President's Update
May 2026
Dear FRCC Community,
Every year as commencement approaches, I find myself reflecting on what these ceremonies truly represent—not just for our students and their families, but for all of us at Front Range Community College.
For many people, graduation is viewed as a finish line. But from where I sit, it is something far more profound. It is a season of transformation. A season of courage is realized. A season where stories once marked by uncertainty become stories of achievement and hope.
As president, I have the extraordinary privilege of shaking the hands of every graduate whose resilience inspires me every day. I see parents creating new opportunities for their families through education. I see single mothers demonstrating remarkable perseverance and commitment to their goals. I see first-generation students discovering their voice, their confidence and their place at FRCC. I see career changers embracing new possibilities, veterans continuing a life of service, working adults balancing countless responsibilities and students from every background bringing strength, perspective and purpose to our college community.
And I see what education makes possible.
At FRCC, these celebrations carry special meaning because our students represent the very heart of our communities. Their determination and success inspire all of us and remind us why this work matters.
Behind every cap and gown is a story worth celebrating.
This special edition is dedicated to those stories.
Commencement 2026
Our Keynote Speakers Came Home
This year’s commencement keynote speakers weren’t simply accomplished professionals invited to offer wisdom. They are FRCC alumni whose stories began in the same classrooms, with the same hopes, questions and possibilities as the graduates crossing the stage.
Their return to FRCC is more than a homecoming—it is a powerful reflection of what our students can achieve. Their journeys remind us that success begins here, and that the impact of an FRCC education extends far beyond graduation day.
Dr. Abel Chávez
10th President, Our Lady of the Lake University
“The world that you’re stepping into needs emerging leaders like yourselves to draw new maps of hope across the world.”
Dr. David Davis
Board-Certified Dermatologist & Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Iowa & University of New Mexico
"FRCC is more than a college. It's a place where potential is discovered, confidence
is built, futures begin."
The Voices That Move Us Most
Alyssa Andrade
Vanessa Gonzales
While our keynote speakers reflected the possibilities that begin at FRCC, it was our student speakers who captured the heart of commencement through their honesty, courage, and hope for the future.
This year, Alyssa Andrade at the Denver Coliseum and Vanessa Gonzales at Blue Arena shared reflections that were thoughtful, deeply personal and representative of the strength and determination of the Class of 2026. I hope you were as moved by their remarks as I was.
Beyond the Stage
A Full Season of Celebration at FRCC
Commencement isn’t just one moment on one stage. It’s a season, and across our campuses this spring, that season was filled with celebrations that were quieter, more intimate and in many ways just as powerful.
Pinning Ceremonies
Our nursing and allied health students gathered this spring for pinning ceremonies—traditions that mark not just the completion of a program, but also a commitment to serving and caring for others. Watching graduates pinned by the family members and loved ones who supported them through every late night and early morning is one of those deeply meaningful FRCC moments I will always carry with me.
Badging Ceremonies
That same spirit of service was reflected in our Law Enforcement Academy badging ceremony, where cadets committed themselves to leading with integrity, treating others with dignity and respect, and serving to protect our communities.
TRIO, LEADS & Phi Theta Kappa Graduations
And then there were the celebrations that remind us how much this college transforms lives beyond the classroom.
TRIO students gathered to celebrate the perseverance, growth and support that shaped their journeys at FRCC. LEADS graduates celebrated the leadership they’ve grown into. Phi Theta Kappa honored our highest-achieving scholars.
Each of these ceremonies carries its own weight, its own meaning, its own tears and laughter. Together, they tell a fuller story of what commencement season really is at FRCC.
One Special Student Awards Ceremony—a First for FRCC
That spirit of connection and celebration was also felt at this year’s Student Awards Ceremony — a milestone moment for FRCC as all three campuses came together for the first time to recognize student achievement as one college community. Held at The Saint Vrain in Longmont, the ceremony honored students whose academic excellence, leadership, and involvement have made a lasting impact across FRCC.
What moved me most was watching our faculty and staff celebrate alongside them. You could see the pride, joy, and emotion that comes from witnessing students grow, succeed, and be recognized for their accomplishments. That is what showing up for students looks like, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so meaningful.
Recognition
FRCC in the Rankings
As we celebrated our students this spring, we were also reminded that the work happening across FRCC is making an impact far beyond our campuses.
This year, FRCC was ranked:
MILITARY FRIENDLY®
No. 7 nationally among large community colleges
MILITARY SPOUSE FRIENDLY®
No. 4 nationally among large community colleges
We also earned our second consecutive designation as a First Generation-Serving Institution from CDHE, with first-generation students representing nearly half of our enrollment and 48% of Class of 2026. I couldn’t be prouder of the teams behind both of these honors.
With Gratitude
As this academic year comes to a close, I am filled with gratitude for the students, faculty, and staff who make Front Range Community College such a special place.
This season of celebration reminds us that the impact of FRCC is found not only in accomplishments earned, but in the lives changed along the way—in the confidence students gain, the communities they build, and the futures they create for themselves and their families.
To our faculty and staff: thank you for the care, encouragement, and commitment you bring to our students every day. These moments of celebration are possible because of you, and I am deeply grateful for all you do for our students and for one another.
And while this academic year is coming to a close, we are already looking ahead to the important work we will continue together.
Save the Date
Looking Forward to Fall In-Service—August 14, 2026
Embassy Suites, Loveland—August 14, 2026
Register for In-Service! This year’s theme shifts from launching our Strategic Plan to putting it into action and measuring outcomes and the impact of our work. The day will feature collegewide updates, student voices, industry leaders, breakout sessions, and greater opportunities for connections among faculty and staff. Approximately 700 employees are expected to attend.
In closing this special edition of the president’s newsletter, I want to share that when I think about where we’ve been and where we are now, I am struck by how much our community has given, and by how much it has made possible.
Commencement is the moment we all see. But I know it is built on thousands of quieter moments that happen every day in our classrooms, our advising offices, our labs, our hallways. It is built on your leadership, your service and your steady commitment to students who are counting on us to show up—and you do, every single day.
This season of celebration belongs to our graduates. But it would not exist without you.
Thank you for an extraordinary end to the semester. Thank you for the care you bring to this work, and for the difference you make in the lives of our students and in the communities we serve together.
As we head into summer, I hope you take time to rest, recharge and feel the full weight of what you have accomplished this academic year. You have more than earned it.
We will continue this journey, and all that comes next, together.
With Gratitude,
Colleen Simpson, EdD
President
Questions?
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