In October, the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation took 160 business and civic leaders to Chicago, learning from their challenges and successes, and focusing on what makes a city truly global.
Among the delegates on the trip were two students from the Leadership Foundation’s Colorado Leadership Alliance. We caught up with Metropolitan State University of Denver student Jackie Maldonado and Regis University student Jason Armijo to hear about what they took away from their time in the Windy City.
Jason Armijo: Having the opportunity to be part of Leadership Exchange has been a chance to learn from so many bright minds. We all saw how architecture and innovation could create a center of cultural integration. We have also been able to see the importance of education in an inner-city environment. Stealing good ideas that work to benefit the community that we live in is such a great concept. Putting like-minded people in a situation where everyone is vulnerable and opened-minded to talk about issues that we have in Denver, and Colorado as a whole, is a breeding ground for innovation that allows the greater community benefit. That is exactly what this trip is about—learning and allowing the sharing of ideas that we will adapt and use.
As a student, and someone who is very interested in where our current world is going, I enjoyed the dialog and the insights, which today’s leaders brought to the table. We all know that change starts with the education of what is wrong. Focusing on education has increased the ability of the next generation to continue to build on the foundation that we have built.
Jackie Maldonado: My take on this experience is the power of collaboration. The energy of the entire trip was exuberant, making it easy to have meaningful conversations with each delegate and learn tremendously from each of them, as well as the city of Chicago. One important piece that I took away from Chicago is the power of education. Without attending college now, I would not have had the opportunity I had to be a part of this experience. Education is what moves us forward as a city, a state and a country. My parents came to the United States with a goal for their children to receive an education and become someone they only dreamed of becoming. As I continue my educational journey, I’m learning more and more how companies are striving for a more diverse workplace environment. Coming back from Chicago, made me realize that there’s a need for a stronger collaboration effort between companies and schools.
Collaboration is a word I heard many, many times each day. I learned how UI Labs is collaborating with big companies to help them achieve their ideas, sometimes getting them connected with start-ups that they might never have connected with. It comes as no surprise that we can do the same, if not better, in moving our city forward by collaborating. When companies collaborate and provide resources to neighborhood schools that need more attention and support, we can see a higher graduation rate. Providing more scholarship opportunities for students to attend college, technical schools and universities will provide a qualified, diverse workplace environment so many companies desire.
Jason Armijo and Jackie Maldonado are students in the Colorado Leadership Alliance at Regis University and Metropolitan State University of Denver, respectively.