College affordability may not be a buzzword phrase anymore, but the staggering gap between students and the cost of college is still on the rise. In 2023, 92% of students were worried they wouldn’t be able to pay for another semester of school. A study by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators found that nearly half of the 2,000 colleges examined were only affordable for students coming from families with an annual income of over $160,000. One way the CU Denver Business School helps close the college affordability gap is through scholarships. 

Biennially, the Business School hosts Celebration of Success, a fundraising gala benefiting student scholarships.  On April 17, 2025, donors from the CU Denver and surrounding business community came together for a night of celebrating both the scholastic accomplishments of hardworking students and the generosity of our community. With an event goal of $400K for scholarships, donations from individuals and companies, who see the future of the next generation of business, and use their finances to lower barriers to student success, helped us to reach our goal.  This year’s event featured words from Mayor Mike Johnston, recognition of the 2025 Impact Award winners, student speaker and scholarship recipient Iyhanna Peters, and a keynote discussion with former United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz and Outside Inc. CEO, Robin Thurston MS ’99. 

Prior to the event, select students got the chance to sit down with Munoz for a mini Q&A. Munoz, a first-generation college graduate and a strong advocate for higher education, shared his advice to succeed in life. “Life, work, all those things, they can be wonderful, and they can suck. Everybody feels that.” He encouraged using that relatability to connect with other people. Munoz also stressed the importance of authenticity and using that to play into one’s strengths. “Learn to use your own voice. The genuine nature of how you come forward is so important.” 

The event opened with remarks from Mayor Mike Johnston, who introduced the celebration of the 2025 Alumni and Community Impact Award winners. Ariana Lily Nikmanesh ’18, Jennifer Leitsch MBA, MS ’08, and Dan Dye, former CEO of Ardent Mills, were recognized for their impact and outstanding efforts within the Business School, CU Denver, and the Denver community. For more information on the winners and their impact and achievements, check out the 2025 Alumni and Community Impact Awards. 

Student and scholarship recipient, Iyhanna Peters, then took to the mic and reflected on the impact of scholarships on her collegiate experience. “I was once told, education is your alphabet, and your experience is learning to write.” After graduating from high school, Peters initially planned on attending a 4-year university; however, financial constraints left completing part of her degree at a community college as her only viable option. She worked full time while attending school, and after graduation, she felt lost. “ I found myself quickly overwhelmed trying to balance being there for my family, being part of my community, and knowing what I wanted to do with my education, as well as taking on the new financial burden of that education.” After enrolling at CU Denver, Peters received a scholarship from the First Generation and Multicultural (FaM) program. In addition to financial support, Peters felt “immediately welcomed into a community.” After graduating, she hopes to start her own business and invest it in her community, paying it forward for other students.

The evening concluded with keynote speaker Munoz and moderator Robin Thurston. Both CEO’s conversations led its way through leadership roles and what it took to get to the top. Munoz spoke on how his grandmother had a profound impact on him, “I always remember two things, one, she was always loving, always supportive; and second, her grisled hands, from the work that she did, holding me, which always felt so comforting. What I didn’t realize at the time, was the latent values that she placed in me.” Her hard work and passionate nature paved the way for how Munoz led United Airlines.  After he took over as CEO, Munoz embarked on a “listening tour”, in which he reoriented the company towards the concerns of not only the customers and board members, but the employees as well. Additionally, he spoke on the importance of personal accountability. Munoz cited an incident at United, where a customer was injured after refusing to leave the plane when instructed. “My initial reaction to that was bad, but a few days later, I took full blame for [the incident]. That came from me thinking of my grandmother.” In his second statement, Munoz chose to speak from the heart, instead of using a professionally prepared speech, and the favorable resolution of the situation shows just how critical it is to stay true to one’s own self and values. After all, as Munoz said, “Trust travels at the speed of transparency and vulnerability.”