The Puksta Foundation

The Puksta Foundation Enriching Lives. Engaging Communities - Founded in 2000

We provide access to higher education. A college education is only part of one's learning opportunity.

Our scholarship is given based on financial need and a commitment to civic engagement and social justice. The Puksta Foundation is a 501(c)3 educational foundation formed in 2000. We provide access to higher education to Colorado high school graduates. Our scholarship is based on financial need with a commitment to civic engagement and social justice. The Puksta Foundation operates on 5 campuses a

cross the state of Colorado providing grants to the University of Denver, Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Denver and Metropolitan State University. These grants fund a 4-year scholarship program at each university called the Puksta Scholar Program. We currently have 65 young Colorado men and women in the program. As a requirement of our scholarship, each of our Puksta Scholars is actively working on a project of their choosing in their community to make our world a better place to live in and work in. With $4,400,000 of gifting over the past 22 years we now have over 300 Puksta Alumni around the world with many of them continuing their civic work that they began with Puksta. Participation in the community is the perspective that truly shapes individual lives. The Foundation encourages scholars to be engaged in the community and to commit time and energy to the betterment of Colorado.

✨🎓 Please join us in celebrating, Samrawit Shewanargaw CSU Graduate and now Puksta alumni! ✨🎓Samrawit is passionate abou...
05/28/2026

✨🎓 Please join us in celebrating, Samrawit Shewanargaw CSU Graduate and now Puksta alumni! ✨🎓

Samrawit is passionate about advancing mental health awareness in the Black community—especially how mental health challenges impact Black women and how homelessness can affect mental health outcomes.

Inspired by the growing need for support and understanding in the African community, Samrawit hopes to collaborate with a mental health facility in South Africa to learn from community-based approaches and bring those insights back home. Her goal is to help build awareness, reduce stigma, and expand access to care, while honoring the religious and cultural contexts that shape how many people experience and interpret mental health.

We’re proud of you, Samrawit—congratulations on this incredible milestone and on the impact you’re already making. 💙

✨🎓 Please join us in celebrating our Puksta graduate from CU Denver, Adriana Fiero Mena! 🎓✨🌟 During her time in Puksta, ...
05/25/2026

✨🎓 Please join us in celebrating our Puksta graduate from CU Denver, Adriana Fiero Mena! 🎓✨

🌟 During her time in Puksta, Adriana researched the gaps within AP and IB programs—highlighting how many low-income schools are not able to offer these courses. Recognizing that these disparities often begin early, she shifted her focus this year to early education as a way to address education inequities in underserved communities. Adriana also partnered with Kids In Need Foundation to organize and host a school supply drive that helped ensure local students have the tools they need to succeed academically.

🚀 As she looks ahead, Adriana plans to continue growing her business as a nail technician and build a recognizable brand. Her long-term goal is to open her own location with space for her services and stations to rent to other beauty professionals. Further down the line, she hopes to offer nail courses as well.

🎉 We’re proud of you, Adriana—congratulations on your graduation and all you’ve already accomplished!

On Wednesday evening, we enjoyed a beautiful and inspiring fifth and final Puksta Passage at the University of Denver. W...
05/24/2026

On Wednesday evening, we enjoyed a beautiful and inspiring fifth and final Puksta Passage at the University of Denver.

We were honored to hear remarks from Elizabeth Loboa, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, who shared that during our 25-year partnership, Puksta has contributed over $1.6 million to scholarships at DU—helping welcome more than 110 scholars into DU classrooms. ✨

Our DU graduates, Nour Zouhou and Elizabeth Navarro 🎉, shared deeply insightful remarks on their experience in our program and we got to celebrate our continuing scholars and the powerful work they’re advancing in their communities, including:

• Creating pathways to college access with and for youth
• Research to support more informed, nuanced conversations about the heavily stigmatized topic of s*x work
• Education equity for students in special education systems
• Food justice advocacy and partnership with local food pantries
• Compassionate behavioral health support and advocacy in underserved communities
• Writing instruction for incarcerated individuals to help reduce recidivism
• Youth development and mentorship
• Addressing inequities in health outcomes for Black women
• Working toward collective liberation across campus
• Community storytelling

We also said goodbye to longtime Coordinator John Macikas. John, thank you for your steady leadership and care—wishing you all the best in your new role as Associate Director of CCESL. We’re very excited to welcome our new coordinator (and Puksta alum) Brendan Teck. We can’t wait for what’s ahead!

And a special thank you to the DU Advancement team for planning such a meaningful event 💞

🎓✨ Today we’re celebrating CSU Puksta graduate—and now Puksta Alumni—Yoseline Rivera! ✨🎓🌟 During her time in the Puksta ...
05/20/2026

🎓✨ Today we’re celebrating CSU Puksta graduate—and now Puksta Alumni—Yoseline Rivera! ✨🎓

🌟 During her time in the Puksta program, Yoseline helped build a coalition that stood up for students’ rights through legislation, meetings with decision-makers, and powerful sit-ins. She also led food drives to support students facing hunger, reminding all of us that community care and advocacy go hand in hand.

🚀 After graduation, Yoseline is heading to Denver to begin her next chapter, with plans to one day attend law school.

🎉 We’re so proud of you, Yoseline! Thank you for the heart, leadership, and courage you bring to all you do. Wishing you all the best in everything ahead!

✨🎓 Congratulations to Hyab Tekeste, a fabulous Puksta Scholar graduating from Colorado State University! 🎓✨🌟 During her ...
05/16/2026

✨🎓 Congratulations to Hyab Tekeste, a fabulous Puksta Scholar graduating from Colorado State University! 🎓✨

🌟 During her time in Puksta, Hyab has been focusing on financial literacy support, especially for immigrant and underserved communities. She hosted engaging workshops and conversations around topics like budgeting, credit, and financial planning. She also worked on building partnerships with community organizations to help expand access to these resources.

🚀 After graduation, Hyab plans to continue working in finance while staying involved in community-focused work, as well as her photography work!

👏 Join us in celebrating Hyab's incredible achievements and wishing her all the best in her future endeavors!

Congratulations to Puksta Scholars and MSU Denver graduates Alexis Campos & Montserrat Adame! 🎓✨Today we celebrate not o...
05/16/2026

Congratulations to Puksta Scholars and MSU Denver graduates Alexis Campos & Montserrat Adame! 🎓✨

Today we celebrate not only your graduation, but the care, leadership, and commitment to community you’ve brought to our program throughout your journeys. The Puksta Foundation believes in the power of civic engagement and young people working alongside their communities to create meaningful change. Both of you embody that spirit so fully. 🌟

We are deeply inspired by your passion, the ways you show up for others, and the futures you are helping imagine and build. We can’t wait to see where your leadership takes you next. 💙

✨🎓 Congratulations Nour Zouhou, soon to be a proud DU graduate and Puksta Alumni! 🎓✨🌟 During her time in the Puksta prog...
05/14/2026

✨🎓 Congratulations Nour Zouhou, soon to be a proud DU graduate and Puksta Alumni! 🎓✨

🌟 During her time in the Puksta program, Nour focused on addressing the erasure and discrimination against BIPOC, q***r people, immigrants, and women as well as broad critique of conduct by the US government through individual and community art practices. She has been researching public art as a means of rest and resistance, connecting with other artists, non profits, and galleries in Denver.

🚀 After graduation, Nour plans to do some traveling and try out new hobbies. She looks forward to hiking with friends and making zines!

🎉 Please join us in celebrating all that Nour has accomplished applying her artistic passions and talents to her civic engagement work!

✨🎓 Congratulations. to our amazing MSU graduate and now Puksta Alumni, Alexis Cardenas Campos! 🎓✨🌟 During his time in th...
05/12/2026

✨🎓 Congratulations. to our amazing MSU graduate and now Puksta Alumni, Alexis Cardenas Campos! 🎓✨

🌟 During his time in the Puksta program, Alexi worked with high school minority students to build their emotional intelligence and personal development skills. He supported 7-10 non-English speaking immigrant students per month, talking to them about respect, stress management, identity, self-esteem, growth mindset, masculinity, and other personal life topics. He engaged in both group meeting sessions and one-on-one conversations with students.

🚀 After graduation, Alexis plans to continue emphasizing the role of design, art, and self towards the overall approach of existential balance and everyday life. He will bring more cross-disciplinary dialogue and democratization to the role of thought and expression.

🎉 We are celebrating all you have accomplished supporting your students and living your values in our program and beyond! Wishing you the best as you move forward on your journey!

This year’s Puksta Passage was filled with so much heart. Throughout the evening, our 7 graduating scholars shared perso...
05/11/2026

This year’s Puksta Passage was filled with so much heart. Throughout the evening, our 7 graduating scholars shared personal stories, reflections, and experiences from their time in Puksta that brought many of us to tears. Congratulations Jazzy Ewing, Yoseline Rivera, Hyab Tekeste, Edna Agustin Chavez, Andrea Pereida, Lensa Wako, Samrawit Shewanargaw! 🎓💚 You are a powerful reminder of the relationships, growth, and community that make this program so meaningful.

Before dinner, we had the opportunity to learn from our continuing scholars through their poster presentations and celebrate the important work they are doing. We are so proud of all you continue to contribute to your communities and campus!

This evening was also bittersweet as we said goodbye to Sam Desta, our longtime CSU coordinator. Sam’s impact on generations of scholars and on the development of the program at CSU cannot be overstated. Thank you, Sam, for the immense care, leadership, and love you have poured into this community over the years.

At the same time, we are so excited to celebrate Michael Silvey, who has stepped into the coordinator role this year with such warmth and care already. He has quickly become beloved by scholars, and we are grateful for the future ahead.

What a beautiful night honoring past, present, and future Puksta scholars. 💫

✨🎓 Congratulations to our incredible 2026 CSU Puksta Graduate, Andrea Pereida! 🎓 ✨🌟 During her time in Puksta, Andrea wo...
05/10/2026

✨🎓 Congratulations to our incredible 2026 CSU Puksta Graduate, Andrea Pereida! 🎓 ✨

🌟 During her time in Puksta, Andrea worked at the Colorado State Public Defender's Office, an organization with a long history of providing excellent representation to persons accused in criminal cases when they cannot afford to hire counsel. She was able to meet with 30 clients and help address their needs. She served as a translator to help schedule appointments and shared resources to support them upon their release.

🚀 As Andrea embarks on a new position at New Leaf Family Law Firm as a bilingual legal assistant after graduating, we celebrate all that she has achieved and look forward to her continued impact in the technology field!

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2221 W 30th Avenue
Denver, CO
80211

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+13039156979

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