My name is Lisa Bonwell. I joined WES in 2018, excited to become involved in the education community here in Colorado Springs. I have met many inspiring other board members and CC students during my time with WES and am now honored to serve as the current President of the WES Board of Managers 2023-2024.

         I am from Wichita, Kansas and growing up loved all things biology. I spent hours dredging the Arkansas river flowing behind our house looking for interesting nature to take apart and study.

         After high school I attended a small teachers college, Emporia State University, and then University of Kansas School of Medicine. I moved to Chicago after completing my Internal Medicine Residency to study Infectious Disease and have worked since then in many places on both coasts, and internationally. I now work part time practicing outpatient Internal Medicine in Colorado Springs.

My interests include cooking, sewing/design, gardening and art. I volunteer whenever I can to help the environment and actively participate in establishing and maintaining trails in our community. I enjoy hiking with my husband and 2 lively dogs, and have 2 children, both college students living in Colorado.

I have been a member of the Colorado College community for over 20 years and have been delighted to serve on the W.E.S. board for the last four. My role at the College is to support faculty in seeking external funding to support their scholarly and creative work. While challenging, grant writing is incredibly satisfying; our faculty is stellar in so many ways, and it’s very fulfilling to help them pursue their passions, knowing this will also benefit their classrooms. The only downside to my role is that I do not work with students very often, which is why I love getting to know the W.E.S. Scholars.

My own undergraduate experience was life-changing: I grew up in coastal New England and attended Bryn Mawr College, a women’s liberal arts college outside Philadelphia, where I majored in chemistry and minored in dance. I moved to Colorado Springs soon after graduation, first working for the local newsweekly, the Colorado Springs Independent, in various editorial capacities before joining Colorado College. I’m a proud mom to two thoughtful and engaging sons; my oldest is a senior in high school and my youngest is a freshman.

Random facts? At 40, I started learning Reiki from a now-retired CC faculty member and, at 50, I learned to solve a Rubix cube from my kids. Next up: Learning Spanish and running in a Spartan Sprint. My favorite quote? “Leap, and the net will appear” ~ John Burroughs.

I grew up in Colorado, graduated from CC with a degree in Psychology, and was honored to be a WES scholar during my four years as a student. The scholarship made an enormous difference to me, and I have maintained my connection to WES ever since.

After working for a few years as an insurance adjuster, I became a registered nurse and later completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing. I worked primarily in psychiatric settings, especially in drug and alcohol addiction, but also in school nursing, and loved both specialties. With a lifelong interest in languages, I also worked as a sign language interpreter at all grade levels of public school.

With my family, I have moved a great deal, living in many parts of the U.S., and also Scotland and China. While finding many beautiful places, I missed Colorado throughout those moves, and have been thrilled to be back for the last five years. I have always enjoyed sports, including intramural hockey at CC, and I have skated ever since. I am a rabid knitter and am certified by the national guild as a Master knitter, a designation whose medieval beginnings I enjoy. Compelled to take knitting to its source, I also love to spin, particularly wool and alpaca.

As a board member, getting to know the board and each year’s amazing WES scholars has been a highlight of my return to Colorado.

Lindsay Jimenez, a Colorado native, was born and raised in a suburb of Denver. She knew from a young age that she wanted to work with children and graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Psychology and a K-6 teaching license. She went on to receive a master’s degree in educational administration.

Lindsay worked in public education with at-promise youth for nearly 18 years in various teaching and leadership roles in both Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. As a classroom teacher, Lindsay built strong relationships, cultivated a love for learning, and grew self-advocacy in her students. Her students were motivated to learn each day because they knew they were part of a safe learning environment. As a District Literacy Coach, Lindsay worked with school administration and teachers to provide high-quality instruction for all students using data, co-teaching, modeling, and planning.

Passion for the success of all teachers and students is what fueled her desire to be a school administrator. Lindsay inspired teachers and students to succeed and reach for more in the role of Assistant Principal at French Elementary, where she led for change by implementing and facilitating Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Leader in Me, high-quality instruction and collaboration, and systems for the Affective Needs Program.

Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her life partner and husband, Carlos, and their three children in the mountains or camping across the country.

My name is Connie Rickard, and I joined WES in February 2022 when I took on the role of Treasurer on the Board of Managers. I became connected to WES through a friend and mentor, and have interacted with several CC students over the years who are El Pomar fellows and interns.

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and attended Adrian College, a private Michigan liberal arts college, majoring in Accounting, and passed the CPA exam in 1988. I moved to Colorado Springs in 1984 with my fiancée.

Currently, I am the Assistant Controller/Investment Analyst with El Pomar Foundation and have been with them for 23 years. In addition, I serve as the assistant secretary and accountant to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Foundation and am the transfer agent for The Garden City Company.

Through volunteering, I have made many community connections. Currently, I volunteer for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, working events like the Rocky Mountain State Games, Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, Labor Day Lift Off, and Figure Skating Championships, along with Care & Share Food Bank, and serving as a DECA judge at their state competitions.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and being outdoors.  I have just celebrated my 33rd wedding anniversary with my husband, and have two children who both live in Denver.

I am originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin. My professional background is primarily in oncology nursing. I have been in numerous nursing-related positions from staff nurse, to ICU nurse, various management positions, and education-related positions with the common clinical tread of oncology. I very much enjoyed my career and believe it was a privilege to work with oncology patients, their families, and the staff.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of WI-Eau Claire and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of WI-Madison.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, gardening, walking/hiking, being a docent at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and of course, spending quality time with my family and friends. In the past, I have also volunteered with TESSA, Partners in Housing, and the Oncology Nursing Society (local and national) among other organizations.

I became connected to WES 9 years ago when a friend of mine who was on the WES Board of Managers invited me to attend a board meeting. I was sold on the mission of WES, to financially support students attending CC. I have served in the roles of Secretary, Vice President, and President and am currently Co-Chair of the Scholarship Committee. Through WES, I have met some amazing, talented women that have or are on the Board of Managers, and of course, meeting and getting to know each of the stellar WES Scholars.

I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, having grown up ten minutes away from Colorado College. My father attended CC for his Master’s, and I carried on the tradition, receiving both my undergraduate and graduate degrees from CC. My major is in anthropology and my minor is in education. I went on to receive my Master of Arts in Teaching from CC’s MAT Program, and am now a kindergarten teacher in the Springs.

As an undergraduate and WES scholar at CC, WES provided me with the opportunity to connect with the greater Colorado Springs community and to further relationships with those passionate about education. Now, as a post-graduate and professional in the educational field, I have found an opportunity to give back by joining the WES board – an experience that has strengthened my ties to CC and the greater community.

In my free time, I enjoy doting on my dog, Hazelnut, and spending my time with my husband finding fun restaurants in the Springs and Denver areas.

Patsy Aronstein was a WES scholar at Colorado College. She grew up in Denver and graduated from CC in 1980 with a BA in Romance Language. She went on to receive her MA in French Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder. Patsy taught French for many years, the majority spent at Colorado Academy in Denver where she taught in the Upper School.

Patsy was and still is a dedicated musician. She is a violinist, and while at CC, performed in several of the music groups on campus, as well as being a member of the Colorado Springs Symphony. Post college, she played with the Arapahoe Philharmonic and the Denver Philharmonic.

Patsy joined the WES board in 2017 and served as President from 2020-2021. She states that "it was important for me to give back to an organization that supported my education at CC. WES scholarships are unique among many, and the WES community is dedicated to building and maintaining relationships over many generations."

Patsy and her husband, Jim, have three grown sons. They are both avid skiers and travelers and enjoy all manner of sports – tennis, pickleball, golf, and hiking.

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. I attended CU Boulder, majoring in Psychology, but did not complete my degree. While living in Denver, I had various jobs and met my husband on a blind date. We married and lived for three and a half years in Raton, New Mexico, his hometown, before moving to Colorado Springs in 1980. Our daughter was born in 1979 and our son in 1983.

I worked in banks, and retail sales, and then in 1991, went to work as a medical assistant/clinic manager for El Paso County Public Health for 22 years. Public health has always held a fascination for me and I enjoyed working for our community. I retired in 2014.

Activities I enjoy are hiking, walking, movies, reading, and being with friends and family. Our daughter is married and lives with her husband in Colorado Springs, and our son is married and lives in Israel with his wife and eight children!

My husband is a CC alumnus and also worked at CC. Our family has always been involved at CC, attending events, activities, and CC hockey games. Two WES board members invited me to join the board in 2017 and I served as President from 2020-2021 as well as serving on various committees.

I have volunteered at the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the Colorado Springs Police Department, The Resource Exchange, and now the Colorado Springs Visitors Center.

I grew up in Albany, New York, but also spent many of the summers of my childhood in Finland. I went to public school in New York, then to Smith College for my BA, graduating in 1985, and finally to Stanford University for my Ph.D., completed in 1990.

Since then, besides a lot of restaurant work waiting tables to get through school, I’ve only always had one job: professor of psychology. I also do consulting with the American Psychological Association, and I serve as an expert in court cases involving sexual objectification and sexualization as forms of gender discrimination.

My hobbies/interests/activism/advocacy include all things feminism, avid fiction reading, knitting, running, hiking, yoga, traveling whenever I can, going to museums and looking at art, and thinking and talking about emotions, aesthetics, and ethics.

I served for a short while on the WES board many years ago and am happy to return to this group. Fun fact: our first male scholar in many years, Jack, was in my FYP course entitled “Inside Out: The Philosophy and Psychology of Emotion."

I grew up near South Bend, Indiana, and now live in Manitou Springs. I attended Indiana University for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, majoring in English and Linguistics, respectively. I began my career teaching English as a Second Language to college students. I loved working in higher education and transitioned into working in development in 2006 when I moved to Chicago. I worked in the Office of Development at the University of Chicago until moving to Colorado Springs in 2013. At that time, I worked in the Office of Advancement at Colorado College. In 2015, I took a position in fundraising at Atlas Preparatory School. In 2022, I returned to the Office of Advancement at CC.

I enjoy hiking and spending time with my family. I am active as a board member of Rocky Mountain Women’s Film. I previously served on the WES board about 10 years ago, and it’s great to be back!