Beginning with hello: Cleo Washington on student success

Beginning with hello: Cleo Washington on student success

From The Ampersand by Erika Randall

July 13, 2025 · 28 min · Season 4 · Episode 6

About this episode

Cleo Washington shares her journey and challenges as a dance performance artist at the University of Colorado Boulder, emphasizing the importance of support and simple gestures like a friendly hello.

Cleo Washington (DnceBFA'25) is a gifted dance performance artist who deftly performs pieces across styles—from ballet to house, Hip Hop to modern. Hers is a rare talent, but Cleo's journey to graduation from the University of Colorado Boulder was not a simple story of recognizing talent and shaping skill in an academic experience. On today's episode, Cleo discusses challenges she faced, the courage she needed to ask for help, the support of her family and how the simplest moments, like a casual, friendly hello, deeply affects students' lives. --- Original music composed by Nelson Walker. Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia. Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.

People in this episode

Host: Erika Randall

Guest: Cleo Washington

Topics covered

  • student success
  • dance performance
  • challenges in education
  • support systems
  • personal growth

Keywords

  • Cleo Washington
  • dance
  • student challenges
  • support
  • University of Colorado Boulder

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Colorado Boulder

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