Grossman Scholar Spotlight: Ahtziri Rodriguez

September 4, 2025

Hello everyone, my name is Ahtziri!

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and currently attend CU Denver, where I am pursuing my bachelor's degree in environmental science.


Before deciding on my environmental science degree, I declared a major in political science. I wanted to bring this degree to the community and pursue a career as an immigration lawyer. I believed this was the only way to help not only my parents but also my community. However, despite my best intentions, the degree left me miserable and failed to spark a passion in me. But something that did spark an interest was an introductory course in environmental science that I took during my first year at CU Denver. It reminded me of a similar class I had taken in high school. The class kept me engaged and curious.


This led me to think that geology, biology, and, in general, finding solutions to the issues in our environment was my passion. It brought out my stewardship side, inspiring a desire in me to be part of finding solutions to keep the outdoors beautiful. But it turns out, this was also just leading me to my actual purpose: Wanting to work for my community. 


I want my community to be able to recreate in the outdoors, where there are barriers of transportation, knowledge, and gear. I want my community to be able to feel included in the solutions and incorporate their historical knowledge to help heal the earth. I want to work for the community and all its needs. This could look like a lot of things. Maybe it is planting more trees in Westwood, where there is limited tree coverage, leading to harsher summers, poorer health, and poorer economic conditions. Or maybe I need to learn as much as I can and bring it back to teach and be taught by others.


Community is my orientation, where I find my own healing and how I teach inclusion, love, and care. I am on the path to becoming a representative of my family, being the first to graduate with a bachelor's degree, and an advocate for sustainable development and integrity for the community. 



Thank you all for the opportunity and the affirmation to continue on my dream!!! 

Ahtziri is the sole recipient of the 2025 MOC scholarship funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). The scholarship is for a student who meets the criteria for VOC's Grossman Scholarship and who is affiliated with any of the partners in the My Outdoors Colorado (MOC) Coalition, or who is connected to the Cole and/or Westwood neighborhoods in Denver. Students are eligible for the Grossman Scholarship if they are Colorado residents who have demonstrated a commitment to caring for our environment's natural resources and intend to pursue post-secondary education through an accredited environmental, natural resource, climate, or outdoor industry-related education program in Colorado.

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