Celebrating Champions: Meet DSF’s 2024 Partners of the Year! | Denver Scholarship Foundation

Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) proudly announces its 2024 Partners of the Year. These four organizations will be honored at the 2024 DSF Homecoming Gala for their exceptional commitment to supporting DSF and our students across the categories of College Partner, District Partner, Community Partner, and Corporate Partner. As partnerships and relationships are the heart of DSF’s work, DSF extends our heartfelt gratitude to these organizations for their dedication, talent, and steadfast support of the Denver community, including Denver Public School students, DSF Scholars, Alumni, and their families.  

The 2024 DSF College Partner of the Year is Arapahoe Community College (ACC), founded in 1965 as Arapahoe Junior College, the first 2-year college in the greater Denver metro area. The college grew out of a grassroots effort by Littleton residents who wanted to provide post-high school education in the area. In addition to the Littleton Campus, ACC provides programs at the Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock, a partnership with Douglas County School District and CSU. ACC has coordinated multiple field trips for Denver Public Schools students attending DSF Future Centers, offering them valuable engagement and exploratory opportunities to make well-informed decisions about their educational paths.  

(Accepting the award from left to right Lorii Rabinowitz and Antonio Esquibel)

The 2024 DSF District Partner of the Year is Abraham Lincoln High School, which opened its doors in 1960 and is located within an urban working-class neighborhood in southwest Denver, six miles from downtown. Many of their students’ parents were born in other countries, and many students will be the first in their families to graduate high school. Lincoln serves a primarily Latino student body, as well as students from Sudan, Somalia, and Southeast Asia, to name a few. They take pride in challenging stereotypes by empowering newcomer and first-generation students to succeed. The continued rise in Abraham Lincoln High School’s college enrollment rate, now reaching 43%, is a testament to the strong collaboration between Lincoln High School and DSF. This sustained success reflects Lincoln’s dedication to fostering a college-going culture and creating an environment where every student can thrive. 

(Accepting the award from left to right Lorii Rabinowitz and Terry Leprino)

The 2024 DSF Corporate Partner of the Year is Leprino Foods, which has exemplified the partnership with DSF in every sense. Since 2020, they have invested in scholarships for 188 DSF Scholars, actively participating in DSF Scholar Summit speed mentoring, contributing volunteers to several virtual insights and in-person panels, and engaging one volunteer in the mentorship program and two in the Career Success Coaching program. Leprino Foods is a family-owned global leader in mozzarella and nutrition products whose roots have been here in North Denver for 75 years. They are passionately committed to quality products, service at a competitive price, and doing the right thing. They invest deeply into 15 communities worldwide where they have a presence. Their culture is driven by their people who share an ownership mentality to be the best at what they do and act with urgency, adaptability, and purpose.

(Accepting the award from left to right Lorii Rabinowitz and Brian Joyce)

The 2024 DSF Community Partner of the Year is Denver7. As a proud supporter of DSF and one of the longest-established media sponsors of the DSF Annual Homecoming Gala, Denver7 has spotlighted numerous DPS students served within DSF Future Centers, celebrated DSF Alumni, and showcased DSF’s overall impact on the city of Denver. Their unwavering support has been instrumental in raising awareness and helping make college a reality for Denver students. At Denver7, they see it as their responsibility to make Colorado an even better place to live. They are honest, transparent, and unbiased, providing depth, perspective, and context to impactful news stories with their 360 reporting, allowing viewers to form their own opinions. They strive to do the right thing, shining a light on positive stories and the people making a difference in our community. They also go beyond their role as journalists, lending a helping hand to their neighbors in times of need, through Denver7 Gives and their community partnerships. 

“The success of DSF would not be possible without the thoughtful collaboration of partners throughout our community,” says Lorii Rabinowitz, chief executive officer of DSF. “Each of their brilliant contributions enhances every aspect of our work. We look forward to celebrating and expressing our gratitude to our four DSF Partners of the Year at the 2024 DSF Annual Homecoming Gala on November 1.”