Darcy Weir, '17
An internship with the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce led to a fulfilling full-time job for Darcy Weir after she graduated.
As the chamber’s workforce development coordinator, Weir, 23, runs the Young Entrepreneurs Academy for youth ages 11-18. Students learn to start and run their own businesses in the after-school program that meets once a week.
“By the time they graduate from our program in May they have a real business that earns money,” Weir said.
Weir also helps area businesses address talent gaps in the workforce by arranging site visits with District 51 where business owners talk to students about career possibilities and what’s needed to achieve various career goals. Weir coordinates job shadowing, and helps to match internships that suit both the employer and the student.
Growing up on the Front Range, Weir said she always knew she wanted to attend college on the West Slope — she chose CMU after looking at all of the regional schools. It was the best decision she ever made, she said.
Outside of work, Weir is both a member and a board of director for the Young Professionals Network, an organization open to any young professional in Mesa County. The group provides networking, professional development and volunteer opportunities.
Weir said the students she met in CMU’s political science program became her best friends. One professor in particular – Justin Gollob, PhD – proved to be an important mentor. “He helped me figure out what I needed to do to reach my goals; he took on that role for a lot of students,” she said.
As a student, Weir served on the student government and was a member of the political science club — a nonpartisan group that organizes voter registration drives, holds debate watch parties and accompanies Club 20 on its annual trips to Denver to meet with state legislators. “I love CMU. I really enjoyed my time there,” Weir said. “Classes were small and you’re close to the professors.”