Blees Family "Well-Rounded" Scholarship

When alumnus Chris Blees 94 was a student in the 1990s, he had his heart set on building a career in accounting. It is a career that has since offered him great success and that he credits being able to pursue thanks to the education and mentorship he received at Western more than 50 years ago. “When I was a senior, (my professor) Dr. Newman not only bought me a suit for my job search, but also gave me a ride from Gunnison to Colorado Springs so that I could interview with the accounting firm Biggs Kofford,” Blees remembered. “If it weren’t for Dr. Newman going above and beyond and providing me with personalized attention and care, I likely would not have made the interview, let alone gotten the job with the company that I am the proud CEO of today.”

Blees and his wife Ranie 94 have remained active alumni over the past two decades. As a volunteer leader, donor and a top employer of Western Students, Blees has a personal appreciation for the student-first and student-focused mentality embraced by Western.

When the Blees family began thinking about how they could deepen their impact on campus even further, they quickly considered the unique learning and career preparation opportunities that Western offers, setting Mountaineers apart from all the rest. And thus, the Blees Well Rounded Scholarship was born. This first-of-its-kind scholarship provides financial assistance to four juniors or seniors who demonstrate balanced coursework in both a “practical art” (business or STEM related) and the liberal arts, ideally with a major in one and a minor in the other.

Eligibility
3.0 minimum GPA.
Enough credits to be designated as a junior (60 credit hours) or senior (90 credit hours).
Must demonstrate significant and balanced coursework in both “Practical Arts” (defined below) and “Liberal Arts” (defined below). Preference will be given to students who have declared a major or minor in Practical Arts and a major or minor in Liberal Arts.
At least two letters of recommendation from faculty (See box below for additional details)
At least one letter must come from a Practical Arts faculty member
At least one letter must come from a Liberal Arts faculty member
Students must submit a letter accompanying their application where they articulate why they believe a “Well-Rounded” education containing both Practical and Liberal Arts will help them succeed in the marketplace.
Students enrolled in the Western/CU-Boulder Partnership for Computer Science and Engineering will be eligible for scholarship as long as they have a Liberal Arts minor.
Preference will be given to students that can demonstrate financial need.

“Practical Arts” for the purpose of this scholarship will be coursework in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Exercise and Sports Science, and Business.

“Liberal Arts” for the purpose of this scholarship will be coursework in Art, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Communication Arts, Education, Film, English, Environment and Sustainability, Music, Philosophy, Public Relations, Spanish and Theater.