This article by CMC Spring Valley student Maxine Jablonski is in the Winter 2018/Spring 2019 issue of Carbondale Magazine.
By Maxine Jablonski, CMC student
In the winter, fresh snow falls on the juniper trees and covers the deer that rest, lying in the field outside. In years past I could watch them through my dorm window and pass by a group of them every morning on my way to class. I could see Mt. Sopris and her ever-changing rocky terrain as the seasons grew into each other, while watching the runs of Sunlight Mountain fill with snow.
Now that I’m no longer living on campus as I finish up my associate degree in professional photography, and I commute up the hill to attend classes, I still appreciate that Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley gives students a unique, hands-on educational experience within the Roaring Fork Valley, and I wouldn’t have wanted to invest my time anywhere else.
Being a part of the small, tightly knit community CMC has to offer, I’ve enjoyed countless benefits that have helped me and other students expand our education and find our place in this world. Small class sizes have made it remarkably easy to get one-on-one time working with my professors and getting to know my fellow students individually over our few short years together. For instance, I’ve met students in the veterinary technology program learning to care for dozens of animals and getting the experience of interacting with iguanas, eagles, rabbits, horses, and chinchillas, to name just a few. This program provides insight for students who desire to make a difference in the lives of the animals that inhabit our world.
As for myself, being a photography student in the Isaacson School of Communication, Arts and Media has given me the chance to interact with the Roaring Fork community in ways I wouldn’t have before. I’ve been taught everything from the basics of fully understanding my camera, photographing in a studio for the first time, and continuously growing my skills as an artist – all preparing me for the next step after my education here.
I’ve had opportunities to intern on live televised events such as Aspen’s X Games, one of the world’s most exciting athletic events set to with live music, or to take part in the 5Point Film Festival, where students have the chance to connect with well-known adventure filmmakers and put on events that will give them the experience of a lifetime. Experiences like these show us what it’s like to work for large productions in the real world. On a more local level, the Isaacson School photography students give back to the community every year by providing free Christmas portraits for families. Here at CMC, as students we’re given the opportunity to unveil a whole new world beyond the classroom.
During my time spent attending school here in Colorado, I have come to realize the endless opportunities this valley has to offer every student within their unique place in this world. Colorado Mountain College continues to provide top education to those who seek it, and will continue making an impact through sending future environmentalists, filmmakers, photographers, educators, and many more on the path to success. If you’re in Colorado and believe higher education is right for you, choose Colorado Mountain College and experience education from a different perspective.
Did you know that Colorado Mountain College . . .
. . . has 11 campuses spread over a mountainous area the size of Maryland?
. . . has three residential campuses (Spring Valley, Leadville, and Steamboat Springs)?
. . . has professional photography students who won prestigious College Photographer of the Year Awards four years in a row?
. . . teaches culinary students who have been Colorado State Champions seven times?
. . . boasts the highest-elevation college campus in the country? (Leadville, at 10,152 feet)
. . . has among the most affordable bachelor’s degrees in the country?
. . . offers America’s only certification in ski lift & ropeway maintenance?
. . . generates 220 kilowatts of solar-powered electricity with five on-campus photovoltaic installations?
. . . is one of nine institutions in the nation to receive the 2017 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Award?
. . . has some amazing alumni, like Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Pat Davison, Fulbright scholars Noelle Brigden and Denise Dimon, NASA researcher and professor Dr. Aileen O’Donoghue, and DNA-sequencing research physicist Ian Derrington?
. . . taught 11 athletes who competed in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games – including four-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender?
. . . offered the first ski and snowboard business degree, and the first national snowsports certification in partnership with SnowSports Industries America (SIA)?