Colorado
Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country
At nearly 6 years old, I remember the feeling of the living room carpet under me as I sat in front of a monitor displaying Barack Obama’s determined face during the 2012 presidential election debates. As the smell of a dinner in progress wafted in from the kitchen, the speakers slightly warbled his voice.
My eyes concentrated on Obama’s face and I noticed that with every word he uttered, he did it with grace and an overbearing belief that instilled confidence in me. As a voice called me to join them for dinner, I reluctantly pulled myself from my spot in front of the TV, eyes still stuck on the screen. Leaving the room, I still remember feeling a thick aura of hope hanging in the air.
From that point forward, politics and government have been an integral part of my life. For as long as I can remember, it has been a family tradition to sit over steaming hot food at the dinner table and hear my parents and siblings — and when I got older, even me — debate and discuss what was happening in the world. Sometimes we would argue loudly at a divided table, but that was all a part of another lesson my parents taught me, that passion was a good thing, especially in politics.
Day after day at the dinner table, I would gather little bits of information that would help me realize what was most important to me as an American, a Muslim, a woman and a human.
Being part of a politically aware family, I have always known that the 2024 election would be the first I would be eligible to vote in. However, the weight of that decision only dawned on me recently with November 5th looming.
My parents and communities have always instilled in me the knowledge that contributing to society through civic and political engagement is the best way to be a good American, and the epitome of that is voting. As a young kid, seeing the colorful red, white and blue “I Voted” stickers that came with my parents’ ballots, I eagerly looked forward to earning one of my own.
I am inspired by people like Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King Jr., and I recognize and believe in the immense opportunity that voting gives to our hope-ingrained Republic.
Besides at home, my social studies classes have been instrumental to my learning about the importance and privilege of voting.
Last year, one of the most influential ways I learned to see current events through the eyes of history was in my American Government class. My teacher explained the importance of voting through the perspective of those who dedicated their lives to gaining the right to vote and tried to put us in their shoes.
He impressed upon us the fact that had we been alive before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a majority of us would not have been allowed to vote. After giving us a moment to think about this, he asked why any of us would be unwilling to vote when we have that right.
Still, it is hard not to feel like voting is like having all the world’s power while also having none. Being just one person in a country with millions can be intimidating and make you question the importance of just one vote. In close elections, local or national, one vote can make the difference in electing an individual who is fit to serve the people and one who isn’t.
I know that when I vote, even if the outcome is not what I want, I make the decision to let my voice be heard and that is what voting is all about.
I often feel at a loss between frustration and worry about how our current government functions and where it is headed. However, there is always the possibility of a better world fueled by the fundamentals of democracy, which at its core is voting. Voting is not only a vehicle of hope but also a tool to empower our society.
Of all of the emotions I have around voting for the first time, the most prevalent is the feeling that I can make a difference in my country. Most of all, I want to embrace this feeling and celebrate the freedom to vote in order to work toward creating a better future on Nov. 5 along with my fellow Americans.
I hope that every eligible young adult joins me in voting and embraces the opportunity to help shape this country to uphold the values we hold dear.
Ayah Al-Masyabi lives in Aurora and is a student journalist and creative who attends Branson School Online. Ayah was part of The Colorado Sun’s Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop for high school students.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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Colorado
Families, care providers navigate cuts to Colorado’s Community Connector program | Rocky Mountain PBS
“Typically, between me and my husband, there are no breaks. We have to constantly ask each other to change him and feed him and shower him. I always worry about the future if Elli has to leave and not get help anymore,” said Dina Katan, Batikha’s mother. “The free time is good for my mental health. For me, when Elli comes here and helps, I have time to do things that usually I am not able to do.”
Other parents are concerned that the reduction in hours will make it harder to find care providers. Becky Houle of Greeley is the mother of Hadley, a 13-year-old diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder that causes significant developmental delays and little to no speech.
Hadley used to qualify for 10 Community Connector hours a week and is now down to five, Houle said. With those hours, she previously played unified basketball, went to the park and interacted with others and participated in running errands with her caretaker.
“I worry that the person that provides some of that caregiving role for her won’t be able to commit with such few hours,” Houle said. “I like Hadley to have interactions without us being there, so she can feel like a teenager.”
Tom Dermody, chief budget and policy analyst for Colorado’s JBC, said spending on Community Connector services has risen substantially over the past six fiscal years.
Dermody said that as the program, which started in 2014, has become more popular, costs have ballooned. He said participation in the Community Connector service has increased by 510% since fiscal year 2018-2019, and that annual spending has risen from about $5 million in fiscal year 2018–2019 to more than $66 million in fiscal year 2025–2026.
To cut costs, the JBC not only capped annual hours for the service, but also revised the rules to narrow what qualifies as Community Connector hours. Jane said this makes it harder to consistently reach the five-hour weekly allotment.
“When these changes were made, I did our usual Community Connect on Sunday. After I worked my shift, I noticed that I couldn’t clock in or out because my shift was removed from the app,” Jane said.
After sending an email to her employer, her agency told her that what she did — taking her Batikha to a gas station and showing him how to ask an associate how to find a product — does not qualify under the new Community Connector rules.
Under the updated rules, Community Connector hours must be tied to activities in the community that align with a person’s care plan and build skills or participation, such as volunteering, attending enrichment classes or going to the library alongside peers without disabilities.
The state has excluded simple supervision, passive outings and activities typically considered a parent’s responsibility from qualifying for Community Connector hours. Providers must now clearly document how each hour supports a specific goal.
“It’s unfair that they cut those hours for these kids and they are very strict about how we use those hours,” Katan said. “The new requirements are very specific and not inclusive of high needs kids like Taym.”
Batikha requires full support whenever he goes out, Jane said, and the stricter requirements make it harder to plan weekly community trips.
“He needs hygiene changes. He needs to be fed every two hours. And he can’t be fed anywhere. I want to give him privacy for his feeding,” Jane said.
She now plans to split her five Community Connector hours over the course of a week instead of providing them all on Sundays, as she previously did.
“I care about him and I love my clients so much, so I’m definitely going to stay,” Jane said. “His parents need the time to be able to watch a movie and not worry about if their son is okay.”
Women’s Lacrosse
May 14, 2026
Final minute, full 2OT from Northwestern-Colorado lacrosse quarterfinal marathon
May 14, 2026
Watch the full regulation finish and both OT periods from Northwestern and Colorado’s battle in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament.
Watch: Fort Collins boys relay team sprinting to school records
The Fort Collins high school boys relay runners are sprinting to school records with their sights set on a team state championship this season.
LAKEWOOD — One of the most anticipated events in Colorado high school sports is back on the track.
The annual Colorado high school track and field state championship meet returns May 14-16 for the 2026 edition.
It kicks off May 14 as the Centennial State’s top leapers, runners, jumpers, sprinters, vaulters and throwers take over Lakewood’s JeffCo Stadium.
More than 100 Fort Collins-area athletes across four different classifications have qualified for the state meet.
Follow here for day one live state track & field updates from local athletes, plus some notable scores and results for Northern Colorado and statewide competitors.
This has the potential to be a massive state meet for the Fort Collins area.
Our top local sprinters and relay teams account for more than 40 top-two seeds in their events, while there are field contenders galore and several distance runners in the mix.
— Chris Abshire
It’s a busy year for Fort Collins-area athletes down at state track, with over 100 athletes qualifying from nine local schools.
Fort Collins High School leads the way with eighteen individual qualifiers and seven relay sqauds, but there’s plenty of representation across schools and events.
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 running finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
- 8:20-8:35 a.m.: 5A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 10:00-10:50 a.m.: 4A and 5A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 11:00-11:30 a.m.: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympics 100 dashes
- Noon: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympic 200 dashes
- 2:20-2:45 p.m.: Special Olympics/Paralympic 3A/2A/1A 100 and 200 dashes
- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: 3A and 2A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 5:00-5:35 p.m.: 1A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 6:00-6:15 p.m.: 3A boys/girls 3200 meters
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 field finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
8:30 A.M.
- 5A girls pole vault and discus
- 5A boys long jump
- 4A girls high jump and shot put
- 4A boys triple jump
11/11:30 A.M.
- 5A boys pole vault and discus
- 5A girls long jump
- 4A boys high jump and shot put
- 4A girls triple jump
1:30/2:00/2:30 P.M.
- 3A boys triple jump
- 3A girls pole vault and discus
- 2A boys high jump
- 2A girls long jump and shot put
4/5 P.M.
- 3A boys high jump
- 3A girls triple jump
- 1A girls pole vault and discus
- 1A boys long jump and shot put
— Chris Abshire
Since the calendar hit 2000, there have been many remarkable achievements from local athletes at the Colorado state track & field meet.
From throws domination to Ray Bozmans’ sprint sweep or multiple sister acts, here are 15 of the best Fort Collins-area performances in the new millennium.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
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