We Are Colorado

As part of the CiviCO Colorado Governors Citizenship Medal Celebration, Colorado Young Leaders asked prominent changemakers across the state all about Colorado and what it means to them. Their input was gathered and Youth Advisory Board members and Generation Collaboration podcast hosts curated a poem from the activities where people shared their hopes and dreams for the state. This acted as a call-to-action of sorts to our state Governor, Attorney General, city and town mayors, state representatives, and many more changemakers. 

 

The CYL original piece, “We are Colorado,”was presented by CYLers Ashley Hagen, Tuhin Sur, Erica Appel, Sonakshi Srivastava, and Clara Little. 

 

We Are Colorado Leaders

A poem co-created by the attendees of the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal Celebration on January 26, 2023 and presented by Colorado Young Leaders. 

We are Colorado. We are rural and urban

We are from majestic mountains, eastern plains, 

and where a city sprung from converging rivers

We are waitstaff and ceos, 

We are parents, coaches, neighbors, and small town kids.

We are from the left, from the right and from the middle. 

We are from Palisade peaches and Pueblo green chiles, 

We are from rainbow trout and fry bread, 

We are from Santiago’s burritos and Rocky Mountain cantaloupe, 

We are Colorado Leaders. 

We are at the corner of courage and curiosity,

We are at the corner of empathy and passion,

We are from Maroon Bells and Rocky Mountain National Park, 

We are from the Botanic Gardens and anywhere on the Blue River, 

We are from the San Luis Valley and the Garden of the Gods, 

We are from the middle of somewhere, 

We are Colorado Leaders. 

We are trailblazers and disruptors,

We are ambitious and entrepreneurial, 

We are collaborators and changemakers,

We are resilient and forward-looking, 

We are Colorado Leaders. 

We believe in fewer cars, 

We believe in being a welcoming state for new Americans,

We believe that everyone deserves clean water, 

We believe we can accomplish all of these things together,

We are Colorado Leaders. 

We spend our days hiking and organizing, skiing and advocating, escaping to the mountains and supporting local businesses, 

We will implement better public transportation, 

We will update infrastructure to handle the influx of people,

We will create a more sustainable state, 

We will demand change.

We are Colorado Leaders.