Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) Alumni Ruben Helo graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School. He first went to the DSF Future Center at Abraham Lincoln High School, where he saw that college was possible. He used the resources of the DSF Future Center to ask questions and apply for college and scholarships. “The DSF Future Center made college seem easy,” said Ruben. He majored in Business Administration with an Entrepreneurship emphasis at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). As a first-generation student, his UNC journey was out of place, suffering from culture shock and struggling to find his community. He persevered and got on the Dean’s list during his first year. After facing personal challenges, Ruben transferred to the University of Colorado Denver and returned home, where he was distracted and dealing with family problems. When he was placed on academic probation from the Daniel’s Fund, one of his scholarships, he thought about what would happen if he lost this opportunity. Ruben decided to move back to Greeley and re-enrolled at UNC; Ruben was the first in his family to graduate college. He assures his success in graduating by being involved on campus and in the community and his determination to reach this goal.
DSF Alumni Ruben Helo
After graduating from college, Ruben started his career in multiple industries to determine his career path. He started working as a bank teller and painter to earn extra income. In addition, he started working in sales, stepping out of his comfort zone. Ruben knew he wanted to build something for himself and leave a legacy. He read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, influencing him to get into real estate. He has been in real estate full-time for four years, has helped over 100 people achieve the dream of homeownership, and has sold over 20 million in real estate. Now, Ruben also focuses on assisting investors in investing in Real Estate and has expanded his network throughout the U.S. with a focus on building an international network and brand. As a first-generation college graduate and entrepreneur, a son of immigrant parents from Mexico, and growing up in southwest Denver, Ruben has achieved his goals, focusing on helping many people build generational wealth through real estate.
As Ruben reflects on his journey, the importance of going to college opened so many opportunities, including personal development, and where his entrepreneurship dream began. “College paid the biggest reward in the trajectory of my life and where I’m heading. I was exposed to different people and was out of my comfort zone. He learned many tangible communication skills and hopes to become a speaker someday. Ruben advises other first-year DSF Scholars, “Make sure to get comfortable with uncomfortable, embrace the challenges, and know that everything will get better after the first year, especially if you are a first-generation and everything is new for you.”
