As it works to grow its student population, Colorado State University Pueblo is getting the word out in as many ways as it can that it just might be the right choice for graduating high school students. With an enrollment of just under 4,000 students, CSU Pueblo’s Lee Saunders says selling the Pueblo campus is easy.
He tells prospective students that because of the school’s size along with its intimate class sizes, students never get lost in the crowd. That’s an important selling point, especially as the school is fortifying its outreach, both culturally and geographically.
Last week, CSU Pueblo put out the welcome mat for 39 soon to graduate high school students from Chihuahua, Mexico. For two days, the visiting students were immersed in the ‘Thunderwolf’ experience, said Saunders, the school’s Executive Director of Admissions.
After a quick rest from their 14-hour bus ride from Chihuahua, a city approximately 25 miles south of El Paso, Texas, students got a quick orientation from school officials, including Saunders. “We explained life at the university, the life of a student…and did it in Spanish and English,” said the bilingual Saunders, whose deep baritone seems like it should be accompanied by trumpets. In Pueblo, Saunders is also the voice fans hear at all CSU Pueblo football games.
Saunders, a Denver native, explained to the visiting students a number of things that make CSU Pueblo a great choice for a college. Among them, he said, is affordability.
CSU Pueblo, through the RISE program, offers students from a ten-state region as well as Mexico and a handful of foreign nations, in-state tuition. In-state tuition at CSU Pueblo is just over $12,000, about half the cost of out-of-state tuition.
While international students are not eligible for federal loans, like any other student at the university, if they meet the criteria, they would be eligible for certain grants and scholarships.
Beyond their time on campus, the visiting students also got a chance to tour the city. They were hosted by Pueblo’s Sister City Commission for an evening reception and dinner.
Making them feel comfortable, not only with the school but with a city they may one day reside in, said Saunders, is important. And Pueblo, he said, is a welcoming place.
“We have decades of experience serving the Latino/Hispanic population,” said the CSU Pueblo administrator. “These students can find a home here.” The city, he said, offers both culture and comfort. And, Saunders said, the university scores high marks for providing students support and services they may need.`
As they toured the campus, the visiting students no doubt felt some familiarity with their surroundings. The area around Pueblo has some similarity with Chihuahua. Both are high desert cities, and both are situated near the mountain.
The student’s home, Chihuahua, is both a city—the capital– and state. Geographically, it is located in the northwest of Mexico and shares borders with both New Mexico and Texas. While Pueblo has the Front Range of the Rockies, Chihuahua has the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. But Chihuahua is significantly larger than Pueblo, with a population of 920,000 as of 2020. As a state, it is approximately the size of Wyoming.
CSU Pueblo already serves a sizable international student enrollment, including a number from the Middle East. But, because RISE—Regional In-State Equivalent—also applies to students from China, Italy, Slovenia and South Korea, the school’s international student enrollment continues to grow.
On their whirlwind visit, students spent a lot of campus time visiting CSU Pueblo’s most impressive departments, nursing and engineering.
The school’s nursing program is regionally known for its excellence. Saunders said the visiting students got a firsthand opportunity to linger at the nursing simulation lab. Graduates of the CSU Pueblo nursing program provide much of southern Colorado with a steady pipeline of health care professionals.
In the school of engineering lab, Saunders said, “They really got to do some hands-on stuff,” including having one-on-one conversations with a few of the engineering professors who talked to them about “working as engineers in the United States.”
As part of the introduction to CSU Pueblo, the 39 Mexican students were advised about the documents they must have current if they enroll, including a J1 Visa. It is mandatory for any international student.
Whether in Mexico or on their visit to Pueblo, Saunders said there was a uniform desire to seek a degree. “The message I got from the students on why they want to come here is ‘el papel habla.’ The ‘paper,’ the diploma, talks. “Having a United States college degree to take home really means something economically for their future.”
