First-generation student Cidonia Ponce learned how to use a small school to achieve big dreams

The fluorescent lights flicker on as Cidonia Ponce adjusts the microphone stand in CSU Pueblo’s radio studio. With practiced hands, she checks sound levels and repositions equipment. She only pauses to talk when everything meets her exacting standards.

“I want to be a jack-of-all-trades,” she says, sitting back in the studio chair. “Being well-rounded in strategic communication is why I chose this department. They’re training us to get our hands on anything in the field.” Her voice, warm and confident, fills the studio. It’s the same voice that has become familiar to listeners across Pueblo.

Ponce, a Media Communications student specializing in Strategic Communications, is days away from earning her BA from CSU Pueblo. As a first-generation college student, Ponce initially dreamed of leaving her hometown. She set her sight beyond Pueblo’s city limits.

“My whole goal was to get out of Pueblo. I wanted to go to Fort Collins, New Mexico—just travel and get out of here,” she explains. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, altered those plans.

“When I graduated, it was COVID, and that put a lot of implications on college accessibility. I thought I’d stay local for the first two semesters, then transfer and go big,” she recalls. Those temporary plans evolved when she discovered unexpected benefits at the smaller university.

“I fell in love with the lower class sizes and the idea that I wasn’t just another number in a classroom,” Ponce says. “The connections and people I’ve met here have impacted my life so drastically. I know that sounds cliché, but I really was able to give back in the way that felt right.”

Growing up on Pueblo’s East Side and graduating from East High School, Ponce found her calling in leadership early. As student body president, she discovered her natural talent for connecting with people. “My main thing was that I wanted to make an impact in the community, and school was my outlet,” she explains. “It was my way of giving back to myself and to others.”

Being the oldest of three siblings—Samantha, Nadia, and William—Ponce felt a responsibility to forge a path they could follow. “I want to inspire them to come to school and make a difference,” she says, her determination evident in her steady gaze.

Ponce found her calling at the campus radio station during her sophomore year, thanks to mentor Jenna Lovato, who worked as the station manager. “She said, ‘You need to be on air three to four hours a week because you have talent’ that I didn’t know I had,” Ponce remembers.

The radio station became her platform for community service. As part of the station’s public affairs obligation, Ponce brought local nonprofits into the studio, giving them airtime to promote their events and resources. “I was giving news, entertainment, and personality. I wrote stories and did reporting on the side as well,” she explains.

Her post-graduation plans include moving to a city with more media opportunities. “I would like to go to Austin, Texas, or San Diego,” she says. “I hear stories all the time about people who move places and rebuild themselves. They go with $200 in their pocket and take a chance, and that’s what I’m ready for.”

For Ponce, graduation means a significant family celebration. “My sisters will see it for the first time, along with my mom and grandma. It’s going to be super bittersweet,” she says. “In my immediate family, nobody has gone to university, so this is going to be a huge accomplishment for them to witness.”