Gratitude Inspires Alumna to Create Legacy

When Cynthia Somers decided to make a planned gift to support student scholarships at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), she did not realize that she would be filled with an “unexpected joy.”

A 2012 ColoradoSPH alumna, Cynthia was recruited after graduation to work on a groundbreaking project through Connect for Health Colorado, with the goal of ensuring all Coloradans have healthcare access. In her role, she quickly became sought after for her knowledge of healthcare policy, and her comprehensive understanding of data, health systems, payers and policy was welcomed by others in the field.

Cynthia enjoys life in the outdoors and skiing

“My CU education prepared me for my career in many ways,” said Cynthia. “Public health is the lens through which I now see the world.” She credits her ability to collaborate with stakeholders, approach complex problems, and educate groups of people with different backgrounds to ColoradoSPH. She now owns a successful consulting practice.

The gratitude Cynthia felt for ColoradoSPH’s role in her story was clear as she considered her financial planning. She said, “I thought about my legacy – whom did I want to benefit from my success?”

In appreciation for her education, Cynthia decided to give back through a planned gift supporting scholarships for public health students at ColoradoSPH, by adding CU as a beneficiary of her 401(k).

At the end of her lifetime, Cynthia’s scholarship fund will support one or more public health students each year who are studying mental and behavioral health, an area of importance to her.

“I feel great joy, as well as peace of mind, that I will inspire future generations of students to continue to contribute to the mental health field,” said Cynthia. “I hope that this award will encourage students to make a positive difference in healthcare delivery, and that, by then, mental health will be treated as importantly as physical health.”

Cynthia stresses the need of having financial plans in place and taking the time to be thoughtful. Most significantly, she underlines that anyone can make a planned gift, no matter the amount.

For Cynthia, giving back to ColoradoSPH has been a satisfying journey. “I wasn’t expecting how much fulfillment I’ve received through this gift planning process,” she said. She noted that her philanthropic advisers have worked tirelessly to connect her to old and new faces at ColoradoSPH, including her past professors, all of whom are making strides in mental health research, program offerings and innovation.

Cynthia said, “The thought that I can potentially make a difference by helping a future generation of students, even though I don’t know what challenges they will face – it fills my heart. It wasn’t something I was expecting. You just have to go through it to know what it feels like.”

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