Leprino Foods Company and its employees are committed to the education, growth and sustainability of the communities where it operates. Through Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF), the Leprino Foods Company Foundation Scholarship supports need-based scholarships for Denver Public Schools (DPS) graduates attending one of DSF’s 31 College Partners in Colorado. This scholarship supports first-generation college student Karla Botello, who graduated from East High School and is pursuing a degree in business at the University of Northern Colorado.
Karla dreams of opening her own business one day, and to also support her mother’s dreams of opening a successful business. Being a first-generation college student comes with challenges, but she is grateful for the support system from DSF that helps her navigate her college experience. Karla’s advisor Adam Alirez was a huge part of her successful freshman year, by providing information, resources, and being someone she can always come to with any questions.
Karla thanks the Leprino Foods Company Foundation for their support of DSF and appreciates them for believing in her. “Thank you for supporting me in my dreams and my future as a first-generation college student and Latina woman. It is a dream to attend school and study something I am interested in.” Support from Leprino Foods helps students like Karla to and through college graduation.
DSF Director of College Access Gabe Guidon and DSF Assistant Director of TRIO Talent Search Derrek Sandoval volunteering.
In 2015, the Leprino Foods Company Foundation was established to broaden the company’s philanthropic reach to increase the impact for its neighbors in need. “The Leprino Foods Company Foundation works to drive positive change harnessing the passion of our employees to make a difference by leveraging time, talent, and resources to improve education, nutrition, fitness and local needs,” says Mark Adkins, CIO of Leprino Foods and Executive Director of the Leprino Foods Company Foundation. “Our community is our family and giving back is engrained in who we are as a company,” he said. “We hope to leave a legacy in our community, and we hope to enable young people to get to college without financial barriers.”
