• Iman Jodeh, Representative, House District 41, Aurora, Colorado
• Hava Rachel Gordon, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Denver
• Tracy Harper, Founder and Managing Attorney, integration: Networking, Outreach, Wealth-Building (iNow) Program, Trailhead Institute
• Marissa Martinez Suarez, Student & Puksta Scholar, University of Denver
• Slavica Park, Senior Associate, CRL Associates and former Director, Education and Economic Opportunity, Focus Points Family Resource Center helping launch Comal Heritage Food Incubator

By: Gia Nardini, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing & Communications
A Little Help, a local nonprofit, had been successful in recruiting volunteers, but the organization was struggling to keep their volunteers engaged beyond a couple interactions. A connection was made between Gia Nardini and A Little Help through the Scholar Shop which led to a successful partnership. MS Marketing students partnered with A Little Help to improve their retention of volunteers. Two teams of students set out to understand the core segment of volunteers, the challenges keeping these volunteers from continuing, and potential strategies to maintain engagement. Throughout the quarter-long project, students conducted research and developed plans for A Little Help. The projects culminated in a marketing plan and presentation for Tanya Matthias, the Metro Denver Director of A Little Help.

By: Anna Foley, Undergraduate Student, Communication

Through the course of a year, I studied the biology of aging in college students specifically surrounding the topics of physical activity and wellness levels. The public problem addressed by this project was exemplified during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. During the coronavirus pandemic, loneliness and social isolation became escalated issues, in which many factors contribute to the heightened risk for anxiety among college students and seniors in particular. In older adults, loneliness and isolation from society pose public health risks and put them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions. In college students, loneliness predicts mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Along with exercise and keeping a healthy lifestyle, mindfulness and meditation education are extremely vital to help people improve mental health. Mindfulness can help relieve stress, treat health problems, improve sleep, enhance self-awareness, control anxiety, lengthen attention span and help with memory loss, generate kindness, and promote overall emotional health.