COSLI April Newsletter
The COSLI newsletter is written and edited by students on the COSLI Student Advisory Board.
Enjoy student updates, perspectives, events, and opportunities.
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Letter from the Student Advisory Board President
Dear Friends of COSLI,
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to represent Colorado in the 59th Annual United States Senate Youth Program, an intensive week-long educational experience and scholarship opportunity sponsored by the United States Senate. It is for outstanding high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in public service. Despite the experience being held through my computer camera, I had no trouble building lifelong relationships, public service skills, and ways to address political polarization, foreign policy, the global climate crisis, and so much more.
During Washington Week, I networked with 103 other delegates and heard from President Joe Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, news anchor Norah O’ Donnell, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, among many others. However, the greatest part of the program was not the powerful keynote addresses nor the $10,000 scholarship, but rather the sense of belonging and engagement I had with my fellow delegates. Discussions on racial equity, abortion, gun accessibility, and other controversial topics allowed a cohort of 104 people to evolve into an online family that supported, accepted, and progressed no matter our differences in political ideology. When the program was nearing a close, I wished I would have had the opportunity to engage in person and embrace the American ideals and deep history in Washington D.C. I have always yearned to embrace. One thing that stuck with me were the powerful words of my military mentor, Air Force Major Boston McClain. He stressed the importance of networking, “shooting your shot,” and, above all, expressing compassion and respect for those around you. My experience at 2021 Washington Week is one that will continue and undoubtedly provide a strong foundation for my future in public service.
Thank you and all the best,
Mohamed Ibrahim
COSLI Class of 2019
Student Advisory Board President
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Letter from the Founding Executive Director
Friends of COSLI is proud to be a Project of the Rose Community Foundation
Just a couple of weeks ago we marked the anniversary of a lockdown year due to a global pandemic. I'm an Historian and have read the history behind the pandemic of 1918--over a million people died. I lived through the 1968 pandemic, as very much a youngster, but remember very little about it. I know nothing was closed--quite the opposite in the Summer of Love. There have been several more of what have been qualified as pandemics between then and 2020, but they were of little concern to the very advanced United States. As the one-year anniversary benchmark was observed for COVID, it was also listed as the third leading cause of death for 2020, behind cancer and heart disease. The fact that COVID rose to the level of (and then surpassed) the 1918 pandemic is something worthy of study. How did we as a globe of fairly learned individuals allow this to happen in such an advanced time of knowledge and technology?
Not unnoticed, at roughly the same time, was the grotesque occurrence of several mass shootings in as many weeks, one far too close to home and to many of our alumni--blocks away from CU Boulder. Each seems to point to mental illness as the spurring factor, although we are early in the investigations for each. Same question though--How did we as a country of learned individuals allow a situation to exist that would make these horrendous acts of violence even conceivable?
This afternoon, I had the privilege to spend several hours with one of our alumni. We started with what we both thought would be a quick lunch to touch base. It turned in to so much more. I heard her tell me of her concerns about what surrounds her. We shared our worry about a lost sense of community among her peers. We wondered how to reclaim that and how to push individuals into accepting greater responsibility for their simple needs, as well as making their own robust success. I pondered whether she saw the value of the rugged individualism that defines the founding of our nation and explained that, to me, individual rights come absolutely and fully loaded with individual responsibility. It is the idea you see every time you fly in a plane--make sure your own mask is secure before you begin to help those around you in case of an emergency. But the implication and expectation are there--you will help those around you.
As Spring begins to bloom and people begin to emerge, I know this alum and I are hoping that our year-long + time out will have allowed us to consider these ideas more deeply. Multiple vaccinations have given hope that we are returning to a new normal and that we might begin to come together again. Let us hope that we will be coming together as stronger individuals, members of a stronger team, eager to celebrate a renewal and rebirth of the responsibilities COSLI holds so strong we name them as part of our mission.
Whatever you are or have been celebrating, may this new season be one that resurrects and strengthens every good and important part of you, while allowing all that is bad to pass over your experience.
Best,
Celeste
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2021 NCoGS Logo Design Competition
Following the events of last year and the need for increased logo recognition, the National Conference of Governor’s Schools (NCoGS) is pleased to announce the 2021 Logo Design Competition. Click here to enter your design for the new logo and to read more about the expectations. Below is the current logo; enter and make yours the next one! All designers receive a prize and the winning logo’s designer will be awarded $500!
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Lessons Learned
By Timi Kola-Abiola and Bryce Li
Usually, we are constantly trying to balance work, hobbies, school, and self-care but end up ignoring our social connections in the process. This disinterest in social connection can be disastrous, as scientific research suggests that a lack of social interaction might be more harmful than smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Our previous viewpoint began to shift during the pandemic, as social connection became harder to access and maintain. The idea of social interaction or connection has always been part of COSLI’s mission to reinforce “ civic engagement, entrepreneurship, responsibility, accountability, ethics, and integrity.” COSLI’s discussion-based curriculum and various backgrounds and perspectives allows for greater bonds to form within the student body and between the students and guest speakers. This focus on social connection has made COSLI the ideal space for teens across Colorado to make crucial connections that make it possible to retain a feeling of community in spite of the pandemic.
COSLI has helped students make new connections with many people of various backgrounds from across Colorado. In the 2019 class, these interactions mostly occurred within either group projects or dorm activities. Projects, such as National History Day or the Create Your Own Business, allowed students to create better bonds with each other through the tackling of shared obstacles or problems. The creation of dorm parties or movie nights paved the way for more camaraderie and acceptance via more shared fun experiences. This camaraderie made the relationships we gained in the 2019 class continue well after COSLI 2019 ended. The acceptance and encouragement of differing perspectives made students within the 2019 class more connected and responsive to the issues being discussed. Even when the pandemic began, COSLI’s passion to foster greater connectivity between people from all over Colorado never stopped, as can be seen in the 2020 class. Through the use of a virtual book club, the COSLI 2020 class engaged in important societal discussions that led to education and discourse. These discussions also made the preliminary connections between students that will later be strengthened with the in-person sessions of COSLI 2021.
The importance of these connections cannot be overstated, as it not only furthers the creation of a robust COSLI alumni community, but also allows for both alumni and current participants in the program to interact during stressful times. We cannot say enough how important this summer will be to all of our recovery.
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Student Features
Isabella Duskin (2020) lettered in Swimming.
Fareed Ahamad (2019) is a recipient of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship, which awarded him $20,000 for his education. Congrats Fareed!
Veniece Miller (2017) is the newest board member for the League of Women Voters Colorado, and she will be serving as intern in Senator Michael Bennet’s office this summer! Great work, Veniece!
Marisol Rodriguez (2018) was awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship. Fantastic job, Marisol!
Leticia Madrigal (2019) was also awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship. So excited for you, Leticia!
Izzy McCarty (2018) won First Place in websites at the Eastern Plains NHDC Regional Contest. Nina Hufman (2018) won Second Place in websites at the Durango/Four Corners NHDC Regional Contest. Maggie Kundlas (2019) won First Place in Documentaries at the Aurora NHDC Regional Contest. All will be competing at NHDC State Competition on May 1! Good luck!
Happy Birthday to our COSLI Alumni! May your day be full of smiles!
Love, your COSLI Family.
Hailey Dennis - 4/2
Breanne Barrett - 4/3
Arely Cardenas - 4/8
Polina Kolpokova - 4/8
Ally Hericks - 4/9
Luke Grabe - 4/9
John Phan - 4/10
Karla Pereyra-Pena - 4/13
Jessica Barkemeyer - 4/23
Ruvi Cervantes - 4/29
Benjamin Garfield - 4/30
Lindsay Anderson - 4/30
Colorado History
What else happened in April?
Did you know these historical events occurred in April?
April 19, 1878 - A construction crew, Atchinson, blocked Denver and Rio Grande Railway company from building into the Royal Gorge, starting a war.
April 17, 1917 - The towns Estes Park, Fleming, and Cheraw were established.
April 8, 2003 - Baca National Wildlife Refuge was established.
April 28, 2012 - The History of Colorado Center is opened for public viewing.
We are so proud of our COSLI alumni! Contact Izzy McCarty (imccarty2021@esdk12.org) or Sheila Ta (sheilata93@gmail.com) with college acceptances as they start rolling in and any other cool projects or successes!
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COSLI Reads
Need book recommendations? Well here’s a list of what the COSLI alumni are reading- take a look, you might find one you like! Enjoy!
See what your COSLI alumni have been reading!
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
King Lear by Shakespeare
A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
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Opportunities and Events: March 2021
The American History and Civic Academies from the Center for Civic Education provide teachers and students with high-quality educational engagement. The experience significantly enhances students' civic dispositions, such as political interest, political discussion, community engagement, government service, civic duty, and trust in government. Applications are open for the July session and are due May 1. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Academies will both be virtual this year. More info here.
The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program is a two-week virtual program that teaches 10-12th grade girls (trans and cis) and non-binary students the computer science skills they need to make an impact in their community while preparing for a career in tech. Participants will get exposure to tech jobs, meet women in tech careers, and join a supportive sisterhood of girls in tech. Applications are closed, but the program will still be accepting applications to be added to the waitlist. More info here.
The Emory Pre-College Program is a summer academic program for high school students. It gives current sophomores and juniors an exciting glimpse of academic and residential life at a top-ranked national university. Students can take college credit or noncredit courses (online only due to COVID-19 restrictions) for a two-week session. Applications are open for sophomores and juniors and close April 10th. More information here.
The Student Leadership Academy is a summer learning experience at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Each session is rooted in the Museum’s collection-utilizing oral histories, public exhibits, and live first-person interviews with World War II and Iraqi Freedom veterans. Students will hear from World War II guest scholars and leaders in the Museum field. Applications close early April. More information here.
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The Middle Gap
By Hagan Archer
There are a lot of discussions about education gaps occurring today. Yet there is another gap that needs to be recognized. This gap is something I would like to call the “middle gap.” It is the state at which someone might not be able to afford college, but is in a socioeconomic position where they do not qualify for subsidized, or any, financial aid to pay for college. Many of my peers and I are a part of this gap created by a system that has not adjusted its standards for who qualifies for financial aid according to inflation, a rising cost of living, and the massive rise in university costs.
As a result, many students who fall in this middle gap end up not qualifying for scholarship opportunities for which they may be a strong candidate. It all comes down to their being right there in the middle. For illustration, let us take a look at a situation from the perspective of someone who might fall in this gap. “John” has just been accepted into his dream school, a school that is affordable compared to many other four-year schools. However, this “less expensive school” is still not inexpensive or easily affordable for John or for his family. As a result, John must start searching for ways to pay for school, such as scholarships and student loans. John finds a multitude of scholarship opportunities he is absolutely qualified to receive. Except, unfortunately, he does not have federally determined need status. For John, whose family makes enough to live moderately well, there is still not enough income to fully pay for John’s college. The federal determination would suggest that the family has an ability to contribute what amounts to one third of the family’s annual income.
This overstatement of John’s family’s contribution ability gives a false impression to scholarship opportunities that the family makes too much for John to need any significant amount of assistance. John begins to try to find ways to pay for college with manageable debt. His existence in this middle gap makes it nearly impossible. This is where many college-bound students exist, and it is a growing group of young future professionals. It has caused many to fall into a cycle of high-interest student debt that can feel unbreakable and like it is hopeless to retire, contributing more and more to the escalating problem we are experiencing as a country. Our system seems to ignore merit. So many scholarships and educational assistance programs have made merit a secondary qualifying factor.
I find myself facing a similar situation to John’s. My mom was an educator for decades, later rising to an executive position but still within the income levels associated with education. In addition, she invested her life savings to help develop COSLI, which has become a successful program for our state. With the advent of COVID, my dad took the opportunity to become licensed and qualified on a new career path. He is in his first year as a small business owner. Both of my parents have taken huge risks, are extremely admirable, and enjoy personal success. Through it all, they have maintained a modest amount of monthly contribution to a college fund. But it still leaves me in that middle gap. So, where do people like John and I turn? I have two residential jobs this summer. I’m tutoring and refereeing for lacrosse this Spring, and I have an interview for a job in the town where I will be in college. But will it be enough?
Since I was in pre-school, I knew that I would be a “builder of things.” My teacher knew I would be and by the time I headed to Kindergarten, he had planted those seeds so firmly that as I grew up, it became more and more clear that I was an aspiring engineer. Robotics, math, and solutions to mechanical problems are as exciting to me as seeing her students excel is to my mom or his drone capturing perfect footage is to my dad, if not more so. I’ve been accepted to a School of Mines and have accumulated a year’s worth of dual credit in humanities. I’ve been offered a fairly generous scholarship package from the school, but it’s accompanied by unsubsidized loans with interest accumulating from the moment I enroll. By the time I graduate, my debt will be, at least, over $30,000, plus accumulated interest. My goal is to enhance my BS in Mechanical Engineering with an MS in Aerospace Engineering. As an aside, I’ve already begun to imagine how I will make significant improvements to the F-35, and I have a brilliant idea for an automobile that would change the way we move.
Consider me on a corner with a sign that says, “Future Groundbreaking Engineer. Anything helps.” Is this the direction we are headed? If that’s really what it’s going to take to bridge the middle gap, I’m in. Or is the middle gap a show of the need for a bit of an overhaul for how scholarships are offered and recipients are chosen? I’d love to hear what you think. You can reach me (Hagan Archer) at hagan.t.archer@gmail.com.
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COSLI Chats with Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hanson
Last month, COSLI was treated to a robust discussion with Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen. Dr. Hansen spent two years as a Program Fellow at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, after earning a BA from Drew University, a PhD from Oxford, and a JD from Harvard Law School. She has given two amazing Ted Talks. You can access them here and here.
Her book, The Future of Smart, will be available in Fall 2021.
We felt like it was important to share with you the ten main points of our conversation. They were important to us and we think they will be important, and enlightening, to you:
- You can't have it all.
- You do need to compromise.
- You can always choose again.
- Lead with curiosity.
- Play the long game.
- Don't always do what you love.
- Don't spend too much time on the things that you don't love.
- Ask for what you want and need (Corollary: Take time to know what you want and need.)
- You do create your reality.
- Find your tribe.
And, as she pointed out to us, these are in no particular order.
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