Honoring Parents’ Dreams While Creating His Own | Denver Scholarship Foundation

Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) Scholar and graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, Erick Plata, completed his first year at Colorado State University (CSU), where he is majoring in Construction Management. While his original dream was to become a professional soccer player, that dream evolved, thanks in part to life events, self-reflection, and an inspiring connection with his DSF College Advisor, Miguel Bañuelos-Garcia.  

Born and raised in Denver to Mexican parents, Erick spent much of his life playing competitive soccer, including at Kennedy and after going through a couple of injuries his passion for sports shifted. “Telling my parents I no longer wanted to play professional soccer was tough,” Erick shared. “They had always supported me unconditionally, and I didn’t want to disappoint them.”

Erick playing soccer

Erick started working with his father in his construction business. Around the same time, he met his DSF College Advisor Miguel at the DSF Future Center at Kennedy. Miguel encouraged Erick to explore college as a path forward, helping him see the possibilities beyond the soccer field. “Erick was always proactive,” Miguel recalled. “He showed up on his own, brought his friends, asked questions, and honored his parents’ dreams while creating his own. When he applied to college, he held his friends accountable and helped them get involved in the DSF Future Center, too.”  

Erick and his DSF College Advisor Miguel at his high school graduation holding his diploma

Together, Erick and Miguel explored postsecondary options that fit his interest, completed college and scholarship applications, wrote essays, and navigated financial aid. Miguel became more than an advisor; he became a mentor, and overall support, even now, post-high school. “I knew I could ask him anything, academically or personally,” Erick said.  

Inspired by his father’s entrepreneurial journey, Erick chose a degree in Construction Management to learn how to lead job sites and help his dad’s business grow. He graduated from Kennedy in May 2024 and enrolled at CSU that fall. Now a proud first-generation college student, Erick sees higher education as a way to honor his family’s sacrifices and pursue a better future for himself and his family. College creates a generational effect, reinforcing the value of pursuing a higher education degree to open future doors of opportunity.   

At CSU, Erick joined designed to help students transition to and through campus, and has embraced living independently for the first time. Though the transition was challenging, especially being away from his parents and the comforts of home, he found a new community, started playing soccer with friends, and gained the confidence to branch out. “It was culture shock at first, but I learned to lean on my support systems, make more friends, and explore the campus,” said Erick.   

Erick at Braiden Hall

Erick recently got accepted into CSU’s competitive Construction Management program, which admits only 100 students each semester. During his first year, he was excited to utilize industry-sponsored equipment and acquire various skills, including blueprint reading and project management. Although he had worked on construction sites before the class, he was seeing other aspects of the industry that he hadn’t known about before. Over winter break, he reconnected with Miguel to complete the FAFSA and DSF application, proving that guidance and support continued to be pivotal in his journey.   

As Erick prepares to return to campus and move into his first apartment in the fall, he reflects on how his dream has evolved and transformed. Soccer once fueled his drive, but now, construction and legacy-building with his family inspire his future.