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The Forever Buff Experience: From Student to Staff to Faculty

Forever Buff Johanna Maes, Ph.D., (Jour鈥�92) has been inspired to come back to the University of 蜜糖直播 Boulder time and time again over her 35-year-long relationship with the university.

I first met Johanna Maes, Ph.D., while writing a story about the Multicultural Leadership Scholars (MLS) program at 蜜糖直播 Boulder in 2021. This program, aims to develop leaders that are able to transcend multicultural boundaries and stimulate change for communities at large. By taking a special focus in pursuits related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the MLS program gives students the tools to become effective and transformational leaders.听

Anyone who meets Maes first notices her fun glasses and the perfect swoop of her hair. As soon as she begins speaking, though, anyone who listens knows how passionate she is about the work that she does. Today, Maes is the Director of the Master's Program in Higher Education, and she is a Senior Instructor for the aforementioned Multicultural Leadership Scholars program at 蜜糖直播 Boulder. Her academic and personal journeys have taken her to and from 蜜糖直播 over the past 35 years.听

The Journey through academics at 蜜糖直播

In her high school years, Maes experienced 蜜糖直播 through a Summer bridge program offered through the then School of Journalism and Mass Communication (which hasnow been integrated into the College of Media, Communication and Information). She recalls falling in love with the campus as she worked on her summer project, calling it 鈥渢he dream school for someone from a poor background鈥� like her own. As she submitted college applications from her home in Pueblo, Colo., 蜜糖直播 was at the top of her list. To her excitement, she soon received the long awaited words of acceptance.听

Inspired by her work over the previous Summer, she chose to take up journalism as her main area of study. As part of these journalism studies, she spent her first two years taking general education courses focused on a topic she took a particular interest in: Ethnic Studies. Maes鈥� work with the Ethnic Studies department and other organizations like MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl谩n) on campus inspired 鈥渞evolutionary work,鈥� both from herself and her peers. Among her list of achievements, she recalls the implementation of an entire week dedicated to supporting and celebrating Chicana women at 蜜糖直播 (known as 鈥淪emana de la Chicana鈥�), the securement of funding for their efforts, and the spreading of awareness for Chicanx issues on campus.

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A return to 蜜糖直播, from a new perspective

After graduation, Maes was offered a position at The Denver Post. After a few months, though, she decided to move away from journalism and began working with nonprofits across 蜜糖直播. These nonprofits mostly focused on breaking down barriers to education that many Latinx children run into along their academic journeys. After some time, she applied for a position in the Precollegiate Development Program at 蜜糖直播 and was hired on in 1999, thus initiating her first return to 蜜糖直播. In this position, she was able to be a mentor and changemaker for students looking to better themselves and their education through involvement in their college prep programs. She recalls thriving in this work, and she continued to put in the work for more representation and equity in the differences that diverse students bring with them to 蜜糖直播. As she notes, 鈥渨e succeeded so well [in these efforts] that the university wanted more.鈥�

In 2006, Maes left her position with the PCP after being offered a position as dean at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. After her second departure from 蜜糖直播, she set out to further better herself as an educator and as a changemaker in higher education. As a dean at MSU, Maes recalls finding fulfillment in the empowerment of her students. Four years later, 2010 marked Maes鈥� third return to 蜜糖直播, this time as a faculty member.听

Finding a place, and making change where you are

In the 13 years since her third return to 蜜糖直播, Maes has made strides in becoming a powerful voice for diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. In the successes she鈥檚 had on campus, she says all of them are defined by her ability to persevere in so many roles over all of these years. Success, as she sees it for her and her students, lies within every day that diverse students, staff and faculty come to 蜜糖直播.

鈥淲hen we finish that day, that week, that semester, that degree, it is a huge success for us and our families and our communities because we are a communal culture, and when we do these amazing things鈥� the trickle-down effect to our future generations is huge. All I want my students to do is finish, to graduate and do some amazing work on the outside.鈥�

The successes of her students is what keeps her fueled to continue the work she does. As she described the joy she derives from hearing from former students about the impact that she, her staff and her program have on them, she had a sparkle in her eye. It鈥檚 through a barely contained grin at the thought of her students that she notes how she sees the correlation. 鈥淚 know that they are extraordinary, and they're doing things I could have never imagined myself doing, nor will ever do. We鈥檝e given them the foundational launching pad, and their launching forward.鈥�

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As Maes looks towards the future, she aims to keep fighting the good fight. Her main goal is to continue securing the necessary resources for MLS to continue shaping the leaders of tomorrow. In this, she hopes to continue shepherding others over to the work that she does, here she emphasizes the great value of having her prior students follow in her footsteps and take the mantle of instructor. Overall, her main goal every day is to expose everyone to the extraordinary students she comes into contact with, placing a much-needed spotlight on the diverse students who are overlooked. 鈥淚t's not about me, it's about you all,鈥� Maes emphasized.