Sarah Quintana Trejo took a leap of faith on going to college – and it paid off.
Quintana Trejo was a first-generation college student looking for guidance on her next steps after graduating from Eaton High School in 2018. She got accepted into Colorado State University and received a Pell Grant, scholarships from CSU and tuition assistance from Bright Futures.
“One thousand dollars is a lot per semester,” Quintana Trejo said of Bright Futures. “I was able to have the experience of living in the dorms, and it helped me become a better person. Bright Futures also didn’t just stop at the tuition assistance; it gave me a community to be a part of.”
Through Bright Futures and the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, she qualified to join the Community for Excellence at CSU. The program helps students bridge the gap between financial and academic support. Cohort members meet regularly to discuss practical topics such as managing finances, and each student is paired with a dedicated academic advisor.
“The additional support was great,” Quintana Trejo said. “It meant having someone there to meet with and go over goals or any questions. My Community for Excellence advisor was actually the one who encouraged me to go to graduate school.”
Quintana Trejo graduated with her master’s degree and, thanks to her scholarships and hard work, she graduated debt-free.
“As someone who came from Weld County and went to school in Larimer County, the Bright Futures program made me really proud to be from Weld County.”
Quintana Trejo lives in Weld County and is working for SummitStone in Fort Collins as the community engagement and communications specialist.