Third-year CU student Louise Vazquez makes it a priority to get to know her professors. The political science major aims to be prepared for first impressions 鈥� but things don鈥檛 always go according to plan.
聽鈥淚 remember when I first talked to Professor Ferguson in one of her classes, I was really, really intimidated,鈥� said Vazquez. However, she was determined to make a connection with the political science professor, who was teaching her Survey of Western Political Thought class in the spring of 
2016.
鈥淚 asked her: 鈥榙o you have any children?鈥� She was very polite, but she asked me why I would ask that,鈥� Vazquez said. 鈥淚 froze. I was like, I asked the wrong question!鈥�
As it turned out, Professor Michaele Ferguson reminded Vazquez of her own mother, who teaches as well. The two got to talking and began to build a strong relationship from there.
It wasn鈥檛 until the next semester that Vazquez found out about CU鈥檚 Women Who Make A Difference Award. The award celebrates women on campus who have made CU a better place. Nominees are recognized at an award ceremony, which was held this year at 5:30 pm on Monday, December 5th in UMC 235.
Vazquez learned about the award from a flyer. 鈥淚 thought of Professor Ferguson and I was like, I need to do this,鈥� she said.
The nomination process consisted of filling out a Google Form and writing a letter explaining why the nominee was chosen.
鈥淸Professor Ferguson] is here to really inspire students and do more than is asked of her,鈥� said Vazquez. 鈥淎s a student and as a woman, I鈥檝e gone through a lot in my college years, and she鈥檚 grounding. She鈥檚 intelligent, she鈥檚 driven, she鈥檚 an amazing human being. I鈥檓 really just proud to have her in my life.鈥�
After filling out the nomination form, Vazquez sent Ferguson an email with the date of the awards ceremony. She also included a link to the form she had filled out, w
hich contained the letter she had written.
鈥淲hen I read that, I honestly started crying,鈥� said Professor Ferguson. 鈥淪he talked about how I challenge my students, but I challenge them to be who they want to be. It was touching because she was calling out qualities in me that are the qualities I want to have.鈥�
The letter included an explanation as to why 鈥� despite the fact that the professor insists Vazquez refer to her as Michaele 鈥� she聽continues to call her Professor Ferguson.
鈥淪he said she thinks I鈥檓 worthy of respect and she wants to show me that respect,鈥� said Ferguson. 鈥淚t was an incredibly moving nomination.鈥�
And for Ferguson, the award is 鈥榡ust as much about Louise鈥� as it is about her.
鈥淪he went out of her way to nominate me for this,鈥� said the professor. "She didn鈥檛 have to, and to me it signals tremendous qualities in her that she鈥檚 willing to take the time to recognize somebody else.鈥�