Analysis: Class of 2012

The class of 2012 provided an invigorating presence on campus. They challenged themselves academically, athletically, and creatively. The class of 2012 has also done incredible things to improve their own communities as well as the communities of others. One of their most striking factors is their academic performance. 79 students received merit scholarships from Colorado College, including 25 Trustee Scholarships and 9 Leadership Awards.  CC also proudly welcomed 6 Boettcher scholars to the new class. 

With the addition of the class of 2012, Colorado College gained many athletic leaders. 212 of the students served as athletic captains at some point during their high school careers. This class also has 18 Junior Olympians or National Athletes. One student is in the US National Top 10 for competitive synchronized swimming. One incredible student is ranked third in the world for jump rope! This student has gone to Brazil, Canada, and Florida for competitions, and has been featured on ESPN, CBS, and ABC. Another achiever is USSA number 16 for Aerials in competitive skiing. The class of 2012 also boasts 4 black belts.

Some unconventional athletes are present in this class as well. One adventurous student even completed a canoe race across the Panama Canal! Several other students ride the unicycle. One student, formerly an inexperienced cyclist, rode her bike back to school for her sophomore year, and in the process rode 506 miles in only six days! Not only have our active students tackled many of the 14,000 ft. mountains in Colorado, one international student has also taken on mountains in the Himalayas, Borneo, Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal and various places in India.

The class of 2012 is full of the adventurous spirit that abounds at CC, as they have seen almost every inch of the globe!  In addition to the 24 students who have participated in NOLS and Outward Bound programs, 40 others have found good reasons to travel.  More than 10% of the new class has either performed humanitarian aid or studied abroad. These students have left a great mark on the world, having built schools and playgrounds in Latin America, provided relief for Tsunami victims, and brought donated computers, athletic equipment, and bicycles to children around the world!

One amazing student served as a camp counselor at a peace camp for orphans and refugees of the Balkan War.  Another incredible young woman worked on a real medical team in Mongolia. An amazing young man helped raise $35,000 to build a school in the Tanzanian village where he grew up. These amazing high school graduates have already studied in Israel, Switzerland, Guatemala, France, Ecuador, China, and Australia, to name only a few.  One student even studied eco-tourism in Madagascar, and another bicycled from Argentina to New York!  CC cannot wait to hear their stories!

Aside from travel, many of the new students have perspective-altering international experience under their belts. 31 students have lived in 25 different countries on 5 continents for 5 or more years.  Our students have come from Belarus, Brazil, Bosnia, Israel, India, Ireland, and even as far away as Swaziland and Singapore.  This doesn’t even include students that have traveled to countries and stayed for just one year! Students in the class of 2012 have reported going to more than 40 countries on 6 continents including Japan, Taiwan, many European countries, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Ethiopia, and New Zealand.

With so much international experience it is no surprise that these students have studied and/or become fluent in 19 languages.  Latin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, and SiSwati are just a sample. More than 300 of the students have completed the highest level of a language offered at their high school.  175 of these students speak Spanish, 60 speak French, and a handful speaks German, Chinese and Japanese.  At least 15 students speak three or more languages, many of whom speak English as a second language.  One student even speaks four languages fluently.

In addition to being world travelers, many members of the class of 2012 have served in important leadership roles back home. The incoming class boasts 10 elected student body presidents, and 57 editors of their school yearbook or newspaper.  Other important leaders in the class of 2012 include: 10 Eagle Scouts and 11 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. The incoming class also has a number of unconventional leaders paving their own ways, with 57 first generation students!

Creativity flows deeply through the newly admitted class of 2012!  At least 218 (over 37%) are involved in either instrumental or vocal music!  These students have diverse music skills! One student is a master at Confucius Rap, another sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park, and others have won 2 silver medals at music festivals, performed at the Rochester Cathedral in England, and started a bluegrass band.  With this incoming group of talent CC will also acquire DJ’s for a radio station on the weekends. Colorado College excitedly invites these talented students and 98 dramatists to our new Cornerstone Arts Building.  Cast members, producers, directors, and technical crew assistants will have a new home away from home!  The Colorado College campus is also fortunate to welcome a class in which one out of every 10 students has participated in a public speaking or debate team.  Classroom discussions will surely thrive with this incoming group of scholars!

The class of 2012 has an amazing 317 members striving for a better community through their volunteer and service work. This is over half of the class! Some favorite community service work includes: Habitat for Humanity, mentoring and tutoring other students, and raising money for a variety of causes through walkathons (AIDS, breast cancer, and homelessness to name just a few).

One incredible student organized a “Make a Difference” week at her school and raised $14,000 for Sierra Leone. Another student raised $7,000 through an organization fighting the abuse of women and children in Boulder. One student’s community service work led him to sit on a council of International Relations and meet with the ambassador of Syria.  Students have even started non-profits to help victims of Darfur, AIDS and cancer. One student, in efforts to raise money for her Builders Beyond Borders trip, rented an ice cream truck to sell refreshing treats all summer long. Now that’s dedication!

One inspiring student, who was evacuated during Hurricane Katrina, went to great lengths to ensure more attentive and deliberate rebuilding of New Orleans. This young woman started an organization called Students of the Storm. As the head of this organization, our incoming student lobbied in Washington D.C., and met with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mary Landrieu, and Jim Webb.

Incredible acts and interesting activities abound in the class of 2012. One student works with his family to nurture their hive of 50,000 bees.  One student will surely add to the conversation about sustainability; she spent her entire life living “off the grid” in a house that uses no traditional energy. A few students will be sure to add to campus publications. We will have several published authors in our midst this fall. One author even illustrates for her own books, as she is a talented watercolor painter!

The class of 2012 has accomplished incredible feats. These individuals offer interesting and diverse perspectives due to the extraordinary experiences they have already had in their young lives. With their thirst for leadership and their adventurous spirit, the Colorado College class of 2012 has surely been a lively addition to campus.