5 Famous Women Who Are Colorado State University Alumna

It is no secret that Colorado State University breeds successful alumni(a). Don't worry, I won't include myself in this list (wink wink).

Maybe it has something to do with the immense amount of Ram Pride from students and faculty, or maybe it is because CSU prides itself on being able to motivate young men and women to pursue their dreams and passions.

Whatever it is, it works like a charm – making the following five women some of the most notable alumni to walk to the halls at CSU.

1. Becky Hammon

After graduating in 2000, Becky Hammon went on to spend 16 years in the WNBA as a top 20 player in the league’s history. Post-playing, Hammon become the first female full-time assistant coach in NBA history. Not only this, but Hammon is also the first woman to coach an NBA summer league team and the first woman to coach in NBA All-Star Game.

2. Leslie Jones

Transfer student Leslie Jones originally furthered her education at CSU so that she could continue her basketball career. However, this hysterical alumna happened to enter a comedy contest and ended up earning the title, “Funniest Person on Campus.” She ended her time at CSU to join the world of comedy and landed a spot on the cast of Saturday Night Live. She was also included in TIME magazine’s 2017 World’s 100 Most Influential People List.

3. Jenny Cavnar

Our CSU baseball fanatics will know this name well. Jenny Cavnar received her spot on the notable alumni list by becoming the first woman since 1993 to do a play-by-play on a Major League Baseball telecast. On April 23, 2018, Cavnar called the Rockies v. Padres game. She went on to work in the MLB for 12 years, hosting and speaking on pre- and postgame shows. She started with the Padres, and now is back in Colorado with the Rockies. You might know her by her famous Rockies home-run slogan, “Fire up the fountains. She’s gone!”

4. Mary Cleave

Mary Cleave, a 1969 CSU graduate, used to spend her days exploring Horsetooth Reservoir on her motorcycle doing field research. Cleave was a biological science major, and one day responded to an “Astronauts Wanted” ad out of the blue. This led Cleave to become one of the first women to complete NASA flight training. After this, she served as a flight engineer for two space shuttle missions. Cleave completed 172 orbits around the earth, operated the space shuttle’s robotic arm, and traveled 3.94 million miles. Cleave earned the William E. Morgan Achievement Award, the CSU Alumni Association’s highest honor in 2015, after simply keeping “an open mind” and applying for an astronaut position on a whim.

5. Kelsey Martinez

Traveling from Colorado all the way to Oakland, California, Kelsey Martinez became the first female assistant coach for the Oakland Raiders NFL team after graduating in 2015. Focusing on strength and conditioning, Martinez says her outlook on success stems from her philosophy of “Don’t create limits on yourself. There’s many excuses, but at the end of the day, what do you love to do?” Martinez, a first-generation student, followed her own advice and landed a career that she is proud of and loves to do.