Students and young adults in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and across Northern Colorado can work with a Blackburn mentor by video. Each person has one dedicated mentor, meets weekly or more often in Mountain time, and checks in by text or phone between sessions. Our team is based in Los Angeles; all Northern Colorado sessions happen online.
A Front Range college town with a long reach
Students shape much of the Fort Collins calendar, from move-in week in August to quiet summers. Old Town, the Poudre River trail, Horsetooth Reservoir and the craft breweries give it an easygoing, outdoorsy character. Beyond campus, the regional economy runs on education, health care, research, manufacturing, agriculture and a growing technology sector.
Fort Collins by the numbers
Larimer County is the whole Fort Collins-Loveland metro, so these county figures describe the metro (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, via Census Reporter).
- 55.5 percent of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree. More than half of adults have a degree, which sets a high bar: students here often feel that a degree is assumed, so a teen who is unsure about college needs room to plan honestly.
- The median value of an owner-occupied home is $610,000. Graduates who want to stay in town compete for rentals with students and newcomers, so a budget and a timeline for moving out are often the first things a mentor and a young adult build together.
- A median household income of $93,276, with 10.7 percent of residents below the poverty line. Many households are comfortable, yet a lot of young adults are piecing together part-time work, which is where steady weekly planning pays off.
- A mean commute of 23.9 minutes. Front Range drives toward Loveland, Greeley and the Denver area add up, and a video session at home removes one more trip from a crowded week.
College students who need structure
Campus life in a fun, outdoor town is great until it is not. Some students fall behind in the first year, skip classes or lose a semester to too much freedom. A mentor helps them rebuild: a weekly schedule, a plan for each class, a conversation with an advisor, and short check-ins between sessions. Parents can read our guides on a college student skipping class and academic probation.
Teens growing up in Northern Colorado
For high school students in Fort Collins and the surrounding towns, common goals include:
- Building a steady homework and study routine that holds up through ski weekends and summer.
- Finding a first job or volunteer role and handling it reliably.
- Exploring careers in engineering, environmental work, health care or the trades.
- Making a realistic plan for after graduation, whether that is college, work or a gap year.
For any high school student, a parent can join the intro call, help agree the goals and receive regular progress updates.
Young adults who stayed after graduation
Plenty of people come to Fort Collins for school and decide to stay. Good entry-level jobs can be competitive, though, and rents have climbed. A mentor helps recent graduates set up a job search routine, think through whether to stay or move to Denver or elsewhere, and build a budget that works. See unemployed after graduation.
Session times from Fort Collins
Northern Colorado sits one hour ahead of our Pacific-based mentors year round.
- After school: a 4:30 pm session in Fort Collins starts at 3:30 pm for the mentor, and 6:00 pm Mountain is 5:00 pm Pacific.
- After work or evening classes: 7:30 pm Mountain is 6:30 pm Pacific, a good fit for students who work late afternoon shifts.
- Early mornings: 7:00 or 8:00 am Mountain (6:00 or 7:00 am Pacific) can be arranged before a first class.
- Weekends: Saturday and Sunday slots help students who work weekday jobs.
Sessions continue through winter break, summer jobs and travel, which matters for students who leave town between semesters.
The Northern Colorado year
Most Colorado districts begin in mid August and wrap up in late May, and the college calendar layers on top: the town fills in late August, empties at Thanksgiving and winter break, and goes quiet from mid May. Winters bring snow and occasional icy commutes, but plenty of sunny days. Wildfire seasons have reshaped summer in the foothills, with smoke days and closures that can interrupt outdoor jobs.
Loveland, Windsor, Timnath and Wellington have grown quickly, and the drive to Greeley or Denver on I-25 and Highway 34 is part of life for many. Agriculture and energy work in Weld County, craft beverage jobs and public research all shape what young people try first. Families most often ask us how to help a college student stay on track with classes and routines, what to do when a graduate is still in town without direction, and whether a high schooler can get help with organization and college planning.
Situations that come up often in Northern Colorado
- A college student closes a taproom late several nights a week and struggles with morning classes.
- A recent graduate juggles three part-time jobs and has no clear sense of monthly income.
- A teen in a new subdivision in Timnath or Wellington has not yet found a group of friends.
- Smoke days interrupt summer plans and outdoor jobs, and routines fall apart.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is steady accountability and practical guidance from an adult outside the family. Mentors are not tutors, therapists or academic advisors, and they encourage students to use campus advising and support offices. College students usually begin with mentoring for college students or academic coaching for college students. Recent graduates often start with recent college graduate mentoring. More on video sessions is on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Mentoring in Colorado
- Online mentoring in Denver and Boulder
- Online mentoring in Colorado Springs
- Online mentoring in Salt Lake City
Common questions
Do you work with Fort Collins college students by video?
Yes. We work with college students at any kind of school in Northern Colorado, and anywhere else in the country, by video. With the student’s permission, parents can receive progress updates.
What time are sessions in Mountain Time for Fort Collins clients?
Fort Collins is one hour ahead of our mentors, so a 5 pm Mountain session is 4 pm Pacific. After-class, evening, early-morning and weekend times are all available.
Can a mentor help a recent graduate in Fort Collins decide between staying and moving to Denver?
Yes. A mentor helps the graduate compare real jobs, rents and commutes in both places, talk to people on each path and set a decision date. The search routine continues whichever way they go.
Do you work with high school students in Larimer County with parents involved?
Yes. For any high school student, a parent can join the intro call, help agree the goals and get updates when needed. Common goals are organization, a steady study routine and a plan for after graduation.
Do sessions continue over summer break?
Yes. Sessions are online, so they continue whether the student stays in Fort Collins or goes home for the summer. Many students use the summer to reset habits before fall.
Get started
Have a student in Northern Colorado who could use a mentor? Call (888) 305-5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or answer a few quick questions. It takes about 2 minutes, and you can book a free 20 minute intro call at the end.
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Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.