Blake Eaton, a junior business administration major in the Bachelor of Innovation program and a current Reach Your Peak scholar, shared what it means to be a Reach Your Peak scholar. Photo credit: Chuck Bigger 
Reach Your Peak scholars had an opportunity to meet one another and learn about each other at the spring 2022 reception. 
Chancellor Venkat Reddy met each of the Reach Your Peak scholars during the event. 
Event speakers included Chancellor Venkat Reddy and Beau Kelly, Director of Development. 
The annual Reach Your Peak reception is an opportunity for donors, UCCS staff and students to connect. 
The Reach Your Peak spring reception was held at the Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS on March 8, 2022. 
Eaton and Reddy had to opportunity to connect after speaking during the Reach Your Peak reception. 
Reach Your Peak donors met with Reach Your Peak scholarship recipients during the March 8 reception.
On March 8, scholars and alumni of the Bruce and Anne Shepard Reach Your Peak scholarship celebrated with community leaders, donors, staff and supporters of the program at the Ent Center for the Arts.
At the reception, friends of the program were invited to network and meet with current Reach Your Peak scholarship recipients, with a goal of making connections, sharing stories, and illustrating how the Reach Your Peak scholarship has a positive impact on student’s lives.
Blake Eaton, a junior business administration major in the Bachelor of Innovation program and a current Reach Your Peak scholar, shared about his academic experience and what it means to be a Reach Your Peak scholar. Other speakers included Chancellor Venkat Reddy and Beau Kelly, Director of Development.
“Tonight’s reception is a special time for our scholars, alumni and community leaders to get to know one another and make valuable connections,” Reddy said. “These friendships and mentor relationships last long after our scholars graduate and go out into the world. They make our community even stronger and more connected than ever before.”
The Bruce and Anne Shepard Reach Your Peak Scholarship was established in 2003 by UCCS donors Bruce and Anne Shepard. Bruce Shepard passed away in April 2015 and Anne Shepard passed away in August 2017. The Shepards were lifelong residents of Colorado Springs and lived a life dedicated to their faith.
“Bruce and Anne knew that to ensure our continued economic growth, and to strengthen southern Colorado, we needed to make a university education possible for bright students,” Reddy said. “These students need financial support, but they fall through the cracks of traditional scholarship programs. And they don’t just succeed academically — they also dedicate their time to professional growth. Reach Your Peak scholars truly show the Mountain Lion spirit.”
About the Reach Your Peak Scholarship
The Reach Your Peak Scholarship is a need-based award for undergraduates. A high percentage of scholars are first-generation students. The scholarship program provides professional development workshops throughout the year, and the annual gatherings provide opportunities for scholars to engage with donors.
When the program launched, the Reach Your Peak scholarship supported only four students and involved just a handful of community supporters. Now, it has grown into a program which funds hundreds of scholars each year and engages more than 650 community supporters. Learn more about the Reach Your Peak scholarship online.