Congratulations to EFS board member Flor Cruz, who was awarded not only the Full Time Staff Member of the Year for the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Dillon & Breckenridge campus, but also for the entire CMC system. 

Flor Cruz (right) with Dr. Carrie Hauser, President of CMC, being honored as “Full-Time Staff of the Year” for the CMC Breckenridge and Dillon Campus

The award recognizes the important role she plays for CMC students. Flor is the Academic Advisor/Enrollment Service Specialist at CMC Dillon & Breckenridge. She helps all students, and she has extensive experience guiding Summit High School Pre-Collegiate (Pre-C) graduates in their transition to college, as they shift to the Mountain Scholar mentoring program.

The SHS Pre-Collegiate program, which began in 2010, supports students who are the first in their family to attend college. It helps them in forming and achieving their goals starting in middle school and helps create a “college-going” culture for the students and their families. The Mountain Scholars program began in 2018 to continue supporting students with their transition into college and all the way to a four-year degree. Mountain Scholar students enroll at CMC and either graduate from there or transfer to a four-year college. These programs provide support to students and their families who are unfamiliar with the college experience. The goal is to remove barriers and increase student success and access. 

EFS supports the Pre-C program with funding for college trips and parent information nights. Several EFS board members are also Pre-C and Mountain Scholar mentors. Both programs are supported by The Summit Foundation and other community partners.

Flor is also earning a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership from CSU Global. She is a graduate of Summit High and CMC, and benefitted from the Pre-C and Mountain Scholar programs.“The support from the community and my mentors made a difference to me,” said Flor. “I enjoy giving back to the community as a student advisor. I see CMC students pursuing their dreams, wanting to be part of the community, and continuing to learn and grow. I really enjoy working with these amazing students.”

The students appreciate Flor, too. During a special event this spring for Pre-Collegiate seniors and their families, when a student was asked if he knew the process to become a Mountain Scholar, he said, “I will just ask Flor, she helps me with everything.”

We are so grateful for Flor and her commitment to students.

Posted in EFS Blog Posts