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New England Patriots offensive tackle Nate Solder has many achievements, including first-team 2010 All-American (he was a University of Colorado Buff between 2007 and ’10) and Outland Trophy finalist.

Now a CU donor, he has something else to be proud of.

Solder, who earned a CU-Boulder biology degree, directed his gift toward a required introductory lab course, which Solder credits with setting a positive tone for his academic experience.

“My hope was that the donation I made could begin improving the old lab equipment, instead of merely maintaining it,” Solder says.

“It was my first introduction to giving back and I wanted to choose an area that had positively affected my life in hopes that it could continue to help others in the same way.”

Recalls John Basey, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology senior instructor, “Nate had a good grasp of the nature of science as well as science-process skills. I was proud that Nate was a product of our department, in that his understanding of science was so well-grounded.”

Basey considers Solder’s gift a program highlight. “Our equipment gets heavily used, and it is hard to keep it all in tip- top shape,” he explains.

“Solder’s donation really helps out the workings of the classroom and goes directly toward improving the education of the students.”

This article originally appeared in Creating Futures, a magazine published by the CU Foundation.