Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of Colorado College,

With a brilliant Colorado blue sky and several inches of vividly white snow on the ground as I write this, I am struck by how deeply the Colorado College community is connected to this special place. Of course we are, given this incredible natural beauty!

Combine our Rocky Mountain setting with professors like Tim Fuller and Owen Cramer (both celebrating 50 years at CC in 2015), who offer experiences of intellectual trailblazing each and every block, and it is no wonder our alumni feel a strong sense of affinity for CC. I think of those classes of the early 1970s as they encountered the brand-new Block Plan, and I think of faculty today whose creative teaching and scholarship make our liberal arts curriculum the most relevant preparation for today’s students. Whether you experienced the Block Plan or not, the character of this place continues. Our students embrace the same spirit that is evident in our Colorado College alumni — one generation to the next!  It is this distinctive and powerful experience that is attracting record numbers of applicants to Colorado College, and I hope it inspires you to strengthen your connection to CC.

Alumni engagement is vital to the life of the college. One recent example is how our alumni and friends came together to “feed the tiger” during our recent annual fund campaign. Thanks to each of you who makes an annual gift to the college. By giving to CC, you recognize the support that enhanced your own student experience and now pay it forward by helping to provide the education that is so valuable in our complex world.

This issue of the Bulletin profiles student opportunities — from internships, to Half Block courses, to mentoring — that our alumni help make possible. You will find stories of alumni teaching Half Block classes, as well as stories of recent graduates who are building exciting careers; many of them — be it a research opportunity or that first big job — with support or a connection or the inspiration of a fellow CC alum. I hope you enjoy reading about alumni engaging with each other as well.  This issue includes news of alumni trips to Antarctica and Africa, plus a taste of more to come.

When this magazine arrives in your mailbox, it will be spring ­— a season that conveys the anticipation and excitement that you can feel today on campus. Whether spring in your part of the world involves warm and green, or brilliant blue and white, I want to thank you for what you, our alumni, make possible for CC students — yesterday, today, and tomorrow — and I invite you to be a part of the action!

With warm regards,

Jill Tiefenthaler