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Michele “Mikhy” and Mike Ritter were college sweethearts at CU-Boulder. When they left their adopted hometown a few years after graduation to pursue career goals, Mikhy made Mike sign a contract that they’d return in five years.

“It took us six years to get back but we held up the bargain,” she says, laughing.

Jeannie and Jack Thompson have made an unprecedented commitment to the Jazz Studies program at the University of Colorado Boulder — building $1.6 million in combined gifts to trigger a new $2 million program endowment.

To honor and recognize this transformational gift, the program will be renamed the Thompson Jazz Studies Program, as announced at yesterday’s annual Spring Swing big band concert. It is CU-Boulder’s first named program.