Alumni Stories

For a small school, Fort Lewis College has graduated giants. In this series, we highlight some illustrious alumni whose passion for their fields have brought them success. In these stories, we see how these graduates are united by a relentless desire to pursue an authentic, meaningful life — paths inspired by FLC’s tradition of experiential learning, risk-taking, and innovation.

Ray Boucher

1980 Class President Ray Boucher talks about life at the Fort in the Seventies, bed racing, his professors and the importance of conviction.

P.T. Wood

Business Administration, '90

P. T. Wood isn’t the first person to have his life changed on a river trip. Nor is he the first to imbibe some liquid spirits on said trip. But for Wood, the convergence of the two has led to a life and occupation in one of those unique mountain-lifestyle ways: as a distiller and mayor of a thriving Colorado mountain town.

Joshua Been

Art '99

For Joshua Been, a career in art has been an art unto itself. As a working artist, change, adaptability, and growth – as well as the U.S. Army and the wildlands of the American West -- have been essential to his success. And that eclectic, self-crafted path was enabled by his ability to carve his own academic vision – both personally and professionally – at FLC.

Ricardo Caté

Education, '06

The most prominent Native American cartoonist working today, Marine veteran, speaker, and standup comedian Ricardo Caté was employed by the Santa Fe New Mexican immediately after his graduation from FLC in 2006 to publish a daily single-panel cartoon called “Without Reservation,” which he had created while working for FLC’s student newspaper, The Independent.

Chris Schauble

Broadcast Journalism, ‘91

Every kid has their favorite TV show. For Chris Schauble it was the evening news. That early obsession led to a career in broadcast journalism that has spanned thirty years, five daytime Emmy Awards, and six Golden Mikes. These days Chris is the morning news anchor for Los Angeles’ KTLA, serving the second-largest media market in the United States.

Marissa Molina

Political Science, '14

Marissa Molina never thought she’d get through school, let alone soar to the top of her profession. Now she’s making history as the first DACA recipient to serve on a Colorado state board, specifically the Board of Trustees at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Brought from Mexico when she was 9, Marissa qualified for the DACA exemption under President Obama. After graduating from FLC in 2014 with a degree in political science, Marissa went on to carve out a career as a teacher where she was soon recognized as a fierce advocate for vulnerable immigrant families. The White House’s “Champions of Change” award recognizes how one voice really can shape the world. In 2015, Marissa received that honor for being an extraordinary agent of change in the classroom.

Julie Levy Duvall

Political Science, ’05

Julie Levy Duvall has 15 years of experience as a leader, communicator, organizer, and presenter in the public and private sectors. Julie’s interest in untangling sticky problems began at FLC as the PR director for the Environmental Center. In 2019 she left her role as state director for Colorado Senator Michael Bennet to head Community Escalations for Facebook.