Cultivating inclusive excellence

By Lynne Winter ’17

As the first in their families to attend college, Ferd and Christy Belz understand the challenges of navigating higher education pathways without a roadmap — an experience shared by many Metropolitan State University of Denver students.

“We’re first-generation, like a lot of these students, and it’s different when you don’t have a heritage of families that go to college,” said Ferd Belz, speaking at the 2026 Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner. “They work, they have families and they still go to class. And they still need the support.”

Ferd Belz, president of Denver-based real estate development company L.C. Fulenwider Inc. and a member of the MSU Denver Foundation Board of Directors for over 10 years, and Christy Belz, president of Empowerment Coaching and Consulting, have been instrumental to MSU Denver’s mission since 2012.

They have long been dedicated to ensuring students’ access to services and resources, including First-Generation Initiatives, which assists students in building community, navigating campus resources and accessing the tools that will help them succeed, and the Student Emergency Retention Fund, which supports students experiencing catastrophic events that might cause them to halt their education. The Belzes’ support includes a significant gift to the Student Success Endowed Fund in 2023.

In November 2025, the Belzes provided the campaign with the boost it needed to surpass its $100 million goal by making a $30,000 gift to the campaign’s cultivating inclusive excellence fundraising pillar, which supports the Faculty Fellows and Teaching Assistant programs.

“This University is transforming lives, and in turn, those students and graduates are transforming the future of our city and our country,” Ferd Belz said. “It is so important that we invest in these young people and let them change the world — and us.”

Impact

Whether guiding fellow MSU Denver students through formulas in Principles of Chemistry or dissecting bodies in the Advanced Human Cadaver Anatomy lab, Elena Herrera has found, and given, tremendous value as a teaching assistant.

“I love being a TA,” said the Biology major and first-generation college student.

The Teaching Assistant Program, launched in 2020, offers students opportunities to gain hands-on teaching experience and develop leadership skills by providing academic help to students and supporting faculty.

The program is bolstered by a gift from Christy and Ferd Belz that will allow the TA program to reach more students at critical points.

“We have witnessed how support services like the Teaching Assistant Program transform the learning experience and help students successfully navigate their higher education journey,” said Christy Belz, a former first-generation student and social worker. “It’s an honor to make this gift and watch them change the trajectory of their lives.”

The TA program “is a scalable, research-supported instructional model for improving student success and building a strong academic community,” said Philip Bernhardt, Ed.D., professor of Secondary Education and codirector of the TA program with Rebecca Forgash, Ph.D., professor of Anthropology.

Since the program’s inception, TAs have supported nearly 19,000 students in courses where 53% were students of color and 58% were first-generation.

Herrera has seen how TAs can make a meaningful difference for students.

“It can be scary to ask the professor for help, so having a peer to go to makes it a little less scary,” she said. “When you’re able to teach someone something, you also learn things better.”

Herrera said being a TA has helped her build communication and teamwork skills, “which in the medical field is super important. I consider myself a healer and have always wanted to use my knowledge to help people mentally and physically.

“Everything I’ve learned during my time at MSU Denver has prepared me to do just that.”