In the spring of 2024, Abigale Yilma found herself looking around the gym in the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center, astonished. More than 300 of her fellow students were gathered there for A Night in Africa-Culture Night. Music was blaring, people were cheering, and attendees were meeting each other, watching a colorful cultural fashion show, and celebrating their own or their peers’ heritage. “Everyone could come together, learn about culture, but also be in community with each other,” she said.
Yilma, who is graduating this fall from CU Denver with bachelor of arts in human development and family relations (HDFR), played a key role in coordinating the event’s organizers and participants and getting the word out to attendees. In large part, this is due to her role as president of both the tri-institutional African Student Union and CU Denver’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association, which she helped launch.
She’d worked for months to create a special evening and, until that night, she’d just been hoping some people would show up. Seeing more than 300 people there—some friends, some strangers—blew her away. “I feel like there’s a sense of belonging and community when you host events,” Yilma said. Her journey at CU Denver taught her how important both of those things are to her.
Getting Connected
Yilma began to discover her passion for bringing people together in her first year at CU Denver. The Cherry Creek Public Schools alum started college after feeling unsure of what path she wanted to take during the pandemic. She chose CU Denver to stay close to her family, while still getting the collegiate experience her parents wanted for her. A big part of that was living in the City Heights Residence Hall. “My parents were like, ‘For the first year, I think you should live on campus, just so you can get used to the college life,’” Yilma said. It turned out to be a life-changing decision.
In student housing, Yilma got to know her resident assistant (RA), who told her about the programming they prepared for students. The idea of creating events to help people connect was new to Yilma at the time, but it piqued her interest. She eventually applied for the role and served as an RA in City Heights in her second year and in Lynx Crossing in her third and fourth. “The most fun part of being an RA was the events that you hosted,” she said.
She particularly loved putting together programming for Black History Month. But what was most meaningful to her about being an RA was the deep connections she formed with her coworkers. “Dealing with very unique situations really bonds you with somebody,” Yilma said. “Like, when you’re thrown into a crisis and you have to figure out who to call, it’s like, ‘You’re a really cool person.’”
Research That Matters
Academically, Yilma found her footing in the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD). As a first-year student, she had taken a few education classes out of curiosity—and then never stopped. Her professors’ genuine enthusiasm for their subjects kept her coming back for more. “These are really important topics about our society,” Yilma said. “As they’re teaching it, they’re so engaged, they’re so passionate.”
Meanwhile, she had begun working in the Center for Access and Campus Engagement (CACE), where she helped students get connected to campus resources. She loved giving back to her peers, but she also found important mentorship and support for herself in this role. When she mentioned to her supervisor Ken English, program director student success, that she was interested in doing research, he not only encouraged her to apply, but he also walked her over to the TRIO & McNair Scholars program office that moment. “It definitely motivated me,” Yilma said. There were only a few days left to apply for the upcoming cohort, but she got her application in and was accepted.
As part of the program, she did research with SEHD Associate Professor of Counseling Dèsa Daniel on the connection between a strong sense of identity in Black college students and academic satisfaction and success. “My findings showed that when students are being celebrated for their identity, things like academic motivation and satisfaction thrive,” Yilma said.
The evening she paused to take in the crowd of students gathered at the Culture Night she’d helped organize, she knew from her research that the impact extended far beyond the connections her peers were making with one another. The feeling of pride and cultural identity it was fostering for some was also helping to fortify them as students. “Identity is such a core piece of ourselves, and I feel like when we celebrate those things that make us us … it helps us be more motivated. It helps us be better members of society,” Yilma said.
Ready to Serve Beyond CU Denver
From living on campus fresh out of high school to working as an RA, leading organizations, planning events, doing research, and working for CACE, each step of Yilma’s journey at CU Denver brought her closer to her authentic passion for building community and working with others.
These moments gave her the foundation she needed to take her skills beyond the Auraria Campus. She sought out an internship at the African Community Center to get hands-on experience working with refugees who are rebuilding their lives and need to find community anew. “That really helped me understand that I want a [master’s] degree that is really people-centered,” Yilma said.
As a first-year student, Yilma hadn’t known what she wanted to do. Now, she’s a leader on campus who strives to bring others together around her. And she’s more motivated than ever—and sure of what she wants to do next. Yilma intends to pursue a master’s degree in social work and become a licensed social worker, so she can continue supporting others and the communities they are a part of. “I think this is the first time when I know exactly what’s next,” she said.