‘1 in 5’ Episode 13: Meet Lesley Del Rio
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Lesley Del Rio and her son Leo enjoy all the great activities that the state offers. She graduated from Florence Crittenton High School in 2013 and is working toward her B.A. degree in business administration through an online platform called AdvanceEDU and Southern New Hampshire University.
Professionally, Lesley worked as a youth sexual health advocate at the Colorado Public Health Department, implementing positive youth development strategies. She also served as a family advocate for Florence Crittenton Services, where she assisted families in gaining access to public assistance, and as a program manager at Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver.
Lesley is now a Career Pathways Trainer at Mi Casa Resource Center, where she helps job-seekers prepare for careers in high-growth industries. Lesley’s background in community engagement comes from a strong sense of belonging to her Denver community and a foundation of advocacy and organizing. Her passion is improving health equity and social justice in the communities that need it the most.
In her free time, Lesley and her son enjoy being outdoors, hiking, camping, and have recently found a love for skiing.
Listen
You can read the episode transcript here.
Resources
AdvanceEDU is a Denver-based hybrid college that combines high-quality online college degrees from accredited and non-profit universities with in-person supports aimed at helping students succeed.
Florence Crittenton Services is a Denver non-profit that uses a trauma-responsive two-generation program model to help teen families break the cycle of poverty through education, health and wellness, and economic and social asset building.
Mi Casa Resource Center educates, trains, and supports youth and adults on their path to success in education, employment, and business ownership.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
As a former student parent and Ascend PSP Parent Advisor, I have been provided a myriad of platforms to elevate the student parent experience, and I a...
Today, Ascend is excited to announce our 2023-24 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund Partners, six organizations and institutions from across the country wh...
Ascend at the Aspen Institute today launched a report, A 2Gen Approach in Minnesota: A State Case Study for Systems Leaders & Policymakers, which deta...
The 2Gen Accelerator Community is a new effort bringing together 15 local and national organizations with best practices for two-generation (2Gen) or ...
An episode of firsts! Our first live episode recorded at the inaugural Ascend Parent Advisor Convening in Aspen, CO in front of an audience of student...
Today, the Aspen Institute announced its 2023 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows, 20 leaders from across the United States who are transforming systems so...
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute announced that four community colleges from across the United States have been selected as partners to its Postse...
Snapshots from the 2023 Ascend Parent Advisor Convening in Aspen, Colorado.
What does college success look like for Black and Native student parents? This podcast episode sheds light on student parents’ and administrators’...
100 Ascend Fellows will join the Aspen community for two afternoons of conversations aimed at Building Well-Being for Children and Families and Priori...
Ascend at the Aspen Institute is excited to announce the launch of the 2023 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund, which will provide financial resources and...
Reflections on the experiences, challenges, and joys that shape the life of student father and Ascend PSP Parent Advisor Christian Ortiz.
Among the one in five postsecondary students who are parents, there are close to 1.1 million student fathers. This chartbook synthesizes the available...
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted live...
On May 9, members of the Ascend team had the opportunity to visit Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. Here are three takeaways from our site vis...
Featured from the Ascend Community