Announcement: CU Denver is Celebrating 50 Years
Whether you’re an alumnus, current student, member of the faculty and staff, donor, or neighbor, you’re a valuable part of the CU Denver community. Help us celebrate the last 50 years and a future that works for all.
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About Us
Mission Statement
The mission of the Center for Pre-Collegiate and Academic Outreach Programs at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is to administer pre-college and pipeline programs. These programs are designed to educate, motivate, and prepare first-generation students to be successful in secondary and post-secondary education with the ultimate goal of obtaining a higher education degree.
Meet Our Staff
Greg Lee, Director
Greg earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder and his master’s degree in counseling education from the University of Colorado Denver. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in education with Walden University. Greg enjoys working with first-generation students in the area of college preparation and accessing higher education. He made the decision to work with first-generation students to help alleviate some of the barriers they may encounter in preparing and accessing higher education. He is passionate about empowering students, helping them enhance their opportunity to be admitted to college and become successful. Greg’s career endeavor is to continue working with students in a higher educational setting and make an impact in their lives.
Leslie Farrell, Program Manager
Leslie was born and raised in Southern California, moved to Colorado when she was 13, and went to Alameda High School in Jefferson County. After high school, she attended the University of Colorado Denver where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. As a first-generation student, the biggest aid for her was being part of the Pre-Collegiate Program. She always aspired to go to college and knew she was going to make it there no matter what. With Pre-Collegiate she was able to learn about all the different resources available that would help fund her education. Now, she is honored to work for Pre-Collegiate as the Middle School Coordinator and appreciates helping first-generation students like herself. Her goals for the next couple years are to continue impacting first-generation students and use her past experiences and background to help and encourage students for years to come.
Tracy Rangel, Program Manager
Zoya Sarow, Coordinator
Zoya is from Denver, Colorado and grew up attending Denver Public Schools. She graduated from DCIS Baker for high school and the University of Denver (DU) for her bachelor’s in gender and women’s studies and international public health. Being a first-generation student presented various challenges for her through her higher education journey, which is why working for the Pre-Collegiate Program is so important to her. Through her experience working for DU’s first-generation program, Volunteers in Partnership (VIP), all four years of attendance, she learned that resource connection/allocation, community building, peer mentorship, and personal development are especially important tools for first-generation success. She is excited to continue learning about how to support first-generation students as a professional in this field, and to continue fostering connections with fellow first-generation folks in this incredible and intersectional community we are all a part of.