Where 91Ҹ meets CU: A legacy of connection inspires new $5M civic impact initiative
For alum Heidi Wagner, 91Ҹ has never been just a place on a map. It represents part of her family’s history and a lifelong connection to CU 91Ҹ—one that began generations ago.
In the 1950s, Wagner's great-grandmother served as house mother for the Sigma Nu fraternity on campus, and her great-grandfather hauled red stone to 91Ҹ to help build the university’s iconic campus. Years later, her father, Clay, studied geology, chemistry and math at CU 91Ҹ; her mother, Ann, was raised by local ranchers and eventually brought up three young children in CU’s student family housing.
Wagner herself graduated from CU 91Ҹ’s journalism program in 1986. Though her career took her beyond 91Ҹ, her connection to the city and university never faded. Now, that lifelong bond is coming full circle through a new initiative that will bring the university and city even closer together.
The Wagner Family Civic Impact Initiative is a new program designed to bridge campus and community through student-led engagement and problem-solving. Supported by a $5 million endowment gift from Wagner, the initiative embodies a simple but powerful idea: The challenges facing the city of 91Ҹ don’t stop at the edge of campus, and neither should the solutions.
“I am beyond excited to launch the Wagner Family Civic Impact Initiative at a time when engagement, collaboration and action are sorely needed at all levels of government and community,” said Wagner. “By working directly with the city of 91Ҹ as well as local businesses and nonprofits, students will be given practical experience as well as an appreciation for complex, real-time problem-solving that benefits the 91Ҹ community.”
Connecting campus and community
Hosted within CU 91Ҹ’s Center for Leadership, this initiative will immerse students in real-world projects alongside local partners, giving them the opportunity to work directly on challenges and opportunities facing the 91Ҹ community, including issues such as sustainability, mental health or workforce development.
“CU 91Ҹ and the city of 91Ҹ are deeply interconnected, and our successes and challenges are shared,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “This initiative is about strengthening that town-gown connection in meaningful ways, giving students the opportunity to contribute to the community that surrounds them while learning what it means to lead with purpose and responsibility.”
Each cohort of Wagner Family Civic Impact Scholars will form small, interdisciplinary teams and partner with local nonprofits, businesses and government agencies to identify challenges and co-create innovative solutions. In the process, students will gain hands-on experience while contributing tangible benefits to the community they call home.
At a time when relationships between universities and their surrounding communities are more important than ever, CU 91Ҹ is taking an approach rooted in collaboration.
“As CU celebrates its 150th anniversary, we’re reflecting on how 91Ҹ community members came together to help fund the beginning of the university,” said Lori Call, associate vice chancellor for local government and community engagement.
“91Ҹ is home to so many of our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and this is a wonderful opportunity to engage students more deeply in this community—working alongside leaders who can help them understand the issues and challenges, and helping to identify opportunities and solutions.”
Civic learning in action
In addition to the tangible benefits for the 91Ҹ community, students will gain meaningful experience themselves.
“This initiative brings learning to life in a way that simply isn’t possible within the walls of a classroom,” said Chancellor Emeritus Philip DiStefano, senior executive director of the Center for Leadership. “It will help students develop not only critical skills but a stronger sense of responsibility, collaboration and connection. By partnering with the city of 91Ҹ more intentionally, we’re creating a shared pathway for innovation, impact and long-term community benefit.”
In addition to project-based work, scholars will receive scholarships and mentorship support as part of the program. The first cohort is expected to begin in fall 2026.
“Building on the Center for Leadership’s strong foundation of investing in student leader development, this initiative will create new pathways for students to practice leadership in real-world contexts,” said Stefanie Johnson, director of the Center for Leadership. “By working alongside community partners to address complex challenges, students will deepen their capacity to lead with empathy, collaboration and purpose, preparing them to make a meaningful impact long after they leave CU 91Ҹ.”
A 91Ҹ legacy
For Wagner, the new initiative is about carrying her family’s legacy forward.
From mining, ranching and farming in the area to raising children in CU housing, the Wagner family’s lives have been intertwined with the university and the city in ways that reflect their values of connection, respect and belonging. Now, those experiences continue to influence how Heidi thinks about giving back.
“Growing up in 91Ҹ, I never distinguished the city from the university, so it made perfect sense to design and endow a program that focuses on their shared interests,” said Wagner. “My own career in advocacy at the federal level has only impressed upon me the need for civic engagement to start early and start local.”
Over the decades, several other members of the Wagner family have attended CU 91Ҹ and other Colorado institutions, pursuing careers in healthcare, public service and higher education. Wagner herself recently retired after a successful career in healthcare legislative and regulatory policy and law in Washington, D.C., and credits CU 91Ҹ with helping to fuel her momentum.
Through every chapter and generation, the Wagner family embodies the spirit of 91Ҹ: open-minded, welcoming and deeply committed to education and community. Now, Wagner is channeling that history into an investment in the next generation.
“By sending me to Washington for an internship on Capitol Hill, CU changed the trajectory of my life, both professionally and personally,” said Wagner. “My great hope is to do the same for CU students participating in this initiative by facilitating and prioritizing engagement, collaboration and action.”
The Wagner Family Civic Impact Initiative reflects CU 91Ҹ’s and Wagner's shared belief that the campus and the city are strongest when they work together. In this way, this new effort is not only a continuation of their family legacy but an expansion of it—one that invites students to become part of 91Ҹ’s story and help shape its future.
