COSLI is ready to "spring" into a brand new program year!
The COSLI Class of 2020 has been selected, and we are excited to see what this year's class will bring!
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 COSLI Friends,
Our new addition to the COSLI newsletter is “COSLI Reads.” It will provide a platform for our alumni to share what they are currently reading. To say the least, all of these books provide a true insight into the contemporary issues that our modern society is combatting, which reminds me of a wonderful experience during my COSLI summer program in 2019.
During the COSLI summer residential program, students are assigned a book to read throughout the month and are tasked with completing a book report and mini activities for each week. The 2019 class was assigned Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks. In Love Your Enemies, Brooks writes that hatred and indignation are not the recipe for success. He later explains that “our feelings towards our foes are irrelevant; what matters is how we act.” As an upcoming leader in society soon to be given the responsibility of civic duty, I was introduced to a whole new perspective on the complexity of politics and human interaction. This is the beauty about COSLI. We are educated about the modern problems in our world and are given the essential information from multiple perspectives to formulate solutions and opinions.
With kind regards,
Mohamed Ibrahim
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Letter from the Founding Executive Director
Friends of COSLI is proud to be a Project of the Rose Community Foundation
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all--with wishes of great luck as college acceptances begin to pour in, scholarship announcements are made and... COSLI reveals the Class of 2020! This will be our fifth summer (seventh year). We have hundreds of alumni now and our first “kids” are in the early stages of their careers, graduated from college or post-secondary accreditations. We’ve begun to see marriage engagement announcements, professional association memberships (and elections to leadership in these groups), graduate school selections--and it is a glorious view! Thank you to so many people who have helped us reach this austere earmark anniversary.
In keeping with this month’s theme of great book suggestions, I am excited to share with you what the 2020 class will be reading. Educated, A Memoir by Tara Westover is a #1 New York Times bestseller and tells the gripping story of Westover’s life as the daughter of Idahoan survivalists, in her own words. She doesn’t step foot in a classroom until she is seventeen, and was only 33 when the book was published, having now earned several degrees. A frequent speaker, Westover will be in Colorado this summer for The Aspen Ideas Festival. We know our students will be as engrossed as we were in previewing the book. To hear and learn more, visit her website at tarawestover.com. Here is a link to her interview with Ellen DeGeneres--there are many more with a number of celebrity interviewers if your interest is piqued.
Best,
Celeste
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TBK Bank Scholars Program
TBK Bank will award $1,000 scholarships to ten high school seniors from across our various communities who qualify as low-to-moderate income.
The program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application are available exclusively here.
The application deadline is Wednesday, April 15th. Students must submit their applications to a TBK Bank branch location.
Please take a moment to read through the full program guidelines. All questions related to the program should be directed to Scholarship@TBKBank.com.
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Exciting Scholarship Announcement for COSLI Alumni!
With a large number of COSLI alums graduating this year, we are pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity! The $2,500 IEA Public Service Scholarship is to be awarded to a student who will be enrolling in The University of Colorado Denver’s Bachelor of Arts in Public Service program, and who successfully completed COSLI or other such K-12 programs.
It is a great opportunity for all COSLI graduates who desire to attend CU Denver and major in Public Services. In fact, preference is given to students who completed COSLI. So, alumni, make sure to check out this scholarship! Students must be enrolled full-time in the School of Public Affairs, and must maintain good academic standing. It will be given in even amounts during both the fall and spring terms.
Deadline: March 31, 2020
More information on the Bachelor of Arts in Public Service
For more information about the program or the scholarship, contact Rebecca Gianarkis
(rebecca.gianarkis@ucdenver.edu).
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Lesson Learned: Chris Wright
Authors: Timi Kola-Abiola and Bryce Li
 Chris Wright during a presentation to COSLI students and parents on Parents' Weekend in 2018.
One of COSLI’s favorite and most important presentations for the last couple of years has been from Liberty Oilfield Services. Liberty Oil, based in Denver, is an innovative company providing certain specialized stimulation services to optimize safe, efficient, and high-quality hydraulic fracturing, along with engineering services. Liberty Oil has a distinct mission and approach to the Oil & Gas industry. Specifically, they aspire to utilize its services in a way to effectively cure world poverty. Additionally, Liberty Oil maintains a solid foundation of cooperation: they hope to enhance teamwork, communication, and respect--the fundamentals of “working together”--in regards to these issues. This aligns directly with the centerpiece of COSLI--enabling productive, meaningful conversations with a variety of differing viewpoints.
Liberty Oil’s CEO, Chris Wright, has been the head of the company since its founding. His passion for energy and its connection is clear to all: from Liberty Oil’s website, “he has spoken on energy to the UK House of Lords, the States Attorney General, Federal and State Judges, debated the merits of the shale revolution on TV and given over 100 talks.”
While writing this section for the newsletter, Timi Kola-Abiola and Bryce Li, COSLI newsletter writers, were able to secure an interview with Wright. During this interview, he elaborated on his passion for energy and his enjoyment of the annual COSLI visits. When asked about how he became inspired to work in the oil industry, he responded, “I always wanted to be in the energy business because energy allows us to do everything. It’s the engine to human life--powering the healthcare system, sports, cars, and everything else in society. Moreover, oil and gas creates that energy, a basic thing that people need to live good lives.” When asked why he chose oil & gas over other means, he described his experience in working with all sorts of energies--thermal, solar, oil, gas, etc.--and how oil & gas is simply the most effective and accessible way to reduce “energy poverty,” the concept of lacking access to modern energy services. However, he also states that “just because we can do it one way doesn’t mean it can’t be done in other ways.”
Wright then described a modern-day example, Tanzania, to demonstrate the necessity of reducing energy poverty: “I was just in Tanzania, Africa. When we visited the people there, they still lived as our ancestors did. They lived in huts and burned wood and gas. With a fire, you can’t read very well at night, making it harder for the kids to do homework. A fire is also very smoky, which poses dangerous health effects. Our ancestors essentially did the same thing--meaning their possibilities in life were much lower. Thus, cleaner fuels mean cleaner air in the huts or houses Tanzanians live in; reading lights can be powered by oil and gas as well. We want everyone to have electricity because you can’t have anything if you don’t have energy. Roughly ⅓ of all humans still cook and heat their homes the way our ancestors did hundreds of years ago. About two and a half billion humans. While it’s wonderful that ⅔ of humans have immense opportunities now because of energy, we have to solve the problem for everybody.” This is the message that resonates in the new film, Juice, that he helped create. It will be shown at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Regarding the film, Chris Wright explained, “I enjoyed the film a lot because it shows how electricity is important to people. With less electricity, there is much more illiteracy, much worse health conditions, and much worse well-being. We shouldn’t take electricity for granted: it's fabulous and we should allow everyone to gain access.”
On what he felt was special about Colorado’s oil business, he stated that Colorado’s oil business is different because most people in Colorado are not in or around the oil and gas industry. Colorado gets people with different perspectives and backgrounds that factor into our decision making. Additionally, very advanced technology is available in Colorado that can make energy here as clean and as least impactful as possible, providing the most benefit while reducing harm. “Colorado is a national leader--when good practices are established here, it’ll quickly spread elsewhere.”
Timi and Bryce also asked Wright about his favorite part of speaking with the COSLI students. First, he described his fundamental appreciation of kids simply listening and paying attention to his presentation, meaning that kids were willing to discover a new perspective. Second, he emphasized the great questions that COSLI students asked, both as a group and individually. He described the questions as incredibly insightful, knowledgeable, and helpful in assisting the conversation. Most of all, however, he appreciated the fact that kids were learning more about how the world works--how we have some things that work well and some that need to be improved.
Finally, Wright was asked what one message he would like to convey to the youth. He responded, “My specific message would be that you’re able to learn a lot on your own by asking questions and searching up information. It’s much better if you form your opinions by your own research. Just because someone tells you the world is flat doesn’t mean the world is flat. Your true belief and true understanding of the world should be made by yourself.”
We greatly appreciate Chris Wright for his tremendous impact on COSLI.
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Student Features
Note that all students who successfully complete COSLI are given automatic acceptance to the University of Colorado Denver.
Student Features
Student Board Financial Officer Fareed Ahamad (Class of 2019) has been selected to attend the Humanities Overnight Program at Johns Hopkins University. Congrats Fareed!
Hagan Archer (Class of 2018) has been invited to join the Denver District Attorney’s Student Advisory Board. Serve us well, Hagan.
Sartaj Singh (Class of 2019) on Alto Saxophone, Prash Satish (Class of 2018) on Trumpet, Katya Schwieterman on Tuba and Elena Dunn on Clarinet (both Class of 2019) were named to Colorado’s All-State Band.
CU Denver’s mascot, Milo the Lynx, is now managed by Eric Gonzalez (Class of 2017), a sophomore at the University of Colorado Denver.
Emma Logan (Class of 2017) and Katya Schwieterman (Class of 2019) are Boettcher Foundation Scholarship finalists. Good luck!
As a JeffCO Communities That Care Youth Intern, Myria Garcia (Class of 2018) traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions conference. She has also been accepted to the University of Missouri’s Honors College--decision yet to be made!
Happy Birthday to our COSLI Alumni! May your day be full of smiles!
Love, your COSLI Family.
Leticia Agatti - 3/2
Fabian Delgado - 3/5
Ra’nya Marcanno - 3/6
Fareed Ahamad - 3/7
Izabelle Brophy - 3/7
Vivian Bear - 3/8
Ge’swan Swanson - 3/9
Amanda Periman - 3/10
Isabel Rodriguez Favela - 3/10
Abigail Admase - 3/13
Elizabeth Felix - 3/15
Miranda Hall - 3/18
Jillian Lucero - 3/21
Chloe Bowlby - 3/24
Keshav Nambiar - 3/25
Samara Kincheloe-Owen - 3/28
Amarachi Onuoha - 3/30
Raul Hernandez - 3/30
Elliot Anderson - 3/31
Veronica Barajas - 3/31
Colorado History
What else happened in March?
Did you know these historical events occurred in March?
March 2, 1933- The Black Canyon in Gunnison becomes a National Monument established by U.S President Herbert Hoover.
March 1, 1976- Person Field is renamed Peterson Airforce Base in Colorado Springs.
March 16, 2012 - Lindsey Vonn, an alpine ski racer on the US Team, achieves her fourth win in International Ski Federation Women’s Overall World Cup.
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
We are adding a new feature this month--COSLI Reads. Here you will find a list what is being read by some the best and brightest teens in Colorado. COSLI’s own Goodreads, or suggestions you can’t pass up. Enjoy!
Mindset, Carol Dweck
Assad, Or We Burn the Country: How One Family’s Lust for Power Destroyed Syria, Sam Dagher
America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System, Steven Brill
The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
The Last Wish, Andrzej Sapkowski
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Howl, Allen Ginsberg
New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
The Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
Insomniac City: Trick Mirror, Jia Tolentino
Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O’Neil
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado, Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, Matt Ridley
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Alumni Feature: Chelsea Hernandez
COSLI Class (year): Founding Class of 2014
College currently attending: University of Denver (2019 Graduate)
Major (if decided): Double major in Journalism and Criminology
Any scholarships/recognitions received since attending COSLI: University Merit Scholarship, Melrose Award for Excellence in Journalism
Brief bio about current plans/career aspirations: I have wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember. While other kids were admiring stars like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, I was looking up to Barbara Walters and Dianne Sawyer. I am currently a news producer for WeatherNation TV but I am working towards moving to a larger market. I want to eventually become a news anchor one day and I am hoping to have my own talk show some day.
Comments on COSLI:
From the very first day of COSLI, we were stressed about the importance of post-secondary education. I believe that COSLI gave me my first glimpse of college life because my peers in the program were complete strangers to me. I remember feeling a bit uncomfortable at times because I didn’t know my place in the group. I felt out of touch at times and I strongly believe that every student goes through this at some point in their college careers, especially students of color. But I remember when I started making friends the experience became much easier to me and I was able to open myself up to those around me. Once I did that, I was amazed with how much I learned from my peers, who eventually became close friends.
Favorite COSLI Experience:
My most memorable experience from COSLI was the day we were lobbying at the state capital to pass our bill. I felt like I was carrying a huge responsibility on my shoulder and I appreciated how much we were trusted with presenting the information to our state lawmakers. We worked hours on our "elevator" speeches and this was the first time I had ever heard that term before. It really helped me out, especially later on in life. Lobbying wasn’t an easy task, as I remember some people turned us away, but that’s just what made the experience more real to me. Not everyone is going to be on our side, no matter how much we believe that what we are doing is for a good cause. That just fueled my fire because I wanted our lawmakers to understand how important our program was. And to this day, I still have a passion for critical civic issues.
Advice as an Alumni:
As an alumni, I am hoping to show younger COSLI classes that no matter where you come from, you can be successful in post secondary education.
I remember how amazing I felt when Celeste told us,"‘you are all some of the brightest students in Colorado," that was the first time anyone had ever told me something like that. As a female student, from a single parent, low-income household, statistically I wasn’t supposed to succeed. But thankfully to the people in my COSLI class, including Celeste Archer and Elizabeth Palmquist, my teachers, and the few people that believed in me, I was able to achieve my post secondary dreams.
Be open-minded to opinions that are different from yours because you’ll be surprised with how much you can learn.
An article written about Chelsea Hernandez and another COSLI student in 2014 can be found here!
*Note that Chelsea and fellow founding alum, Kirsten Kochheiser, were part of an NBC Nightly News Story with Harry Smith. They spoke about the early effects of the legalization of marijuana.
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Senate District Youth Advisory Council - SDYAC
As a Senate District Youth Advisory Council member (SDYAC), you can add your voice to the policymaking process in Colorado. Colorado Youth Advisory Council (COYAC) developed SDYAC in 2019, consisting of ten teens, one from each senate district in Colorado. As an SDYAC member, you will be working with COYAC representatives from your district to better the community and gather information ensuring the voices of youth in Colorado are heard.
This is a great opportunity to meet legislators, learn more about policymaking, and to be certain your voice is heard. There are currently four COSLI alumni who are representing their senate districts on COYAC: Drew Smith(Class of 2018), Mana Setayesh (Class of 2018), Alex Yang (Class of 2018) and Emma Logan (Class of 2017).
To apply to be a SDYAC member click here.
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Opportunities and Events: March 2020
Volunteer this Summer at the Molly Brown House Museum! The Molly Brown House Museum, home of Denver’s Titanic Heroine, is looking for students between the ages of 10 and 17 to assist as pages. If you love history, like to volunteer, and want to meet people from all over the U.S. and the world, they have a great opportunity for you! Interested? Complete the Volunteer Application here. If you have any questions contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 303.832.4092 x16 or kpopetz@mollybrown.org.
MC² Program is a program at Children's Hospital Colorado which allows students to work closely with researchers and learn more about the medical fields which they are interested in. Applications for the two-year program are due March 13. Sophomores can apply to this program. For more information click here.
CU Boulder High School Summer Music Academy is a program through CU Boulder for skilled high school aged pianists, orchestra and band students interested in getting better at their instrument(s). Each student accepted gets a week's instruction with highly trained musicians. It costs between $550-775. Registration is due May 7th. For more information click here.
Curious New Voices Playwriting Program is a playwriting intensive from the Curious Theatre Company in Denver. For students interested in writing more and ready to write their own plays, this three-week intensive program will help you improve your playwriting skills and finish your own play. Applications are due May 15th. For more information click here.
Teen Science Scholars at DMNS is a program for underrepresented youth in Colorado to get more involved and complete research projects in science. Each student gets to partake in different research opportunities, and gets paid a stipend, along with other perks, such as SAT study help. Applications are due March 8th. Only rising juniors and seniors can apply, and interviews occur in the spring. For more information click here.
The Penn Medicine Summer Program is a summer program at the University of Pennsylvania for rising juniors and seniors. Here, you can spend four weeks taking shortened versions of actual Penn medical classes and gaining exposure to many important aspects of medical training, such as suturing, blood drawing, IV's, and dissections. If you're interested in a medical career, this would be an amazing opportunity for you! The application is currently open, and is due by March 4th. For more information click here.
The Summer Academy for Arts and Sciences at Carnegie-Mellon University is a program for students from underrepresented communities, encouraging interest in STEM and helping students to learn more about the fields they are interested in. It is six weeks long, and each student gets college credit from attending. Not only do you get instruction in many different STEM subjects from renowned professors, you also get to work in hands-on projects in those fields. Students must be at least 16 to apply, and the University encourages students from underrepresented communities to apply. The application is currently open, and is due March 1st, 2020. More information can be found here.
ArtLab is a program for 15 teens from underrepresented communities, meant to teach professional skills and academics through the arts. Student interns involved will work on major projects with established artists, focusing on social issues and the youth voice. The deadline to apply is March 7th. More info here.
DMNS Girls in Science Event is an annual event hosted by the museum which features women scientists in various STEM fields. Girls can come and partake in different cool activities, and get to hear from and meet these scientists in one-on-one mentor sessions. More info here.
American Legion Boys State and Girls State program. This is a one-week course on government and legislation where students set up functioning city, county, and state governments. Students learn what it takes to create and run a government, run for office, create and debate legislation, and there are scholarship and possible internship opportunities with this. This prestigious program has alumni including former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Dick Cheney, Neil Armstrong, etc. Colorado Boys State will be held from May 30-June 4, 2020 at the UCCS campus. Students can apply online here.
Girls State will be held June 7-12, 2020 at the UNC campus in Greeley. Application and information here.
American Legion Oratorical is a speech contest where students speak about an aspect of the Constitution, demonstrating an understanding and appreciation for what it means to be a citizen. Any student between 9th-12th grade is eligible, with $4,500 in scholarships being awarded that day and the opportunity to compete at a national level.This takes place Saturday, February 29 th.
The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week program at Stanford where students interested in the humanities (philosophy, history, and art) get the chance to dive deep into topics that they care about. Each student gets to experience different activities and courses, and is then able to do an independent research project about a topic that they want to find out more about. Current sophomores and juniors are eligible. The application to this program is currently open, and closes sometime in March. For more information click here.
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COSLI Newsletter Contributors
Sophia Truex, Editor (Crested Butte, CO)
Drew Smith, Editor (Monte Vista, CO)
Hagan Archer (Denver, CO)
Iris Courtney (Thornton, CO)
Emma Davis (Aurora, CO)
Mohamed Ibrahim (Wiggins, CO)
Timi Kola-Abiola (Denver, CO)
Bryce Li (Broomfield, CO)
Emma Logan (Denver, CO)
Izzy McCarty (Elizabeth, CO)
Valeria Miramontes (Denver, CO)
Sheila Ta (Pueblo, CO)
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