Cynthia Smith McHolland Memorial Fund

The Cynthia Smith-McHolland Memorial Scholarship has been established by her husband, David Boome, family and numerous friends to provide scholarship assistance to Western Colorado University students. This Scholarship was created in her memory to honor her life:

Cynthia Smith McHolland (77)
1954-2020

Western Alumna Cynthia Smith-McHolland was a lifelong educator, loving mother, friend, mentor and forever breast cancer survivor. Throughout her career, Smith-McHolland was a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness, but her true love and passion was her dedication to the people and places of Western Colorado University, where she returned annually to celebrate Western’s Homecoming and share the beauty of her adopted state with her many family and friends.

Western Alumna Cynthia Smith-McHolland was a life long educator, loving mother, friend, mentor and forever breast cancer survivor. Hailing from Central Indiana, she began her education at Ball State College, only to find (In the pre-ADA days) that her physical challenge of not being able to use her right arm would prevent her from graduating with a Recreation Degree in her native Indiana. She then chose and was enthusiastically welcomed into the Recreation Department at (then) Western State College of Colorado, beginning her longtime association with (now) Western Colorado University in the extreme winter of 1973.

Wanting to become a teacher, Smith-McHolland earned a Masters of Art and Teaching at the University of Louisville in 1979 and spent 27 years in the Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public School system before retiring in 2015. In 2010, she was honored with the Police Athletic Association “National Educator of the Year” award for her work with youth in after-hours physical education programs. An avid gardener, Cyndi was known far and wide for her stunning flower collection. She won the 2019 KY State Fair blue ribbon for her Autumn Beauty Sunflower. While at Western, Cyndi was member of the Tri-Sigma Sorority and maintained close ties with her Western alumnae.

Throughout her career, Smith-McHolland was a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness, but her true love and passion was her dedication to the people and places of Western Colorado University, where she returned annually to celebrate Western’s Homecoming and share the beauty of her adopted state with her many family and friends. Cynthia Smith-McHolland is interned in her beloved Colorado along the Slate River in the Oh Be Joyful area near Crested Butte.

Most of Cyndi’s family is from central and south Indiana, but all have a connection to Western because of Cyndi. One-by-one & two by two-Cyndi brought her family back to Gunnison to experience the Colorado she knew and loved. They’ve collectively traveled back to Colorado so many times that most can give you a cursory tour of the Western Campus: The owls roosting at University Center, The Bookstore and Snack Shop, Group photo on the steps of Taylor Hall, the pool at Paul Wright Gym AND the Highest NCAA basketball court in the country (another photo opportunity) plus the awesome High Altitude Performance Lab . . . keep a lookout for Dr. Vandenbusche to shake his hand, Colorado Hall where Cyndi lived on campus, the Mountaineer Bowl and now the Paul Rady Engineering Building. (Cyndi was a year ahead of Mr. Rady).

Family and friends have come together to establish the Cynthia Smith-McHolland Memorial Scholarship Fund in her honor.

Applicants for the Scholarship:
A. Open to any area of study. Preference will be given to Recreation Majors
B. Must be in good standing with Western Colorado University