Rhiannon is a mother of two wonderful boys, an active volunteer, an artist, and a graduate of
the Colorado School of Mines Engineering Physics program. She began her journey with JPP in 2015. She had just moved back to Colorado to be closer to family and enrolled her youngest son into Head Start in Wheat Ridge.
"Head Start felt like a community and JPP was an extension of that community."
Rhiannon's first goal was to complete her associate degree, but she felt very overwhelmed with the idea of navigating the school system. JPP coaches were there for Rhiannon every step of the process, from completing paperwork, re-testing, FASFA, and filing taxes to enrolling in courses and paying for tuition, rent, and books.
"When I enrolled at Red Rocks, I was fortunate to have supportive teachers who encouraged me to continue my education and complete a four-year degree in science and physics. JPP and Red Rocks worked together with School of Mines to earn a transfer scholarship to make that possible."
Rhiannon’s persistence and determination, along with the support of family, friends and local organizations has helped her to design and achieve lofty goals while caring for her children and giving back to the community. Rhiannon is passionate about encouraging others to push through obstacles, surpass their limitations, and become all that they are made to be.
In 2023, Rhiannon graduated from the School of Mines with her Master's in Applied Optical Physics and accepted a position at Lockheed Martin. Her goal is to work locally in the optics industry while continuing to volunteer at her church and stay involved in both of her boy's academic and extracurricular pursuits.