ALL FOUR: People – Brandon Powell

Having retired from professional basketball to pursue a more meaningful life, Brandon Powell is a second-year student in the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

How has the University of Colorado shaped your life?

The University of Colorado has given me so many opportunities. I used to play basketball professionally in Austria and Germany, and when I stopped that I wanted to transition into a long-term career—something that would allow me to give back to the community. So I began taking pre-health classes at CU Colorado Springs. The pre-health program allows students to shadow real health professionals and interact with patients, which was paramount for me. Fast forward just one year, and I’m applying to CU Anschutz and am ultimately accepted into their dental program. 

CU helped me to get back into education, and I’m incredibly grateful for that, and I’m incredibly grateful for the people I’ve met along the way. My mentors and others at CU have been like big brothers to me, ushering me along throughout the process.

When people ask you about the University of Colorado, what do you tell them?

The community at CU is incredible. My colleagues at CU Anschutz are people whose lives I want to be involved in, and the connection between our patients, our faculty and the students is incredible; it’s delightful to be around.

The resources available to you at CU Anschutz are state-of-the-art and some of the best in the country. Here, nothing can stop you. If you have the drive and diligence to accomplish your goals, then nothing can stop you. 

“No matter where you are in life, you can always grow, and you can always do better.”

What values did you learn at the University of Colorado that impact your life to this day?

To solve problems, you need to gather diverse perspectives. That’s something I’ve seen at CU Anschutz, where the university is always taking steps to diversify, and that sends a powerful message: No matter where you are in life, you can always grow, and you can always do better.

What do you find most inspiring about the University of Colorado?

Everybody at the University of Colorado has dedicated himself or herself to assisting humanity, and that’s incredibly inspirational. It’s present on every campus I’ve been to, where faculty and staff orchestrate an environment in which students can push themselves, and where people want to achieve their dreams. Just being in that environment makes me try even harder.