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When it came time for Denver-native Makiyah Hainesworth to make her college decision, she knew ����̽�� was her top choice.

As a rising high school junior, Hainesworth attended the ����̽��’s “Summer Link to College,” a five-day residential program where students get a taste of college life by staying in a campus residence hall, attending classes taught by ����̽�� professors, and participating in workshops that encourage them to successfully finish high school. The program also prepares participants for the college application process and follows up with them until they graduate from high school. ��

“I fell in love with the campus, and everyone made me feel like they were glad to have me there,” she says.

Hainesworth was particularly drawn to ����̽��’s rigorous academics — something she felt she didn’t always get in high school. She also loved the wealth of resources available to students, not only academic, but also spiritual and mental health.

While Hainesworth knew ����̽�� was her top choice after attending Summer Link, she says scholarships played a vital role in allowing her to say “yes” to her dream school.

Hainesworth says the scholarships she received, including the Crimson & Gold Scholarship, ����̽�� Book Scholarship, ����̽�� Pathways Scholarship, Franzman Pathways Scholarship, VIP Scholarship and ����̽�� Education Grant, enabled her to enroll in ����̽�� knowing that finances wouldn’t be a barrier to her graduating. They also allowed her to immerse herself in the ����̽�� community instead of spending all of her extracurricular time working, she says.

One of her most memorable experiences at ����̽�� outside of the classroom was participating and winning second place at the 2018 Diversity and Business Ethics Case Competition, where teams from business schools across Colorado competed in a business case challenge focused on diversity and ethics.��

Having graduated in June with a marketing major and Spanish and accounting minors, Hainesworth hopes to begin a career in private equity or sports marketing. She says as she looks ahead, she is grateful for all of the ways ����̽�� has helped her to grow.

Hainesworth says her professors, who challenged her while making learning fun, were a big part of that growth. Marketing professor , Spanish professor and accounting professor were standouts during her ����̽�� experience, she says.

From Summer Link participant to soon-to-be ����̽�� alumna, Hainesworth knows her ties to ����̽�� will endure. ��

To the donors who helped make her ����̽�� education possible, Hainesworth says, “It is reaffirming to know there are donors willing to invest in my future aspirations. Thanks to your support, I am able to continue my family’s legacy of obtaining a higher education. With your help, I am one step closer to fulfilling my aspirations.”

To learn about how your gift in support of scholarships can make a difference in the lives of students like Makiyah, contact ScholarshipGiving@����̽��.edu.