Fiona Rodebaugh

I grew up in Durango, Colorado, about 7 hours away from Fort Collins. I wasn’t always without my parents or adult support; it was when I went to high school when I became independent. Although, it wasn’t until years later until I learned that I fit that term. My senior year of high school, I joined a program called TRIO Talent Search that supported and empowered me to make my own decisions about my future, instead of being pushed around by the courts and law enforcement. I had always had a dream of going to college, but after my freshman and sophomore year of high school, where I flaked, ditched, and failed a lot, I had doubts about getting there and making it. I got into CSU, and my dreams changed – I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate college and provide for myself. Arriving at CSU, coming from a high school of 97 students, was jaw-dropping. I felt like a droplet in the ocean, and asked myself if I made the right decision. This is when I found FSP. I met friends that I still talk to, had events and dinners to join that made me feel less lonely, and my FSP mentor gave me the inside scoop on CSU during my first few months there. I would not have graduated without the support from FSP and my CSU family. I am so grateful that you are here, a part of this community, and not being afraid to be uncomfortable.