“With life being a challenge for everybody, it is important that we never let our circumstances define us, and that we always strive to make our lives—along with everybody else’s—better.”
– Irvin Calderas Munoz
The wise words from one of this year’s outstanding students and recent graduates, Irvin Calderas Munoz. Munoz has been triumphant, but he has overcome tribulations to be at CU Denver Business School.
Munoz grew up in a lower-income, single parent household, and was the middle of two brothers. Due to life circumstances, education took a back seat to survival, “a college education is not the norm in my family nor my community,” stated Munoz. His mother was pulled out of school in the fifth grade, she came from a poor farm family in Mexico. In addition, his older brother dropped out of high school.
Munoz sought to change his life and his community, and that is when he applied to the Business School, “I will never forget receiving my letter of acceptance to The University of Colorado Denver and seeing my mom cry.” Munoz was one of the first people in his family to go to college. This reignited his mother’s hope for the American Dream. Furthermore, he inspired his brother to obtain his GED and continue down a path of education.
Munoz not only sought to change his family through education, but he also wanted to impact his community. Currently, he volunteers at The Action Center, and organization that helps families in need by providing clothing, food, and connections to other services they may need. Munoz wanted to help out at the center because he was able to put himself in their shoes, and he recognizes his younger self in the children who come, “I had been in all of their situations… I will never forget going to food banks a few times a year as a child and feeling excited to see us be able to take so much food home.”
Currently, Munoz is a member of Beta Alpha Psi in the Theta Sigma chapter. He hopes to someday be an accountant. Because of the networking opportunities and support from the Business School and his fellow Theta Sigma, Irvin’s dream has come true. Upon graduation he has already been hired as an accountant at Anadarko Petroleum. He wants to continue on and someday become a certified public accountant.
Munoz’s dream became a reality through positivity, perseverance and hard work, “I want to be an example to my family and my community. I want to show them that no matter what struggles they have come through, they can improve their situation.”
Munoz is a recent graduate of the Business School where he obtained a B.S. in Business Administration, he will truly continue inspiring his family, community, and colleagues, which is why is one of this year’s outstanding undergraduate students.
