Colorado Attorney General recognized for support of Lighthouse Program
On September 18, 2026, supporters and partners of the Lighthouse Program gathered for the Lighthouse Program Reception and inaugural presentation of the Beacon of Light Award, presented to a public servant whose vision, leadership and commitment have created lasting opportunities for children, youth and families to thrive.
President John Marshall opened the reception with remarks about how the Lighthouse Program was created, and how the initial partnership formed. More than six years ago, District Attorney Dan Rubinstein came to President Marshall with an idea of how to divert Mesa County youths out of the juvenile system.
The idea was to create a program that would offer a range of services, from education and counseling to peer mentorship and relationship building. President Marshall agreed that the best foot forward for the community was prevention versus remediation, and thus, a partnership formed.
“A lighthouse doesn’t pull a ship to shore. It shines a light so the person navigating can
see the safe path forward. That is what our CMU near-peer mentors do for these kids.
Through a trusted relationship, they help young people see possibilities beyond where
they are today and give them the confidence and support to build a healthy and successful future,” said Rubinstein.
The Lighthouse Program is housed in the CMU Student Wellness Center building. CMU
not only provides the space for the program to exist, but links students in need with
near-peer mentors from CMU programs like social work, psychology, criminal justice
and others.
Peer mentorship is valuable to the program, because it not only helps youth
in need connect with someone closer in age, but also serves as an early career training
opportunity and direct application of education for CMU students.
Towards the end of the Lighthouse Program reception, Rubinstein presented Attorney
General Phil Weiser with the inaugural Beacon of Light Award for his actions fighting the
opioid crisis. Weiser secured $912 million through nationwide opioid settlements to fund
local prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across the state.
His efforts have trickled into the Mesa County community, and the Lighthouse Program exists to
continue these efforts serving local youth and preventing them from heading down a
poor life path.
“There’s a lot that ails us in our society, and a lot of it can be explained by a connection
crisis, which means the answer for what ails us is being done here in this exceptional
program,” said Weiser during his award acceptance remarks. “Building connection for
those at risk of addiction is one of the more creative an impactful use of the [opioid
settlement] funds across the whole state.”
The partnership between CMU and the Lighthouse Program is an example of agencies
coming together to invoke lasting changes in a community. Every youth and family that
is supported through the Lighthouse Program is set up with an opportunity for a better
life. In tandem, CMU is serving the next generation of workforce professionals and
community members by providing them with an opportunity for a better life through education.
“I think this program is such a perfect encapsulation of this community, in terms of
people coming around each other, coming together to try and solve a problem. We’re
thrilled as a university to play a small part in this really vital nonprofit,” said CMU
President John Marshall.
It is with innovative and proactive action that significant changes are made, and that is
what CMU and the Lighthouse Program are working to do together.
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