约翰Montaña, J.D., understands the difference a college education can make in someone’s life.
The son of coal miners, Montaña had a challenging childhood in Walsenburg, Colorado. 高中毕业后, 他找到了一份体力劳动的工作, moving to 丹佛 to work in a warehouse, in construction and on the railroads.
当经济衰退袭来, Montaña lost his job and needed a new path, but the thought of attending college was terrifying. “I had to walk around the building three times to buck up my courage to go inside,他说 of his application experience at then-Metropolitan State College of 丹佛.
It was the perfect fit for the first-generation, 非传统, blue-collar student of Mexican descent; the Land Use major thrived. Following graduation, Montaña worked in an assay lab. At the suggestion of an acquaintance, he took the LSAT with minimal preparation and no intention of attending law school. A high score resulted in numerous schools recruiting him, but Montaña wanted to attend the University of 丹佛 Sturm College of Law.
With a letter of recommendation from 密歇根州立大学丹佛 professor Glenn Yarberry, Ph.D., and the support of DU law professor Murray Blumenthal, Ph.D., Montaña was admitted and received a full-ride scholarship.
“That was a complete game changer – a time when someone who doesn’t have to do anything for you does something to change your life,他说. “When I asked how to thank them, they told me to pay it forward.”
After years of success as an attorney in legal consulting, trial lawyer and entrepreneur with a consulting company, Montaña wanted to give back to 密歇根州立大学丹佛 by establishing the Yarberry-Blumenthal Endowed Scholarship to honor his mentors and help students like him. With no designation for major or GPA requirements, it simply supports students who work hard and may not have another way to pay for their education – the quintessential 密歇根州立大学丹佛 student.
“A lot of people find themselves coming into the world and adulthood lacking resources and mentors – critical factors for success,他说. “I am trying to ensure people have access to those resources so they can thrive.”
最近, Montaña cemented his legacy at 密歇根州立大学丹佛 by committing a planned gift after being inspired by a visit to Charles University in Prague, 捷克共和国.
“Through everything that’s happened in Europe over the last 700 years, Charles University has continuously operated,他说. “It occurred to me that with a legacy gift, you can have that kind of long-lasting impact; you can change the course of events for a long time after you’re gone.”
Montaña’s generosity extends to Africa, where he has helped his adopted Senegalese son grow a business and assisted with founding a non-profit keeping young girls from low-income families in school instead of working or being married off. “If you get that girl through high school, you don’t just help her; you help her 伟大的, 伟大的, 伟大的, 伟大的, 曾孙,他说.
But it all started at 密歇根州立大学丹佛, where Montaña saw potential beyond what he was doing in life.
“You can’t overstate the impact having access to education has on someone’s life – all of the little bits, from the academics to Yarberry’s mentorship,他说. “它改变了我的生活.”
“If each of us helps the next person, we can build a better world – you just have to be willing to take the necessary steps.”
For more information about making a planned gift, contact 雪莱汤普森, associate vice president of University Advancement.