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Annual Impact Report 2024-25
Impact Stories

Home Home Foundation Accountability & ImpactAnnual Impact Report 2024-25Impact Stories
Explore impact stories Learn about our growth
Academic Excellence  |  Student-Ready  |  Reconciliation  |  Basic Needs  |  Community Connections  |  Athletics  |  Alumni

Academic Excellence
Equitable & exceptional education

Clean energy fund ignites student innovation

From off-grid solar installations on the Navajo Nation to lab-built nuclear cooling simulators, Fort Lewis College students are advancing clean energy solutions across the Four Corners—thanks to the FLC Foundation’s Clean Energy Fund. 

Future healthcare heroes rise at FLC

A near-death experience that kept her in the ICU unit for eight days transformed Kari Sutherland’s life path.

EXCEL program sparks transformative learning

Fort Lewis College students are earning higher grades, persisting toward graduation, and finding new career purpose—thanks to EXCEL’s community-connected learning approach, which reached over 2,000 students in just one year. 

FLC celebrates prestigious Carnegie recognition

Fort Lewis College has earned a prestigious new designation in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications: "Research Colleges and Universities." This honor recognizes institutions investing at least $2.5 million annually in research and development. With $3.37 million in research expenditures reported in 2023 and a 39% growth in its research portfolio over 18 months, FLC is emerging as a...
Student Ready
Student success & graduation outcomes

Reisher Scholars shine with graduation success

Growing up in a town of 1,000 people in rural Colorado, college felt like a distant dream for Iliana Castillo. Her parents worked multiple jobs supporting her siblings, who were already in school. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she had no roadmap for higher education.

Nursing Fellows program elevates student support

Thanks to a generous gift from the Ryan family, FLC is expanding support for CU Anschutz/FLC Nursing Collaborative students through the Ryan Family Nursing Fellows program and a dedicated pre-nursing advisor.

$6-$22k
scholarship support
for Reisher Scholars

10
nursing students supported by the
Ryan Nursing Fellows Program

100+
students guided toward healthcare
careers by nursing advisor

Reconciliation
Healing & action

$1 million
three-year grant from the Educating Character
Initiative (Lilly Endowment) to launch the
Reconciliation Center

2026
debut of the Four Corners Bridging Institute
exhibition at the Center of Southwest Studies

Alum leads reconciliation in action

In just two years, Matthew Schaeffer went from political science student to Fort Lewis College’s first reconciliation coordinator.

Philanthropy drives creation of reconciliation center

Fort Lewis College is turning vision into reality through bold philanthropic partnerships that are helping redefine what reconciliation can look like in higher education. 

Basic Needs
Community of care

100
students served through the
housing assistance program

23,284
visits by students, faculty, and
staff to the campus food pantry

95,726
pounds of food distributed
through Grub Hub

Housing navigation strengthens student well-being

With support from a $333,000 Colorado Trust grant secured through FLC Foundation efforts, FLC launched a 30-month initiative in the Fall of 2024 to address student housing insecurity.

Grub Hub marks 15 years of community care

Grub Hub is proud to celebrate 15 years of building community at FLC. This milestone is made possible by generous support from the FLC Foundation and the deep involvement of faculty, staff, and students who have championed the mission since day one. 

Community Connections
Engagement & workforce

Fueling museum careers through philanthropy

Generous support from the Robert & Kelly Hill Fund, in partnership with FLC Career Services, enabled Lacy Miller’s internship at the Center of Southwest Studies to reach new heights.

Springboard Fellowship accelerates student success

When London Irwin’s post-grad job offer fell through, she didn’t panic. She activated the tools she’d built through Fort Lewis College’s Springboard Fellowship and landed on her feet.  “I didn’t know anything about networking or navigating the job market,” said Irwin, a first-generation college graduate. “Springboard changed...

AI Institute positions FLC as a tech hub for our region

The AI Institute at Fort Lewis College was established in Fall 2024 as a hub for innovation, learning, and regional partnerships.

Hawk Tank marks a decade of student entrepreneurship

What started as a business pitch competition is now a launchpad for changemakers. Hawk Tank has helped spark over a dozen startups, awarded $95,000+ in scholarships, and raised $400,000+ to power student innovation.

Solar training program empowers regional workforce

The timing couldn’t be better. As the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe prepares to launch a 4,000-acre Sun Bear Solar Project, which is expected to create 500 local jobs, Fort Lewis College is stepping up to ensure the Four Corners has skilled workers ready to meet the moment. 

Athletics
Field to classroom to community

4,731
student community service hours

200
student-athletes earned GPAs over 3.3

$2,197,720
total raised for Athletics

Your commitment fuels excellence and helps Skyhawks soar

Fort Lewis College student-athletes delivered a banner year—on the field, in the classroom, and across our communities—largely thanks to donor support. 

A game-changer for Skyhawk student-athletes

After years of planning, fundraising, and renovations, Fort Lewis College has opened the doors to a transformative new facility: the CommonSpirit Sports Performance Center. This $6 million, 10,000-square-foot space marks a new era for student-athlete wellness, performance, and academic support. 

Alumni Engagement

Faculty alum inspires future business leaders

Fort Lewis College alumna Lacey Donley, Ph.D. (Accounting and French, ’10), has come full circle, now shaping future business leaders as an assistant professor in the Katz School of Business.

Students working in the lab with faculty.

Skyhawks give thanks with heart

This past year, FLC Alumni Engagement launched a heartfelt campaign inviting alumni to send thank-you notes to the faculty, staff, and mentors who shaped their lives.

Alumni Awards spotlight advocates and changemakers

Each fall, Fort Lewis College honors alumni who embody the heart of FLC—shaped by learning, transformed through service, and committed to uplifting their communities.

Fort Lewis College Foundation

1000 Rim Drive
Durango, CO 81301
Phone: +1 970-247-7080
Fax: +1 970-247-7175
Email: foundation@fortlewis.edu

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