How I Did It: How Carla Gutierrez Transferred to CU Denver and Became Student Government President—In One Year

How I Did It is a series that explores the stories of CU Denver students, employees, and alumni who have met their moment and achieved incredible things—through their own words.  

Carla Gutierrez, BA ’27, was content in her job as a dental assistant and her life in Denver, where she was born and raised. But as the country’s political landscape continued to change, something inside her stirred. She knew she had to find a way to make a difference, so she went back to school. At CU Denver, she found her voice. 

Read on to learn how Gutierrez joined the Lynx family as a transfer student, was elected Student Government Association (SGA) president, and got plugged into a supportive community of peers who she now calls close friends—all in just one year.  

What inspired you to pursue a bachelor’s degree? 

Something terrible happened to my family, and the legal representation we had was just horrible. Seeing the justice system in this way opened my eyes to it. That’s where me wanting to go to law school stemmed from. I just said, “I’m done putting this off.” I went back to the Community College of Denver (CCD) and got my associate degree in half the time it usually takes students because I was like, “I need to move.” Then, I got into CU Denver and last year was my first year here. 

Why did you choose CU Denver? 

There was no other option for me. Not in the sense of not actually having options, but I didn’t see any other school the way I saw CU Denver. They have great programs. They cater to nontraditional students, and that’s super important. Even the “Meet Your Moment” slogan, I love what it stands for. I am definitely trying to meet my moment. 
 
Coming to CU Denver was the best decision I made. I actually cried when I got my acceptance. I was so excited to be here. I still am. 

What were you most worried about before your first day of classes, and how do you think about that worry now? 

It can be very intimidating to go back to school, especially if you’re a lot older or a nontraditional student. You kind of feel that imposter syndrome, and you feel like you’re not going to find your people, but you will. I found mine.  

How did you find belonging at CU Denver? 

You just need to find the one place where you feel like you’re going to belong. That’s where it started for me. I had known about SGA because I was already on the Auraria Campus as a CCD student. The summer before I started at CU Denver, I went to the SGA office and I met our advisor, Kelsey Dew. I just said, “I want to be in student government,” and she said, “Apply online.” I got hired that same summer.  

I completely fell in love with it. I love what we do and the change we can bring forward.  

That worked for me but, really, you can find your people almost anywhere. There’s sororities and fraternities. There’s the Campus Activities Team that hosts these amazing events. There’s all of these clubs and organizations. 

And, the place you’re going to find belonging doesn’t always have to be a safe space. Actually, it has to be a brave space. When you push yourself to be brave and step out of your comfort zone, you grow as a person. It’s OK to be scared, but I think it’s those moments that make us into better people. 

Nobody succeeds 100% of the time. In the spirit of normalizing the ups and downs, can you tell us about a time something didn’t go as you had hoped during your college journey?

I think we all go through setbacks, right? I applied to a fellowship program called Law School…Yes We Can. They provide mentorship, support preparing for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and other things. I didn’t get into the program, and it was discouraging. It can make you feel like, I just wasn’t good enough  

But in the end, it just motivated me further. I ended up having to prepare for the LSAT’s without [the program] and I gave myself three months to study. I actually got Elle Woods’ score—one point away from a perfect score. So, I didn’t get to participate in the program as a student, but maybe in the future I will as a mentor. 

Did you always want to be SGA president? 

I knew early on that I wanted to stay in student government, but I really didn’t think about running for president. Then, our last president, Mitchell Mauro, said to me, “I think you should do it. I think you would be great.” He and some other team members talked me into it. I said, “I don’t think I would win, but I will give it a shot.”  
 
And now here I am. 

Successful people often know how to work with others and get help when they need it. What has helped you most in your time at CU Denver? 

I used to have the mentality of, they’re going to think poorly of me if I ask for help. But that’s not true. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. In SGA, my entire executive team and our advisors were a huge support, and I built great relationships with a lot of the staff, too. My vice president, Jackson Elliott, also made a really big difference for me.  

I’ve also had a great support system with friends and classmates. And, my advisor in the School of Public Affairs, Nora Scanlon, is amazing. She’s always there to listen to me, so she knows the type of person I am. I make an appointment with her every semester. She’s the person who has really helped me navigate my degree audit and everything that I want to do.

What advice do you have for prospective or current CU Denver students? 

Whether you’re here as a transfer student or an 18-year-old starting college for the first time, don’t be afraid to make the college experience what you want it to be. Get involved, make those connections, build those relationships, because that is what will make your college experience.