Difference Maker: Gerry Lopez

By Nick Krishnan: Marketing and Events Manager

“Take care of the people, and the people will take care of you”, Gerry Lopez of My Future Pathways, is a community leader that truly epitomizes this saying.  Gerry’s family moved to Eagle County from Zacatecas, Mexico when he was six years old, and like many people in the valley, his parents had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.  While his parents were at work, they would often rely on teachers, librarians, after school programs, coaches and so much more to take care of Gerry.  These after school and community care-takers laid the foundation that fostered Gerry’s passion for a strong community, and as he got older, Gerry came to realize that he himself could be one of those trusted adults that he and his peers needed while they were growing up.  Being welcomed with open arms by the greater Eagle County community not only instilled a sense of community in Gerry at a young age, it has also allowed him and his parents to help lift other family members out of poverty both in the United States and Mexico.

Upon graduating from high school Gerry began working for Mountain Youth while attending Colorado Mountain College, he has also worked for the Eagle County School District, Vail Health, SpeakUp ReachOut, Vail Valley Charitable Fund and is now the Scholarship Manager for My Future Pathways.  Through working with all of these organizations, Gerry focuses on garnering the trust of the community members so that he can best serve them: “The trust I’ve earned is something I don’t take lightly, and every day I strive to honor it by showing up fully.”  Gerry also recognizes that he wouldn’t be able to show up in the way that he does without the support of the various organizations that he’s worked for in his mental and physical health.  Being able to focus distance running, cycling, hiking and lifting allows Gerry to himself to the limit mentally and physically.

Looking to the future, Gerry sees substance use, mental health and a lack of connection/purpose as some of the leading issues facing the youth of Eagle County.  Not only do we need individuals willing to work towards the improvement of our communities, Gerry believes that it is also important that the various local organizations within the valley continue to collaborate with one another to “strengthen their efforts and lengthen their reach.”  Gerry also felt it important to highlight that our local teachers face many challenges in their work and need support from the community as well: “…we need to protect our educators and help them thrive in this community.”  As we continue to make strides and move forward as a community, Gerry emphasizes the importance of youth voice and agency, “We need to listen to young people’s voices, involve them in decision-making, and invest in programs that build not only academic success, but also life skills, identity, and resilience.”  By showing the youth the community believes in them, they will be more likely to believe in themselves and thrive.