Completing two years of college is a big deal. Doing so through a pandemic is borderline extraordinary, and Colorado State University is celebrating its students who have achieved this milestone.
On March 29, Year 2 @ CSU will kick off its second Halfway There Celebration – a week-long event celebrating the accomplishments, community and persistence of CSU’s second-year students.
The event will be hosted virtually and will feature a keynote speech with award-winning musician, songwriter, video producer and CSU alum Ebenezer Yebuah, also known by his stage name Mawule.
Yebuah was born and raised in Ghana and moved with his family to Colorado in January 2000. He received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies in 2012 and an M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2014. His keynote address on March 30 will focus on decision-making and community-building.
The event also will provide second-year students the opportunity to share 60-second videos with stories and highlights from their first two years, which will be showcased and elevated throughout the week via CSU’s Instagram channel.
Students also are invited to share digital thank-you letters to those in their networks who have supported and encouraged their CSU journey.
The celebration is presented in partnership with the Alumni Association, Key Communities, and the Student Success Initiative in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Milestone moment
Second-year students Jilda Nevarez and Jamar Cook are among those celebrating the two-year milestone.
Nevarez is double majoring in international studies, with a concentration in the Middle East/North Africa, and political science, with a concentration in global laws and policies. She also is an interdisciplinary language minor in Arabic.
“I have had opportunities I never thought I would experience and made lifelong friends,” said Nevarez. “To think that graduation is two short years away is both exhilarating and nerve-racking, but I am ready.”
Nevarez said she has “many plans, dreams, and aspirations for the future,” and intends to pursue a master’s degree and, eventually, a Ph.D.
Beyond academia, she aspires to become an elected official and possibly work for the United Nations, “to create bridges that have been burned through language and understanding barriers, both globally and within the U.S.”
“Overall, I hope to create change in the world,” she said.
Cook, an interdisciplinary liberal arts major minoring in creative writing, Spanish and design thinking, also shared positive thoughts about his first two years at CSU: “Being a CSU Ram has been an amazing adventure so far.”
“I love being creative and making things on my own,” said Cook, who intends to harness his passion and creativity to create videogames professionally after graduation.
“I can’t wait to see what the rest of my career here at CSU holds now that I am two years in!” he said.
Join the celebration
Are you a second-year student interested in participating?
• Record your 60-second celebratory message by March 25: col.st/r2zoG.
• Send a thank-you message to your network: col.st/QygAn.
• View the full event lineup and register: col.st/tGZos.
