Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Vee Guereca | Artist

I was born in Denver and have never lived anywhere else, for now anyway. I’ve thought a lot lately about my background and upbringing when it comes to my creativity and personality. My father is Mexican and my mother is American, yet they both spoke Spanish and so did most of my family. Read more>>

Chris Miller | Nonprofit Professional, Father and Spouse

My father was in the army so we moved several times before coming to Colorado when I was in the 4th grade. Growing up in a white, middle-class family with conservative parents in a conservative town, I was sheltered from the struggles that many families face in our inequitable society. Read more>> 

Sam Young | Ceramicist Handled Earth & Art Consultant

I am from out in the sticks of Maryland. I was outdoors a lot as a kid. Most of my days were spent in my family’s pond or hiking the rivers and nearby reservoir. My cousins and I used to make toad houses in the mud, pretend it was make-up or war paint… It only makes sense that I would be covered in clay as an adult. Read more>>