Returns on Investment
The Business School’s First-Generation Multicultural Business Program becomes a talent pipeline for the companies supporting it
Jackson Campbell | Office of Advancement Oct 9, 2024
When donors support scholarships, faculty positions, or research, their impact expands outward—creating knowledge and opportunities that improve lives and communities. Donors to the Business School’s First-Generation Multicultural Business Program (FaM), an initiative founded and sustained with philanthropic support, enjoy an even more direct return on their investment when FaM graduates join their ranks as employees.
Since 2022, CU Denver’s First-Generation and Multicultural (FaM) program has provided resources and support tailored to students who traditionally have not seen themselves reflected in business environments. These include mentoring from industry professionals, scholarships, corporate site visits, workshops, events, and even access to a closet of business attire to use as needed. The result is an inclusive community of like-minded individuals all aiming to succeed in the world of business.
The supportive environment of the FaM program has also resulted in graduates moving seamlessly into their chosen professions, including several who went on to work for the very partner companies that make FaM possible.
From Copilot to Comcast
When Oscar Fraire ’22 (pictured at right) was in his final year at CU Denver in 2022, he sought opportunities to be more involved on campus before earning his degree. Having previously served as a Student Involvement Ambassador on campus, Oscar decided to try his hand at student government, becoming the Student Government Association’s Business school representative. This decision was far more impactful to Oscar than he ever could have predicted, as it connected him to Nimol Hen, the Business School’s Academic Service director who was helping conceive the FaM program at the time. Because Oscar himself was a first-generation, multicultural student, the program’s vision to emphasize inclusion deeply resonated with him, and he went on to work alongside Nimol to help develop the program.
Oscar now works at Comcast Universal, one of the companies supporting FaM, and he serves as a mentor for current FaM students. “I believe in the ability to connect with people, professionally and personally,” says Oscar, an avid supporter of community involvement. “And I think that while you’re in college, you’re really able to be proactive in building relationships.” These relationships helped align Oscar with his role as a mentor and even created a path to his current job. Oscar was featured in an article highlighting 2022 graduates and noticed by recruiters for Comcast who were moved by his dedication to staying involved. “That’s why I tell my mentees now to try to do everything you can to get exposure,” he says.
FaMily Connections
Through his work in helping develop FaM and his experience during its pilot phase, Oscar recognized the potential for the program to be a crucial resource for other students like him. So, when his sister, Fabiola, transferred to CU Denver from Denver Community College in 2022, Oscar urged her to join FaM’s first full cohort. Fabiola was not used to being as involved on campus as her brother, but through his encouragement Oscar made it clear that she would find it an incredibly rewarding experience.
“I feel like FaM has given me a place where I feel I belong,” says Fabiola, who graduated in May 2024 and works at Ovintiv, one of FaM’s founding corporate partners. Fabiola got her foot in the door with Ovintiv when she saw the president of the company at a FaM event and her mother encouraged her to say hello. This eventually led to her learning about, applying for, and securing an internship with the company, which then led to her earning a full-time position at Ovintiv when she graduated. “Everything just lined up, it was so convenient. And it's all thanks to FaM,” she says.
Fabiola now helps out with FaM site visits and interviews at Ovintiv. Like her brother she has stayed committed to the program as a way of giving back to the community that helped them grow into their careers. “We ended up doing pretty similar things, though we’re pretty different people,” Fabiola explains. “Hosting the FaM students in our companies has become important to both of us, because we want to see more people like us in the companies we work in.” As an older sibling, Oscar was very pleased to watch his sister grow into her field and follow some of his advice along the way. “I’m proud of her for working even harder than I did and using the baseline knowledge I shared with her.”
A Springboard for Fulfilling Careers
Students follow many different paths to FaM and eventually into their new professions. At times these can involve a degree of risk. Sabha Daniel ’24 (pictured at left), who recently earned her degree in Financial Management, arrived at CU Denver after resigning from her full-time job to attend college full-time. “I didn't have much experience navigating corporate America or interviewing for jobs, so it was really helpful to have FaM to guide me through that,” says Sabha. “Especially my mentor who really helped guide me through the interview process.” Her mentor happened a president at FirstBank, another founding corporate partner and one of FaM’s most generous supporters. This proved to be a vital connection for Sabha, leading to a position at FirstBank today.
Sean Choi MBA ’11, a senior vice president at FirstBank who is actively engaged with FaM, recognizes the win-win nature of the bank’s support of the program. “This collaboration has proven to be a mutually beneficial relationship, as FirstBank continues to support students in their educational journeys while benefiting from their valuable contributions to our business.”
FirstBank arrived at FaM on the ground floor along with other firms that provided seed funding, including Alpine Bank, Ardent Mills, Charles Schwab, Deloitte, Graebel Companies, and Ovintiv. Today more than a dozen corporate and individual donors provide support and engagement opportunities that further amplify FaM’s impact. “Connecting people with purpose is one of my passions,” says Nimol. “FaM's unique partnership with forward-thinking, equity-minded industry leaders and philanthropic donors is an example of that. Thanks to the generosity of our partners, FaM has become more than just a pathway to a degree—it's a springboard for fulfilling careers and a thriving community of support."
This springboard will continue to positively impact students long after they have left CU Denver. “Donations do not go unnoticed,” concludes Sabha. “The lives affected are greater than just one person; it changes the entire community.”