun, and equitable.

Future Plans: I hope that whatever work I choose to do helps strengthen communities, fights against erasure, and moves LGBTQ+ and BIPOC resistance and pride forward.


Zoë Stelzer

Major: Finance

Project:  My goal is to ensure that youth from all backgrounds have equal access to physical and outdoor education. Inspired by the principles instilled in me at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning (RMSEL), which places a strong emphasis on outdoor education, I aim to partner with organizations to expand access to such programs. By collaborating with institutions like RMSEL and advocating for resources, including scholarships and inclusive programming, I strive to make outdoor education more accessible to underserved communities.

Inspiration:  Growing up attending RMSEL, I developed a profound appreciation for the transformative power of outdoor education. From hiking to environmental stewardship, these experiences not only shaped my worldview but also fostered invaluable skills and connections to nature. I am motivated to extend these opportunities to all youth, regardless of their background, ensuring that every child can benefit from the joys and lessons of outdoor education.

Future Goals: My vision involves working closely with organizations and schools, leveraging my financial background to secure funding and support for initiatives that promote equitable access to physical and outdoor education. By advocating for policies and partnerships that prioritize inclusivity and affordability, I aspire to pave the way for a future where every young person has the chance to explore, learn, and grow in the great outdoors.