“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was this philosophy that guided Jenny Leger in her life’s journey as a teacher and the visionary Executive Director of Horizons at Colorado Academy. I was fortunate enough to be mentored by Jenny when I first started in October 2018. The organization had experienced a lot of transition in prior years. Through the challenging times, the strong community of Horizons students, families, and Colorado Academy supporters worked together to ensure that Horizons would continue to provide the vital enrichment programming that all children deserve but that not all have access to.
Jenny and I spent many hours together in my early days. She explained the philosophy behind Horizons—how it was an integral program within the Colorado Academy community—and she taught me about the indelible mark it made on the lives of the Horizons students and families. Throughout the 13 years that Jenny was with Horizons, she nurtured the program like a tree sapling, watering it on a daily basis, making sure it had just the right amount of sunshine and care, no matter the weather. Today, 25 years later, that sapling has blossomed into a vibrant forest.
Starting a program from the ground up is quite an undertaking and involves one-hundred percent dedication to ensure its success. Jenny’s persistence inspired everyone around her to always think about the potential of Horizons and the impact it could have on students and their families. She was tireless in her efforts to make sure the program got the attention it needed in order to keep going. According to our current Program Director, Jessica Nuñez-Hernandez, an alumna of the program, Jenny knew every student’s name and knew their families intimately. She truly cared about the students’ welfare and well-being, and considered Horizons students to be like her own children.
During Jenny’s celebration of life at Colorado Academy in December, so many people, from all parts of Jenny’s life, came together to celebrate her as a person, a leader, a mother, and a role model that we should all aspire to be—to strive to embody the mission of helping others in our daily lives. One of the most powerful testaments to Jenny’s legacy was the outpouring of love and support from the Horizons alumni community. Many alumni came from all over the country to celebrate Jenny’s life and impact. It was a remarkable reunion for a remarkable person.
How lucky I am to have been able to get to know and work with Jenny, someone who will always hold a special place in my heart for her life of service and everlasting impact.
