Colorado State University-Pueblo MAGAZINE Spring/Summer 2007

President’s Letter
Dear Alumni and Friends,
While I spoke these words to the Spring 2007 graduates at their
celebration in May, urging them to celebrate their accomplishments before
taking on their next goal, I should probably take this quote from one of my
heroes, Nelson Mandela, to heart. It aptly describes how I’m feeling as I close
my freshman year as president of Colorado State University-Pueblo.
What a journey it has been — full of ups and downs, triumphs and
challenges. I truly felt like a freshman on a college campus, learning
“I have discovered
the secret that after
climbing a great hill,
one only fi nds that
there are many more
hills to climb. I have
taken a moment
here to rest, to steal
a view of the glorious
vista that surrounds
me, to look back
on the distance I
have come. But I
can rest only for a
moment, for with
freedom comes
responsibilities, and
I dare not linger, for
my long walk is not
yet ended.”
—Nelson Mandela
the names of buildings, professors, and students, committing to memory
pertinent deadlines and policies, while discovering the best attractions,
restaurants, and hiking and biking trails in and around Pueblo.
I could not have imagined the generosity I would witness in my first
year, from the largest gift in school history from the Friends of Football
organization to million dollar scholarship gifts from both the Pioneer Fund
and the Kane Family Foundation. The enthusiasm surrounding the athletic
expansion and the renovation and construction of campus structures is
infectious and is what keeps me going day to day and week to week.
We have established some aggressive stretch goals for enrollment,
retention, and graduation rates over the next five to 10 years. As I said in my
address on the first day of classes last fall, I cannot accomplish everything
that has been set before me — that is, not without the help of each and every
graduate, employee, student, and University supporter. Together, WE will
witness a transformation of an entire institution that is destined to change
the face of our community, our region, and each and every student who
enters our doors.
Joseph Garcia, President
2 C O L O R A D O S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y - P U E B L O