Last March, first-year Dylan Roseman headed to his family's mailbox knowing there was a possibility he would find out life-changing news. The anticipation was boiling over. Roseman had spent months working on an application for a college scholarship filling out paperwork, writing essays and doing in-person interviews all leading up to this moment. It also didn’t help that the mailbox key went missing for a couple of days delaying the reveal. 

“I pulled out the folder in the mail, and I’m looking at it and my parents are behind me, and I say, ‘Oh my gosh, we got it!'” Roseman said. “We were all jumping up and down, my mom was crying, and she said, ‘You did it, you are going to be able to go to college for free now.’” 

Roseman is one of 50 Colorado students selected to be a 2023 Boettcher Scholar. The highly competitive scholarship program provides recipients with an annual fixed amount of $20,000 for four years. After that, universities use institutional, merit and/or need-based aid (or a combination) to support up to the total cost of attendance for each scholar minus travel and other expenses. 

“It’s a dream come true especially because we’re a low-income family. So, it’s just amazing,” Roseman said. 

The Boettcher Foundation selects recipients based on four criteria: superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity; evidence of potential leadership; service to the community and school; and outstanding character. 

Roseman checks off all those requirements. In high school, at the Early College Academy in Greeley, he took advanced classes that qualified him to obtain his high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time. Roseman was also student body president, he raised $2,500 for Children’s Hospital as an Eagle Scout and earned his black belt in martial arts.  

“I was doing so many different things. I was really busy,” Roseman said. “You’d think at such an academic-driven school that I wouldn’t be having any fun or be slammed with homework, but my high school experience was fantastic. There are so many opportunities thanks to the [school] district, and we have a thriving community. I’m so thankful for it.” 

Roseman credits two of his passions for instilling the drive needed to tackle his successes. One is his years-long involvement in the Boy Scouts and the other is karate.  

“Both of those balanced each other out perfectly,” Roseman said. “Boy Scouts taught me practical skills that I can apply everywhere, and karate taught me self-motivation and discipline. I call one my warrior and the other my scholar.” 

Navigating through Boy Scouts, karate, academic classes and many clubs, Roseman found his passion and the career path he wants to pursue. It’s what led him to choose the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) out of a dozen other Colorado universities he could have applied his Boettcher Scholarship toward. Starting this fall, he will be double majoring in Health Sciences with an emphasis in health care administration and Human Services in the College of Natural and Health Sciences. The goal of the Human Services program is to approach the objective of meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations.  

“I wanted to do a bit of business, but I wanted to do health,” Roseman said. “UNC was the only school that had an emphasis in health care administration and fit both of my needs.” 

While in high school, Roseman shadowed a staff member who worked under the Sunrise Community Health umbrella, which is a non-profit health care provider in Weld Country that aims to provide affordable access to quality health care for all. He became enthralled with the environment.  

“I love the atmosphere of being around people who all want to help others. It’s very humanizing,” Roseman said. 

Roseman admits patient care is probably not the best route for him. He wouldn’t be keen to administer shots every day, but he wants to be surrounded by those who do. His goal is to land a role that will allow him to work with healthcare practitioners and help them with the day-to-day administrative tasks. 

“They’re such empathetic people that I knew I wanted to be around this community. It seems like a great fit for me,” Roseman said.  

Roseman will be following in the footsteps of his grandparents and dad who all attended UNC, though his experience will be a little different. Unlike his dad who told Roseman he recently paid off his student loans a few years ago, Roseman will be able to attend classes knowing finances won’t be a problem.  

“Last year my mom sat me down and gave me the ‘We-have-no-money-for-you-to-go-to-college' talk,” Roseman said. “And she told me how sad she was to say that as a parent and that she devoted her whole life to raising me. I told her not to worry that I will get scholarships, and then I actually did, and my life was changed.” 

That life-changing moment began with an application, a walk to his mailbox and has now turned Roseman into a Bear. 

– written by Sydney Kern