Mary Ontiveros was Colorado State University’s first vice president for diversity. She is an alumna of CSU and went on to serve in a variety of leadership positions at the university. Mary helped the Office of Inclusive Excellence grow into a focused unit with comprehensive training and advocacy. During her time at CSU, Mary was highly active in the Latinx community and raised the bar for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the university.

Mary also served the Colorado Wyoming Network of Women Leaders for many years and contributed significantly to the growth and impact of of AMI and of women in higher education.

"We were so privileged to have Mary Ontiveros on the CWNLW Board for many years. She was a dedicated member, whose voice of reason, reflective thought, and inclusive perspective was ever present and always added value to our discussions and decision making.  I had the pleasure of working with Mary after University of Southern Colorado transitioned to Colorado State University-Pueblo and she came to campus to help our enrollment management team with planning and implementing new admissions processes.  Then again as she joined the board with her lifetime of work in the DEI area, where she helped CWNWL with programming, connections, transitions.

She has been a strong supporter of AMI, women in higher education, and supporting equity in higher education.  To honor her work and her memory, this scholarship was created and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on women leaders." -Lia Franklin

"I have known Mary through Colorado State University as well as the Colorado-Wyoming Network of Women Leaders. Mary joined CWNWL in 2017 and I was so excited that she joined our team! Mary has always been an advocate for women in higher education, especially women of color. She made sure that our curriculum in the program addressed these issues and that our speakers reflected our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was a wonderful mentor to me and many others." -Kristina Binard Carlson

In Mary's honor, CWNWL will be offering a scholarship for an AMI alumna to attend the AMI reunion each year. The scholarship will cover tuition for the reunion. For out-of-town attendees, one night's lodging will also be covered.

Watch for updates and a link to the application in the information about the June reunion each year.