When Joe Higgins retired from a 34-year career with the Partners Program, he thought his days of advocating for young people in Mesa County were winding down. But as he watched too many promising students put aside their college dreams for financial reasons, Higgins realized he had one more project left to start.
“I always knew that the further we can get those young people along the line of education, the better their futures would be,” Higgins said.
In 2017, Higgins launched the Mesa Scholarship Initiative (MSI), which is now known as the Century Scholarship in honor of CMU’s 100th anniversary this year. Its purpose was to help more local students access a college education at Colorado Mesa University, regardless of family income.
The need was obvious. Across Colorado, about 70% of high school graduates go on to attend some form of higher education. In Mesa County however, the figure lagged well behind, closer to 48%. On average, only a quarter of students from families earning between $20,000 and $61,000 per year from Mesa County enroll in college.
“I remember talking to my granddaughter’s soccer teammate,” Higgins recalled. “She was a straight-A student and a good athlete, but she said, ‘I can’t afford to go to college. I have three younger siblings, and my folks told me I can’t do it.’ That broke my heart. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.”
From those early conversations the Mesa Scholarship Initiative was created. Higgins, President Emeritus Tim Foster and Associate Director of Development Rick Adleman invited community leaders to campus lunches, where they listened to students share how scholarships had changed their lives. Within the first few years, the program raised $5 million in endowed funds.
In 2025, the program was renamed the Century Scholarship to align with CMU’s centennial celebration. Today, the endowment stands at $7 million, with the goal of reaching $10 million to ensure that future generations of students can continue to thrive.
The stories behind the numbers are what keep Higgins motivated. He recalls two young women he first knew through the Western Colorado Conservation Corps, a youth program he helped start. Both had dropped out of high school but earned GEDs, enrolled at CMU with the help of scholarships and eventually graduated. One now serves as a district ranger with the Bureau of Land Management and the other became a high school teacher.
“That’s the kind of stuff that makes me proud and happy,” Higgins said. “They turned their lives around and now they’re making a difference in their communities.”
The ripple effects are clear. Students who receive support through the Century Scholarship often go on to contribute locally, filling critical jobs in health care, education, law enforcement and business.
At a recent Donors and Scholars event, Higgins sat down with eight students to hear firsthand stories about the impact of the initiative. Four of them said plainly that without the Century Scholarship and the CMU Promise that they wouldn’t be in college at all. Six of the eight also said they planned to stay in Mesa County after graduation.
“That just made me so proud,” Higgins said. “Half of those students wouldn’t have been sitting at that table if it weren’t for this program. And most of them want to give back right here in our community. That’s the impact.”
From the beginning, Higgins has been clear that the Century Scholarship is a shared initiative between the community and the university.
“This is us as a community investing in our future. It’s the 163 donors who stepped up in the first few years.”
That community spirit is still alive and well as CMU grows at a record pace, having recently welcomed two of its largest freshman classes in history and expanding programs to meet workforce needs. For Higgins, seeing this momentum makes the $10 million goal feel inevitable.
“When we get there, it will mean we’re doing the right thing,” Higgins said. “It will say to me that people are making good, sound investments in our students and in our community. Once we hit $10 million, we’ll keep going. Because this work doesn’t end.”
As CMU looks back on its first century, it also continues to look ahead. The Century Scholarship represents both a promise and an invitation that no student should be denied opportunity because of financial barriers and that everyone in the community can play a role in opening those doors.
“I think any investment in CMU, and particularly in Century Scholars, is changing the future for young people and their families,” Higgins said. “It’s a worthwhile investment.”
Want to support Mesa County students and contribute to the $10 million goal? Give to the Century Scholarship! Your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar.