Growing up, Caleb Sandoval always excelled at math. By the time he got to Greeley West High School he had already taken high school math classes in middle school. Heading into college at the University of Northern Colorado a friend was signing up for science classes and he thought, “sure, why not.” Fast forward four years, Sandoval graduated with a major in chemistry with a pre health emphasis and a double minor in biological science and Spanish – and honors to boot.
“It was a handful, but it was worth it,” Sandoval stated.
One thing he credits for helping him along the way is his Bright Futures awards. That financial support helped with tuition costs, allowing him to stay more focused on his schooling.
“The monies from Bright Futures removed quite a bit of financial burden of attending university,” he explained. “It allowed me to focus on my studies which was a huge help. I could concentrate on excelling in all my courses.”
Sandoval volunteers regularly at his church but applying for Bright Futures gave him an opportunity to volunteer somewhere new to complete his 12 hours of community service at Camp Invention. This week-long camp is a Greeley-Evans School District 6 STEM camp for kids grades K-6.
“Getting elementary school kids to expand their minds and be critical thinkers was really cool to see,” he said.
Sandoval is now in an accelerated one-year graduate program at UNC and planning to be part of the first cohort at UNC’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall of 2026.
“Part of Bright Futures is giving back to the community, and I want to continue that,” Sandoval said. “The new school is addressing a shortage in physicians, and I want to be a part of that.”