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Each year, the Colorado Women’s College (CWC) Leadership Scholars* hosts an annual colloquium (an academic conference or seminar) to highlight student research and art.

There is a wide variety of feminist leadership presentations given by students and other speakers, which also speaks to the unique creativity of the community. This past year, there were a number of research projects ranging from poetry, a crochet art project, to essays and documentaries- creating a space where students, faculty, and staff actively learn from one another. I had the opportunity to ask questions and learn, as well as share my own documentary capstone project with a new audience.

Being behind the camera is an important role for me as a film student, so not only have I shared a short documentary and a research video for the colloquium, but I have also taken pictures and videos at the event for the last two years. As an attendee, I had meaningful conversations with other CWC scholars I don’t often see and engaged with the tabling displays that first-year scholars organize during the winter quarter as an outreach effort to share their work and connect with the broader campus community.

Participating in CWC and the annual Colloquium gives me the opportunity to uplift other members of my cohort and allows us to celebrate our academic accomplishments together. To provide an extra benefit, this year, we even brought a pop-up Care Closet. The Care Closet is a new amenity on campus that provides free clothes and gender-affirming care items to all DU students.

When I look back at the photos I took at this year’s colloquium, I am reminded that any community where joy and support exist, leadership and social impact prosper.

Written by Kailey Aponte

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*The CWC Leadership Scholars program is a cohort experience for students passionate about leadership development and civic responsibility.