CCSD seniors named Boettcher Scholars

One is a regional ambassador for a global non-profit. Another helped create a mental health peer support zone to give students a safe space to decompress. A third plans to become a pediatric oncologist. The fourth is a cancer survivor who has helped raise thousands of dollars for research and treatment.

Four impressive Cherry Creek Schools’ seniors are among the 50 students named as 2025  Boettcher Scholars by the Boettcher Foundation. Each of them will receive the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship, an $80,000, four-year scholarship that must be used at a Colorado college or university.

Congratulations to:

·        Mary Hager, Cherry Creek High School

·        Bryce Hunter, Cherry Creek Elevation

·        Hyo Jae Lee, Smoky Hill High School

·        Garrett Rymer, Cherry Creek Elevation

"Boettcher Scholars are selected for their academic achievement, outstanding character, and service and leadership in their schools and communities," said Katie Kramer, president & CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. "The Boettcher Scholarship is an investment in our state's doers and difference makers. It not only recognizes their past achievements but also their future impact on the State of Colorado.”

Mary Hager will use the Boettcher Scholarship to study international relations and/or electrical engineering at the University of Denver. She would ultimately like to improve both technology and policy to benefit refugees and other vulnerable populations.

“Creating a more secure world in the face of conflict, even if idealistic, is my goal,” Hager said.

Throughout high school, Hager worked at a local law office while also serving on the executive board of CCHS’s National Honor Society, as captain of the school’s policy debate team, and as a regional ambassador for the Borgen Project, a global non-profit working to expand international humanitarian aid.

Bryce Hunter will study engineering and business at the University of Denver. While a student at Cherry Creek Elevation, CCSD’s blended online school, Hunter supported student mental health efforts and managed his own philanthropic organization.

“Elevate Local is my three-pronged initiative, which includes the Can Campaign, where I led efforts to address loneliness food instability; my Cyberleaders program where I mentored high schoolers and helped to close the achievement gap in Title I students; and Local Lift, where I developed teams to connect small businesses with teen talent,” Hunter said.

Hyo Jae Lee will study integrative physiology at the University of Colorado – Boulder, in the hopes of going to medical school to become a pediatric oncologist. She is a volunteer for the City of Aurora and is also involved in speech and debate and Student Government at Smoky Hill High School.

“I truly would not be where I am without the help and support of all of my coaches, teachers, and the Smoky Hill community!” she said.

Garrett Rymer also plans to attend CU-Boulder, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Just before Christmas during his sophomore year, Rymer was diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cord cancer. During months of medical treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy, Rymer became an ambassador for The Children’s Hospital and a Make-A-Wish Foundation Wish Kid. After beating cancer, he declared he would use his “second chance at life” to brighten the lives of others. He has shared his story numerous times and helped to raise thousands of dollars for cancer research and treatment.

All four of these outstanding students are honored and excited to be Boettcher Scholars.

“More than just the financial relief it has been to myself and my family, it is such an honor and blessing,” Mary Hager said. “In this, I have the opportunity to study and follow my passions but also to join an amazing community of ambitious and kindhearted people.”

“Being a Boettcher Scholar means that I am not only part of an extremely academically hardworking and dedicated group, but also one that commits itself to the Colorado community and gives back, rather than solely focusing on academics,” Hyo Jae Lee said.

Congratulations to these 2025 Boettcher Scholars!