Thanks to the support of community college, Colton Brown’s career is taking off.

Nicole Nageli, formerly of Arapahoe Community College, and Colton Brown, an alumnus of both Community College of Denver and Red Rocks Community College, stand together during a signing event at CU Boulder.

Following a hard-fought journey, the former Community College of Denver and Red Rocks Community College student is a month away from graduating with his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), home to one of the most prestigious programs in the country. 

Community college was the perfect launchpad for his academic pursuits, Brown said.

“The transition from community college to a highly regarded research university like CU Boulder was very smooth due to the rigor we experienced,” he said at a recent event in Boulder. “I felt fully prepared and was able to take advantage of all of the opportunities here on campus.”

‘A Huge Collaborative Effort’  

Those opportunities include projects that are out of this world—literally. For his senior capstone, Brown is building a network that can identify drones flying around campus. He also landed a coveted position on a satellite research study funded through the National Science Foundation.

Chris Anderson speaks during the signing event at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“After I had been able to prove myself on the project, I was eventually able to work myself up to the role of lead systems engineer,” he explained. “That’s essentially the technical lead for the project, ensuring that all the interfaces of the different teams will integrate properly.”

Brown’s success isn’t surprising to Chris Anderson, the Senior Director of Academic Success & Transfer Pathways for CU Boulder’s College of Engineering & Applied Science. In his 11 years with the university, he’s watched average time to degree completion drop from four and a half years to two among transfer students.  

“We have an 89 percent retention rate for our transfer students,” Anderson said. “They actually graduate at a higher percentage than first-year, first-time students. This is a huge collaborative effort among all of our colleagues across CCCS and CU Boulder.” 

Streamlining the transfer process has been central to that collaboration. In recent years, CCCS and CU Boulder have mapped out pathways in six engineering disciplines, including mechanical and computer engineering. Beyond credit transfer, students also benefit from intensive advising and wraparound supports at both institutions.  

Brown, who wants to design satellites for deep space exploration, said partnerships like these are truly transformative for students.  

“Having these paths available to those who are highly motivated will have profound effects on many people,” he said.

Supported at Every Step 

Nicole Nageli speaks during the signing event at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Nicole Nageli, a computer science and creative technology design student at CU Boulder, plans to follow in Brown’s footsteps. The junior hopes to combine her love of art and science to invent new technologies, like virtual reality headsets that can explore the deep ocean.  

Her niche interests led her to NASA, where she completed a competitive animation internship. The experience inspired her to go back to school to get more technical training.

“Arapahoe Community College gave me a low-cost entry to continue my college education, which otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to do,” she said. “At my time there, I found out more about CU Boulder right here in Colorado, and I realized that the classes that they offer here directly related to the skills that they needed at NASA.”  

Working closely with ACC advisors, Nageli transferred to CU Boulder without a hitch. While she experienced some adjustments, like hustling long distances across campus, she quickly excelled in a university setting.  

“The classes definitely took some getting used to, but I feel like my education at Arapahoe Community College prepared me really well for the rigorous courses here,” she said. “It made me feel confident in preparing me for the technical skills that I’ll use in the industry.”  

As she pursues her dream career, Nageli encourages more learners to start at a community college.  

“The support that I got from ACC and CU Boulder just made it so seamless,” she said. “I just felt so supported at each step of the process.”