Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Colorado State University graduates have adventurous and competitive spirits. Astronaut Mary Cleave, mission specialist for STS-61B Atlantis and STS-30 Atlantis, has orbited Earth 172 times. But Astronaut Kent Rominger has her beat; he served on five space missions and has more than 1,000 total Earth orbits to his name. Rominger was also Navy fighter pilot in real life Top Gun fashion. John Gill, a 1971 Ph. D. graduate, was a pioneer in his own right—not for space travel like Cleaves and Rominger, but for his beloved hobby of bouldering (a rope-free style of rock climbing). Gill put the popular dyno technique on the map, and climbers today still set out to solve bouldering problems he created more than 50 years ago. Gill also helped to bring legitimacy to the sport of bouldering. Curious to know which other CSU graduates made names for themselves in the sports world? Look at Colorado’s own NFL team, the Denver Broncos. On the Broncos’ 2015 roster alone you’ll find three CSU graduates: Linebacker Shaquill Barrett, Offensive Tackle Ty Sambrailo, and Running Back Kapri Bibbs. Also, CSU track and field runner Janay DeLoach-Soukup went on to win an Olympic bronze medal for the long jump in 2012. And Becky Hammon became the first NBA all-star female coach in 2016. Wherever there’s a boundary, chances are a CSU graduate has or will exceed it!

With it’s wide open green landscapes, shimmering blue lagoon, and Rocky Mountain backdrop, CSU is no short of breathtaking. But make no mistake: this campus is more than just a pretty face. It offers an incredible number of resources and fun hangouts. Let’s start with the stunning modern natural stone Campus Recreation Center. It has indoor rock climbing walls and a bouldering cave. Pretty cool place to hang, right? But you’ll also find a climbing wall along the edge of the indoor pool that’s just begging for you to climb and cannonball. Not only that, the recreation center has massage rooms, a sauna, a smoothie bar, and lounge areas. In other words, everything you need to unwind after an intense workout or a nail-biting midterm. On your 21st birthday, you can sip a locally brewed pint at the Ramskeller Pub in the Lory Student Center. You can also check out live entertainment at Ramskeller every Wednesday. The student center provides plenty more indoor and outdoor lounge spaces that are ideal for group work or solo study sessions. During finals week you can take up residence in The Cube (yes, it really is a cube), the library’s 24-hour study spot. With all of these academic and recreation options, you’re bound to leave CSU with stellar work-life balance skills. Practice makes perfect.

So maybe you want to be a proud Ram, but you just can’t uproot your life and move to Fort Collins right now. That’s okay, CSU understands; that’s why some of their programs are available to you anywhere online. You can earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, economics, anthropology, interdisciplinary liberal arts, or human development and family studies. Or, if you’re looking for something a bit more specialized, they also offer agricultural business, horticulture, or fire and emergency services administration. The same professors who teach on campus teach the online classes, so you’ll get the same education that you would on campus—no relocation required. CSU’s online graduate programs prepare people to move up in the business, education, and STEM industries. For starters, aspiring engineers can earn degrees in civil, mechanical, biomedical, electrical, or systems engineering. If you see yourself leading teams and coordinating projects someday, you can study engineering management, tourism management, arts leadership and administration, or business administration. Study management techniques by night; put them into practice by day! Want to work in the business of shaping minds and changing lives? You could do that with any of CSU degrees, but these programs will directly prepare you to mold people’s futures: natural sciences education, adult education and training, student affairs in higher education, social work, and dietetics. Educate yourself to educate others, wherever you live.

The NCAA Division I Rams have won their fair share of championships. With the exception of 2007, Rams baseball celebrated national championships every year between 2004 and 2010. The lacrosse team snatched five national championships between 1999 and 2013. And, in 2017, the football team will be able to fight for its own championship wins on-campus for the first time in 50 years. At the brand new Sonny Lubick Field, you’ll get to cheer the Rams on with 41,000 other spectators. And you’ll be watching future NFL stars in the making. The NFL has drafted more than 100 CSU Rams, and over a dozen have gotten to play in the Super Bowl. Tight End for the Denver Broncos Joel Dreessen played in the big game in 2014. Actually, the Broncos and CSU have more in common than alumni and their home state of Colorado. The Broncos partnered with the university in 2014 to launch the Denver Broncos Sports Management Institute. If you pursue a minor in sports management, you might be able to actually intern with the Broncos. Interns assist with various aspects of the team’s management like marketing and facilities. But if your biggest involvement in athletics is simply attending Rams games, you too shall be rewarded: Just download the Rams Ruckus app onto your phone. Through the app you can purchase tickets and check-in to events. In turn you’ll earn points toward rewards, like Rams gear and gift cards. It pays to have CSU pride!

U.S. World and News Report calls CSU one of the leading research universities. That means students like you have opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research. Undergraduate students can become fellows with the Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology (MIP) Department and work in a lab under faculty mentorship. This experience is designed for students to find out if lab work is the right fit for them—and if so, what types of lab work—early on in college. Rest assured, you’ll do much more than wash beakers. For example, you could study immune responses to different vaccines like sophomore Cassidy Hagan. Fellows have the freedom to choose a research topic of interest and run experiments. Aside from MIP research opportunities, CSU houses research centers and institutes in engineering, business, natural resources, biomedical sciences, and more. But you don’t need to be a budding scientist to get the best of what CSU has to offer. Each school and program offers the best in workspaces, technology, and practical experiences. Aspiring artists showcase everything from paintings to theatrical performances in modern on-campus art galleries and theaters, like the University Dance Center. Future child educators get hands-on practice teaching children up to age six at the Early Childhood Center. By putting yourself out there, you can take your learning way beyond the lecture.