Eden Hartman, a Fall 2023 family and consumer sciences outstanding graduate, has taken a non-traditional journey to get to Colorado State University after she decided to pursue a career in education. A few years out of high school she began tutoring and realized that she wanted to become a teacher which led her to CSU’s School of Education.
Hartman is originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado. She wanted to stay in-state for college to be close to friends and family. Hartman was attracted to CSU because it’s the only college in Colorado that offers a degree in family and consumer sciences, however she did not attend CSU right away.
“Right after I graduated from high school, I wasn’t fully convinced going to college was right for me,” Hartman said. “My biggest challenge was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and finding what I was passionate about. I still enrolled at a university and I attended class for one day. I left after the first day because I didn’t feel like school was the right fit for me at the time.”
Discovering a heart for education
Hartman spent the next few years trying out different jobs to see if she could turn one of them into a career. During this time, she worked various retail, management, and finance jobs, all while supporting herself financially. She never felt as if she could put her heart and soul into her positions. This all changed when she began tutoring.
“After a couple of years of working through different job experiences, taking a couple of random college classes, and trying to figure out what I could put my heart into, I started tutoring,” Hartman said. “That was when I realized I should go to school to be a teacher. Teaching came so naturally to me and teaching has continued to make my heart happy.”
She then began attending Pikes Peak Community College (now Pikes Peak State College) with a focus on education. During that time, Hartman continued working full-time at a retail position to support herself while taking 15 credit hours – even through the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued working and taking classes full-time, earning a 4.0 GPA.
“I pushed myself to continue because at this point I knew I wanted to attend CSU to pursue a degree in family and consumer scienes,” Hartman said. “I wanted to complete as many credits as possible before transferring. I also wanted to minimize my student loans.”
Beyond the classroom
During her time at CSU, Hartman participated in a variety of enrichment opportunities. One of these included the student organization SOUL, which stands for student outreach and undergraduate leadership. The organization, for human development and family studies and related majors, connects students to the Fort Collins community through volunteering opportunities.
“When I was a member we volunteered at places like Hearts and Horses and participated in CSUnity,” Hartman said. “During our meetings we would make things like dog toys for the Humane Society or cards for Meals on Wheels recipients.”
Hartman was introduced to different opportunities by School of Education faculty members, Dawn Mallette and Carole Makela. Both faculty members were large pillars of support for Hartman during her CSU experience.
“They have both been huge contributors to my success at CSU,” Hartman said. “They both pushed me to do and be my best inside and outside the classroom.”
Empowering futures
One of Hartman’s greatest accomplishments at CSU are the scholarships she’s received. She is a recipient of the following scholarships:
- Dr. Laurie F. Michaels Scholarship in Education 2023
- Elizabeth Dyar Gifford Scholarship 2022-2023, 2023
- Josephine Thimmig Scholarship 2023
- Lucile Fee Scholarship 2022-2023
- Melvin and Margaret B. Hazaleus Scholarship 2021-2022
“The schloarships I recieved allowed me to enhance my educational journey and make connections in the community,” Hartman said. “I was able to stop working to focus on school full-time because of the schloarships CSU donors had offered me. This enabled me to focus and put more energy into things such as my practicum experiences in the Poudre School District.”
As Hartman looks forward to graduating and beginning her career as a teacher, she will miss the culture of CSU.
“I will miss the energy of the crowds at the games,” Hartman said. “Every sporting event I left with more energy than what I walked in with. As for teaching after graduation, I’m not 100% certain where I want to be. I’m looking into possibly being a substitue teacher this spring so I can get to know different school cultures and network with other teachers before settling somewhere.”
Through her time at CSU, Hartman says she has become more confident in herself as a person and as an educator.
“I am most proud of my personal and professional growth,” Hartman said. “I’m looking forward to graduation. It’s been a long journey and to say I am proud of myself is an understatement.”
Family and Consumer Sciences is an undergraduate degree program offered by the School of Education, part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
