Where We Become Mavericks: Clifton Elementary

CMU student-athletes are inspiring strength at Mesa County Valley School District 51

On Friday, March 28, the CMU Men’s and Women’s Wrestling teams visited Clifton Elementary School as part of the Where We Become Mavericks initiative at Colorado Mesa University. This program shows students throughout Mesa County Valley School District 51 that higher education is accessible and affordable at CMU. 

During the visit, student-athletes joined an assembly at Clifton Elementary School to talk about their stories of resilience. Student-athletes Owen Cline, Hector De Le Cruz, Erica Smith, Valerie (Val) Glenn, Mollie Dare and Hania Halverson shared stories about moving schools, battling injuries and staying motivated through difficult times. They also asked students questions about what resilience means to them and how they can embody this value as they tackle a new transition in their lives.

The Men’s and Women’s Wrestling teams were also joined by former CMU Student Ambassador and current CMU Admission Councilor Malachi Yeager, who led the students in a Resiliency Pledge stating that they would stand back on their feet, smile when they fall and stay resilient. After all students took the pledge, Yeager taught them a Rock Paper Scissors Resiliency activity, where students faced off against a partner and practiced resilience phrases like “I did my best, and it worked!” or “I will try again next time!”. Students were very eager to not only play with the CMU student-athletes but were also engaged when the CMU's students began to talk about their own stories related to overcoming challenges and coming out of them stronger and braver.

A special moment from the event was witnessing the interactions between the CMU student-athletes and the Clifton Elementary School students, specifically Owen Cline, who was able to recognize one of Clifton Elementary’s students whose story of resilience brought him to tears. 

“I genuinely believe that these kids and these next generations are going to make this town [Clifton] amazing,” Cline expressed.

Assistant Principal Megan Hill also shared how powerful CMU’s visit to Clifton Elementary School is in helping students remain resilient through the large transition they are about to face.

“Hearing everybody’s stories today, they get to hear a lot of people who dealt with similar things in their life and they’re at university, so I think doing this is going to make a huge impact,” Hill said. “They got to hear their stories and say to them 'You can be resilient too, you can make it through you can do hard things', so I think they are going to go home and remember this forever.”

Throughout the visit with both wrestling teams, students were inspired to be resilient not just in school and sports but in their personal lives as well. Clifton Elementary students were able to relate to the student-athletes and see that they can overcome any challenge they face.