Ellie McTigue wants to help people from all walks of life. A student in CU Denver’s Human Development and Family Relations program in the School of Education and Human Development, Ellie has hopes of becoming a school psychologist and conducting research on mental illness. 

She appreciates how her program has taught her to work with people from a wide range of cultures. “It acknowledges that there isn’t just one correct way to do things,” she says. She also values the wide range of viewpoints she encounters among CU Denver’s student body, which is a highly regarded hallmark of the campus. “The students here are more diverse and non-traditional, which makes it an enriching community where you can gain a lot of perspectives,” Ellie explains.

The recipient of several scholarships, including the Hide in Plain Sight Scholarship, the Alumni Finish Line Scholarship, and the Hemphill Library Scholarship, Ellie is grateful for the way this financial support allowed her to avoid the levels of college debt that can often place significant stress on students. “I’d feel burdened by taking out more student loans and would have a lot more hanging over my head when I graduate,” she explains. Ellie is especially touched by the generosity of her scholarship donors. “It’s such an amazing thing to do, to take their hard earned money and invest it in people they don’t even know,” she says. “I would love to be in a position to do the same someday.”