Back to Colorado College Stories home

Carol Lally '90 graduated with a degree in English.  She is now an intellectual property lawyer.

Neal Baer '78 earned his degree in political science.  He is the executive producer and writer for the hit show "ER."

Colorado U.S. Senator Ken Salazar graduated from CC in 1977. Elected to the senate in 2004, he had been the state's attorney general.

Holly Ornstein Carter '85 received her degree in political science and is now a writer and documentary filmmaker.

Karen Andersen Medville, a research scientist at Arizona State University, graduated in 1985.

Marcia McNutt, president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, earned her degree in physics in 1974.

Jay Engeln graduated in 1974 with a degree in biology.  He is the 2000 National High School Principal of the Year.

Basketball star Verdel Baskin, an English major from the Class of 1999, is now an El Pomar Fellow.

Laura Hershey, a disability rights activist, graduated in 1983 with a degree in history.

Jazz singer Lorna Kollmeyer, a liberal arts major from the Class of 1980, owns an ornamental plasterwork company.  

Richard Koo, 1982 alumnus with a degree in math, is the co-founder of Vitria.com.

Mountain climber Jake Norton, Class of 1996, was a history-philosophy major.  

Paul Markovich graduated in 1988 with an international political economy major and is the co-founder of MyWayHealth.

J. Ralph Armijo, a business administration major, graduated in 1974 and founded Navidec, Inc. and DriveOff.com. 

Theatre artist Liz Stanton earned her degree in business and economics in 1988.

Nearly every Colorado College basketball record in the books bears his name. Verdel Baskin is the career and single-season scoring leader, holds four of the top 25 single-season records and numerous marks for steals. But he’s most proud of being career and single-season leader in assists, an indication of both his giving nature and his future endeavors off the court.    

Although he had athletics scholarship offers from several California schools and another Colorado school just up the road, Verdel chose CC because of the positive experiences his uncle and great uncle had here. Coming from a high school in inner-city Los Angeles, Verdel needed those success stories to help him get over his initial culture shock. “I’m sure a lot of prospective minority students feel the same way when they arrive,” he says honestly. “But when I really looked at the academics that CC provides, and I when I delved into the diversity that is on campus and the resources that are available, and then most important, when I looked at where I wanted to be after I graduated, I just knew that CC was the place to be.”  

That culture shock wore off as Verdel befriended his roommate, joined the Black Student Union, and became friends with Dean of Students Mike Edmonds, who is also African American. “He just was definitely there outside of his role as a dean,” Verdel explains. “He went way beyond what he had to do, and I know I wasn’t the exception.”  

Verdel also got involved in many extracurricular activities, and he appreciated the support available to him through the athletics department. After his freshman year, he moved into the Glass House, a residence hall for students of color and others who want to break down cultural barriers and learn about each other. And since CC’s English department has a reading list far more inclusive than the traditional white male canon, Verdel felt comfortable with choosing English as his major and writing his thesis on the poetry of Emily Dickenson.  

After graduation and a brief stint in Harlem with Teach for America, Verdel joined El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs as a fellow. These two-year assignments are based on philanthropy along with professional and leadership development. Hands-on experience with local not-for-profit organizations is augmented by special workshops on public speaking, negotiation and mediation and participation in additional programs such as the Black Leadership Forum and Outward Bound.  

Verdel works primarily with two groups, El Pomar Youth and Community Service (EPYCS) and Mountain Movers. EPYCS brings together students from 114 high schools, teaching them about the connection between grantwriting and philanthropy and getting them involved with their own community service programs. Mountain Movers lets Verdel get involved directly with students ages 12 to 15 in an after-school type of program.  

Colorado College and the Block Plan prepared him well, Verdel says. And like the all-time assist leader he is, Verdel notes, “Although I know I’m giving a lot, I’m also getting a lot in return. If I can somehow share my experiences at CC and in life, and let other students know they can succeed, then I’ll know I’ve succeeded too.”

Back to Colorado College Stories home