PLC Alumni Newsletter - The January 2026 Edition

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Hello Alumni and welcome to another exciting edition of the PLC Alumni Newsletter! It’s the start of a new semester, and you all know what that means! New Year, new things happening around PLC. Our year is off to an amazing start and we’re so proud of all the great updates we have to share. Thank you for your continued support of PLCers past and present. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Spring Huddle
As many of you know, we kick off the spring semester with our all-community Spring Huddle. Continuing our goal of strengthening inner-cohort bonds within PLC, Spring Huddle is an all-cohort event to bring everyone together mid-year. It was so refreshing to have all four of our cohorts together as well as our inter-cohort family tree groups together to kick-off the semester with a strong start. PLCers reconnected with old friends, strengthened relationships with newer friends, heard an incredible guest lecture from PLC’s own Dr. Angela Thieman Dino, and celebrated some of the ongoing iterations we incorporate as our program remains flexible to meet the moment.

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New and Happening in PLC
Program Developments
First and foremost, PLC is introducing a lot of new initiatives and items for our current PLCers, staff, and alumni alike. Our biggest initiative involves renovations to our PLC student staff office to provide current PLCers and staff with greater collaboration capabilities and a modern vibe for a proper 'third space' for time together. These renovations were made possible by a special funding allocation from CU and we incorporated feedback from current PLCers to utilize their voice and vision in pursuit of meaningful stretch experiences together. Sko Buffs and Sko PLC!
As You Are

You may have seen that mental health challenges are experienced by approximately half of college students today. Unfortunately, PLCers are not exempt from the mental health struggles that so many of their peers experience. We’re pleased to share that our newest layer of mental health support for current PLCers is a partnership with the Renee Crown Institute that serves as an early-stage, proactive intervention. This program, now called As You Are, is a revamp of the Mind. Body. Voice. program they launched in 2018. Initially an experiment done through the Renee Crown Institute, As You Are has evolved into an opportunity for people to discuss the economic, social, and political impacts of mental health and body positivity on women and young girls.
This year, we are incorporating these concepts into PLC to promote awareness and accessibility into the program. In addition to messaging and guest lectures, there will be a Deep Dive where PLCers become trained as facilitators for the As You Are initiative to continue to grow leaders inside and outside of PLC's campus presence.If this is an initiative you'd like to support or learn more about, please reach out to Keirra Kernan: keke6697@colorado.edu.
Upcoming Events: Deep Dives, Industry Nights
A new start to a semester and new year means new experiences for our PLCers and Alumni. These come in a variety of forms including Deep Dives, Industry Nights, Think Tanks and so much more! For this semester, we have a total of 8 events planned, including 2 Deep Dives, 2 Industry Nights, and 4 Think Tanks:

Deep Dives (Experiential Weekends):
- The Cost of Care
- Powering Colorado
Industry Nights:
- Life and Lab Industry Night
- Law Industry Night
Think Tanks:
- Business Alumni Think Tank (Virtual)
- Women’s History Alumni Think Tank (Virtual)
- Engineering & Environment Alumni Think Tank (Virtual)
- Education Alumni Think Tank (Virtual)
We also have other events in the works for both students and alumni so be sure to check the PLC website and our social media for updates as details finalize!
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Buffs All In – CU’s Campuswide Giving Day
The second annual Buffs All In Giving Day is coming up soon in March! Buffs All In is an opportunity from March 1 - March 31 to give back to our campus community and to celebrate our community's philanthropic impact at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ÆÆ½â°æÏÂÔØ. Please consider supporting any of the PLC funds to help us continue to develop extraordinary leaders of character. More information will be coming your way soon. For now, please consider if you’d be most excited to support our academic (Douglas), Experiential (Allen), or general use fund (PLC Fund). We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you again soon. (Support PLC here: /plc/donate-plc)
That concludes another PLC Newsletter! Thank you so much for reading and be sure to tune in next time in March. See you then and Sko Buffs!