L to R: Matt Gonzales (Program Director) Amy Strickland (Senior Academy Program Manager & Curriculum Coordinator), Brooke Slaughter, and Mary Fran Tharp (Executive Director of Hope Ignites Colorado)
Growing up in Aurora, Colorado, Brooke Slaughter lived with her parents and two brothers. “I’ve lived here my whole life,” Brooke said of the house she grew up in. Now, she’s in college at Metropolitan State University down the road, a short 20 minute commute away.
“He would spend all his time at Hope Ignites, and I’d wonder what he was doing.”
Her early life was busy and full, with her parents working long hours, her father at a food manufacturing company and her mother as a housekeeping supervisor at a hotel. Brooke spent much of her childhood with her grandparents, alongside her brother Quincy, who would unknowingly set her on a path that would define much of her life.
It was Quincy who first introduced Brooke to Hope Ignites Colorado (then known as Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado). As a middle schooler, Brooke watched Quincy thrive in the program. “He would spend all his time there, and I’d wonder what he was doing,” Brooke said.
For Quincy, Hope Ignites Colorado was a safe place where he could be himself, diving deep into his interests, like astronomy, and getting the academic support he needed to excel in school.
Brooke’s parents did not attend college, and so they were very invested in their children being able to go. Her father, Marcus, said in a 2021 video for Hope Ignites Colorado, that “the program showed them things I never could have had access to […] So education is very important to our family. With this support, our kids are not alone on this journey.”
Eventually, with Quincy’s and her parents’ encouragement, Brooke applied, was accepted, and joined the Academy track as she entered high school.
Brooke Slaughter’s high school graduation photo, revealing her college choice.
BROADENING ONE’S HORIZONS
“At the time, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Brooke said. “I thought about being a doctor or a lawyer, but I don’t like to read a lot.” Hope Ignites opened her eyes to new possibilities, encouraging her to explore different careers and building her confidence through activities like book clubs and networking events. “At first, I hated the book clubs,” she laughed. “But once I found books I actually liked, like Life of Pi and The Hate U Give, I started enjoying it.”
This past March Brooke was part of the Alumni Panel, one of the highlights of the annual Hope Ignites Leadership Gathering. Alongside four fellow Hope Ignites collegians and alumni, Brooke spoke about her experience in the program and her future plans in front of a packed auditorium of Hope Ignites team members, supporters and other stakeholders, answering questions, and sharing her perspective. It wasn’t always like that, though.
The 2025 Alumni Panel: Joshua Fitzgerald (Baltimore), Me’Yani McDonald (Cincinnati), Glenn Fraychinaud (New Orleans), Brooke Slaughter (Colorado), and Ruben Lugo, moderator (Detroit).
“As soon as I took the controls, I knew. This is what I want to do. I could just feel it.”
“I have a big fear of talking to people, but I’ve gotten over it,” Brooke said, crediting the events to which Hope Ignites exposed her. “For the longest time, I would just stare people dead in the face and not say a word.”
Overcoming her fear of speaking in public has helped her make the most of her college experience by connecting with professors and other faculty, asking for help, and not being afraid of taking up space. That same growing confidence took root even earlier, in high school — where a chance encounter sparked a surprising sense of purpose.
Inspired by the ROTC color guard she saw at her brother’s graduation, Brooke joined her school’s Air Force Junior ROTC program. “I wanted to wear the uniform and be part of something,” she said. ROTC taught her discipline, leadership, and life skills like doing her own taxes. It also introduced her to Civil Air Patrol and gave her the chance to experience her first-ever airplane flight, not just as a passenger, but in control of a small Cessna 172.
Brooke wearing her ROTC uniform at her high school graduation, together with a friend.
“As soon as I took the controls, I knew,” Brooke said. “This is what I want to do. I could just feel it.”
Despite her mother’s initial worries about flying, Brooke pursued her dream. “My mom was scared,” Brooke remembered. “She didn’t even want me to go on that flight. But my dad said, ‘If you’re going to do something, commit to it.'”
Today, Brooke is entering her senior year at Metropolitan State University of Denver, majoring in Aviation and Aerospace Science. Although she faced challenges, like being one of the few Black students in her program or feeling behind classmates who had been flying since they were 16, Brooke stayed determined. Thanks to mentors like Professor Kress, a German immigrant who took Brooke under her wing, and strong support from her family, she learned to use adversity as motivation.
“When people would say things under their breath or not want to be my lab partner, Professor Kress told me, ‘You’re smart. You’ll figure it out. Use it as fuel,'” Brooke said.
AUTHOR
Martin Totland is the Media and Communications Coordinator for Hope Ignites Network Headquarters.
Outside of the classroom, Brooke stays busy giving back. She helps coach track at her old high school, focusing on high jump. “We tell the kids, ‘You can go to college. You can do big things,'” Brooke said. “We even made ‘can’t‘ a bad word. If they say it, they have to do pushups.”
Brooke is also working to revive the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) chapter at MSU Denver. “When I first started, there weren’t many Black students in the aviation program,” she said. “Now we’re trying to rebuild the Blackhawks chapter to create more community and support.”
After graduation, Brooke plans to work toward becoming a pilot, though she is also exploring opportunities in airport management and airline operations. “Flying is my dream,” she said, “but there’s a lot you can do in aviation.”
DON’T HIDE WHERE YOU COME FROM
Brooke’s advice to younger Hope Ignites scholars is simple and powerful: “Be yourself. Don’t hide where you come from. Know that people have done it before you, and you can do it too.”
Her path from a young girl unsure of her future to an aspiring aviator shows what happens when opportunity meets hard work and a fearless spirit. Brooke Slaughter is ready to soar and to bring others along for the ride.