Copi Vojta: Alumni make mark in Colorado, the world

Colorado Mountain College faculty and students recently gathered in a special ceremony at the college’s Glenwood Center to honor the first-ever class of alumni inducted into the CMC Alumni Hall of Fame.

The five individual alumni inducted into the inaugural class come from different backgrounds, and have found success in myriad ways. We’ll be featuring each inductee in eNews. Today’s article highlights the passionate and creative CMC photography graduate and fly fisherman Copi Vojta.

Copi Vojta transformed passion into great job

Copi Vojta, an inductee into Colorado Mountain College’s Alumni Hall of Fame, receives his honorary vase from Crystal Schiller, CMC Foundation development coordinator. Photo Stefanie Kilts
Copi Vojta, an inductee into Colorado Mountain College’s Alumni Hall of Fame, receives his honorary vase from Crystal Schiller, CMC Foundation development coordinator.

Derek Johnston, program director of photography at CMC, said that when Copi Vojta arrived at Spring Valley, he brought a passion for fly-fishing.

“His love and understanding of the sport – and more importantly, an understanding of why the pursuit of fish on a fly rod and being in these environments was special to him – allowed him to make images that went beyond the typical ‘grip and grin’ images and other clichés that were the norm in this type of photography,” Johnston said.

To be a successful photographer, he added, a person must find their own unique vision and voice. Vojta found success in fly-fishing trade magazines, standing out so much that the editors at “The Flyfish Journal” head-hunted him. Vojta is currently the photo editor at the magazine and works remotely from Carbondale.

The magazine was recently awarded a Western Publishing Association “Maggie” award for best quarterly, about which Johnston said, “Copi Vojta’s vision is a critical component to this collective voice.”

Vojta, who attended the ceremony, said, “The best thing this school has going for it is the passionate faculty and staff.”