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After leaving her hometown of Glenwood Springs to pursue her education in ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, Kocher quickly realized that, while it takes courage to try something new, there’s power in the ability to feel comfortable as a beginner. From exploring classes outside of her majors to joining a local martial arts gym, she spent her college years seeking new experiences and ideas to spark her curiosity and propel herself toward success. After college, she’ll continue to fuel her entrepreneurial spirit by joining ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Media House, a production company recently launched by fellow CMCI and CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ alumni.

This month, Kocher will graduate with majors in Media Production and Strategic Communication, as well as a minor in Creative Technology and Design. She’ll do so with the distinction of being the Department of Critical Media Practices’ William W. White Outstanding Senior––an award given to students in each department based on a combination of academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college.

We checked in with her to learn more about how she’s grown throughout college, hear about her dream job and find out what advice she has for future cohorts of Buffs.

  ​&²Ô²ú²õ±è;It’s clear that you took academics very seriously during your time at CMCI. Outside of classwork, what’s something you learned about yourself during college? 
It is important to move in the direction of self-growth––both as a person and in my field of interest––even though it is uncomfortable or I may be bad at something to begin with. If I’m bad to begin with, I need to do it with the mindset of, Of course, I’m bad. This is my first time doing ‘x’ and I might as well have fun being a beginner at something. Positive steps toward growth are uncomfortable but serve me well in the long run. 

  ​&²Ô²ú²õ±è;What motivated you to persist throughout college? 
I had to prove to myself that if I really put my mind to something, despite its level of difficulty, I was capable of achieving it and doing it well.

   No pressure to have this figured out yet, but do you have any post-graduation plans at the moment?
My post-graduation plans consist of working at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Media House out of Denver, working as a barista at The Laughing Goat and riding my motorcycle around the Rockies. Within the next year, I’d like to find myself in Thailand training Muay Thai for a chunk of time as well. 

    Ten years from now, if you could create your perfect career, what would it look like?
My ideal career would be owning my own game development studio. 

   Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students? 
My best piece of advice for other students is to use college to develop their true interests and passions and use it to explore potential fields of interest. This means looking into independent studies and internships that you actually get value from––not just for a resume. Take classes normally outside of your scope, like courses on Vikings or printmaking, and join a club or community of some kind. The community doesn’t have to be strictly through CU, either. For me, this meant joining the martial arts gym, Easton, in ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ to build a sense of community. School can be very difficult and we all go through real-life hardships while getting our degrees. Giving yourself a spark of excitement to look forward to every week truly helps.