Are you thinking of starting or continuing college? You may be eligible to participate in the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative’s (COSI) Back to Work or Finish What You Started programs.
COSI is partnering with non-profits and public colleges and universities across the state to provide individuals with student support services and financial support to access and complete a certificate or degree.
See the schedule and join the discussion!
4-5 pm-Carla Castillo, COSI Senior Program Manager
Carla Castillo is COSI’s senior program manager, where she provides guidance and support to the technical assistance team and leads the Back to Work program. She has been working at the Colorado Department of Higher Education for 10 years in various roles, such as Lead College Advisor for the Colorado Challenge Program at the Auraria Campus and as a Community Relations Manager with CollegeInvest.
Carla has direct student support experience as a college advisor at Denver East High School with the Denver Scholarship Foundation. Carla received her Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in 2013 and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006.
5-6 pm- Kolby Knupp, COSI Program Manager
Kolby Knupp (she/her) joined the Colorado Department of Higher Education in 2021 as a Program Manager for Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI). As the lead of COSI’s Finish What you Started program, she is responsible for the programming, requirements, and communications to implement a new $46.55 million dollar initiative to re-engage students into postsecondary education across 30 public institutions in Colorado.
Originally from Iowa, Kolby earned her undergraduate degree in Family Services and a Master of Arts in Education in Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs from the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to working at CDHE, Kolby’s roles were housed within the Financial Aid Office, helping students and their families navigate the complex systems of higher education and paying for college. She was also a key partner in helping to implement collegiate apprenticeship opportunities in high-need healthcare fields!
6-7 pm Dr. Cynthia Armendariz, COSI Managing Director
Dr. Cynthia Armendariz has worked in the higher education field for over 15 years, serving traditional, non-traditional, and transfer students focusing on access and student success.
She received her bachelor’s degree in business management from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, her master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her Ph.D. in education and human resource studies/higher education leadership at Colorado State University.
Cynthia’s passion and research are focused on developing programs and strategies to increase enrollment, persistence, and credential completion of underserved students.