Arapahoe Community College is that large, concrete building across from Hudson Gardens off Santa Fe. Its exterior may be unassuming, but inside is a remarkably welcoming place where students from all walks of life gather to find community, opportunity, and new beginnings.
For many of those students, getting through the doors wouldn’t be possible without help.
Through the generosity of individual and corporate donors, the ACC Foundation provides scholarships that help students pursue education and career pathways that can lead to greater economic and social mobility—not only for themselves, but for their families and communities.
And sometimes, that generosity comes full circle.
This is the story of an ACC graduate. While the details are unique, stories of perseverance, opportunity, and gratitude can be found throughout the ACC community.
Ryan’s Story
My name is Ryan Wade, and I am a proud former student of Arapahoe Community College. My time at ACC was nothing short of life-changing. The experiences, education, and support I received at ACC changed the trajectory of my life and gave me the foundation to pursue opportunities I once never imagined possible.
As a four-time survivor of homelessness, I know firsthand what it means to face adversity and uncertainty. I grew up in a household where abuse and substance abuse were a part of daily life, circumstances that could have easily defined the direction of my life. Instead, I fought to create a different future for myself. In 2023, I went from those beginnings to graduating at the top of my class and being nominated as a speaker for my graduating class.
When I first came to ACC in the spring of 2021, I was a 29-year-old who had never graduated from high school. I came to ACC determined to change that, to take everything I had been through and turn it into something meaningful, a future that looked nothing like where I had come from.
I first found ACC through a workforce program while I was unemployed and looking for an opportunity to build a new career. My interest in automotive technology began in 2017, during the last period of homelessness in my life, when I was living in a car that frequently broke down. I couldn’t afford a mechanic, so I bought a repair manual and a set of tools and taught myself how to make repairs.
The scholarship and tuition assistance made it possible for me to take that next step. ACC gave me the opportunity to take something that was born out of hardship and necessity and turn it into an education, a career, and an achievement I once could not have imagined for myself.
Today, I am no longer a mechanic. I am an expert automotive industry consultant and regional manager, working with seven different automotive firms and helping guide their operations, management, and growth.
But despite the successes I’ve experienced professionally, I’m most proud that I’ve kept a promise I made to myself: to help others.
Since leaving ACC, I have not only become an active member of the National Coalition for the Homeless but have also founded and serve as Chairman of United Supporters Initiative, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering dignity, hope, and opportunity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Gratitude has a way of multiplying.
A scholarship is a financial gift, but its impact can reach far beyond tuition.
At the ACC Foundation, we’re grateful for the donors who make those opportunities possible, and for students like Ryan, who remind us just how far one act of generosity can travel.