Ken Papaleo / The Rocky
Meron Fitsum, center, plays Connect Four with her sister Makda, left, and brother Hayelom in their Denver home on Tuesday. Meron Fitsum, an 18-year-old high school senior, is among a record number of Daniels Scholarship winners.
Meron Fitsum has a habit of coming right to the point.
When asked how she became one of the record number of 265 Daniels Scholarship winners awarded this week, the 18-year- old high school senior tells you the story – her story, the one that intersects with the American dream.
Her parents are from Ethiopia. Fitsum was born in Sudan.
“When I was 2, my family moved from Sudan to America as refugee immigrants, all in hopes of the American dream. Since then, we’ve come across lots of people willing to help us.”
For the past four years, one of those people was Sherry Shepard, information technology director for the law firm of Holland & Hart. Shepard is a volunteer with Byrne Urban Scholars. They lined her up with Fitsum.
Although Fitsum was shy at first, the two bonded quickly over their mutual love of dance, including taking classes in hip-hop dance at the Cleo Parker Robinson studio.
“This is a family that I’ll know forever,” Shepard said Monday. “Even if they don’t have a lot, they’ll feed you forever,” she said, recalling many cups of strong Ethiopian coffee served by Fitsum’s father, Belay, who works as a valet at the Brown Palace.
“This is the only family I know where the kids argue over who’s the smartest,” she added. “And they are all smart.”
Asked who is the smartest among her and her five younger siblings, Fitsum doesn’t miss a beat.
“Me, of course,” she said laughing.
The decision letter from the Daniels Fund arrived a few weeks ago.
Her father called her and said, “OK, I’ve got the mail. Do you want me to open it?”
“Is it fat or skinny?” she asked.
“Fat,” he said.
“Open it.”
A few minutes later, when she called Shepard, who was at a conference in Las Vegas, Shepard said it was hard to tell who was screaming for joy louder, the mentor or the student.
Today, the Daniels Fund plans to announce the names of all 265 students who will receive $6.6 million of scholarships. Thanks to some good portfolio investments, that number is up from 200 scholars two years ago, said fund spokesman Peter Droege. The scholars are from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah.
Fitsum plans to use her scholarship to attend Saint Louis University, where she hopes to study creative writing.
Her mentor is not surprised that her protege won the scholarship.
“Every time she hears of something that has to do with leadership, she signs up for it,” Shepard said. “She takes the initiative and makes things happen for herself.”
The Daniels Fund by the numbers
The Denver-based foundation started by the late cable magnate Bill Daniels makes grants to nonprofit organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah and on a limited basis to national programs.
70% of money paid out by the fund is given to agencies working in nine areas chosen by Daniels, including education, the homeless, the elderly and children.
30% of the fund’s annual payout is devoted to the foundation’s college-prep and scholarship program.
Geographic breakdown of the funds
* Colorado: 65 percent (50 percent in the Denver area, 15 percent in the balance of the state)
* New Mexico: 10 percent
* Wyoming: 10 percent
* National programs: 10 percent
* Utah: 5 percent