CSU Campus Connections changed one young man’s life forever

Larimer County youth build trust, lasting support with mentors

For Jasper Bonifazi, 17, the support of CSU Campus Connections isn’t confined to a weeknight meet-up or a single campus building – it is a living, breathing safety net that’s there when he needs it. Although his journey is anchored by the intentional, face-to-face hours spent on campus with his mentors, that bond doesn't break when he heads home.

Whether they are sharing a meal and tackling life’s hurdles in-person or connecting through their 13-person group text, Jasper’s mentors are there for him. These check-ins serve as a vital extension of their physical "walk" together, ensuring that the compassion and guidance he receives while at Campus Connections is always within reach.

Jasper doesn't just participate in community – he builds it. This is a story about how one beloved Fort Collins teenager, supported by CSU’s Campus Connections, turned a therapeutic youth mentoring program into his chosen family.

Program origins

Campus Connections came about in 2009 in response to a community request for additional services for youth experiencing difficulties. Youth are referred from the juvenile system, schools, human services, and other providers, and paired with an undergraduate mentor from CSU.

Funded, in part, by Larimer County Behavioral Health Services Impact Fund Grant Program, the award-winning, 12-week program is free and open to all Larimer County youth, ages 10 to 18. 

Three evenings a week, participants build connections, get academic support, enjoy a hot meal from the Food Bank and do activities together, and have access to integrated mental health services – all while on the CSU-Fort Collins campus.

The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) assessment looks at the number of stressful or traumatic events (called ACEs) experienced by children under the age of 18. These go beyond normal life stressors and include things like abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, or having a family member with a substance-abuse disorder. The more ACEs a person has, the greater their risk for chronic health conditions, mental illness, and substance abuse in adulthood. 

The highest possible score is 10 out of 10. Most of the youth at Campus Connections score about a six. 

“We’re good at flowing with what kids need,” said Jen Krafchick, a CSU professor and co-director since the program’s inception. Support looks different for each youth, each time – from one-on-one conversations with mentors, decompression time in the calm room, or a visit with an on-site therapist. 

On one evening in March 2026, Jasper Bonifazi and his 14th mentor Molly Carroll, a CSU senior, sat together in the Gifford Building and shared more about their experiences. They talked and joked with the ease of two people who have known each other for years, not months.

Jasper joined Campus Connections at age 11. Now in his 15th and final semester, he is the longest-participating youth of the more than 3,500 served by the program.

“I went through some tough times, and Campus Connections staff and mentors helped me get through them,” he said. 

Navigating “some pretty major life events, good and bad,” Jasper learned that some therapists didn't meet his needs. Retelling his life story to a new provider and answering, “How did that make you feel?” was exhausting.

“I like talking to my mentors and not getting a robot response,” he said.

They have helped him with homework. Played on teams in the program’s infamous noodle ball games (you whack a soccer ball with a pool noodle into impossibly small goals). Listened, deeply. And even stepped up when Jasper needed help picking up a Mother’s Day balloon and edible arrangement for his grandmother and full-time guardian, Wendy Bonifazi. 

Wendy still has the deflated balloon pinned on the wall. She lit up when talking about not only Jasper’s act of kindness but his former mentor’s, as well.

“What was so nice was Emily came through for him on such short notice,” she said. “That was a meaningful connection that lasted.” 

Jasper is the first to say he wasn’t too thrilled about starting the program, which other grandparents recommended to Wendy. Today, he can’t quite imagine life without it. 

“Every semester, I ask Jasper if he wants to return, and no matter how busy he is, he says yes," Wendy said. "In 15 semesters, he only missed one night when we were out of town. He's always eager to return, and to go each week. Part of it is knowing that he and his concerns won't get brushed aside or ignored.” 

"Whenever I've stopped in, I'm amazed that everyone knows Jasper, and how well they know him,” she added. “That says a lot about the positive culture there.”

Data show positive outcomes

A recent institutional evaluation underscores the profound effect this program has on its participants. Pre- and post-intervention data from 239 youth, 243 parents/guardians, and 255 mentors – analyzed across three cohorts in spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025 – show:   

• A significant reduction in trauma-related symptoms, attention problems, and internalizing behaviors (like anxiety and depression) across all youth participants.
• The program achieved an 18% reduction in delinquent behavior, alongside a marked decrease in youth irritability and emotional reactivity.
• Parents/guardians reported that the most significant change was an increase in their children's "positive affect" — witnessing a visible rise in happiness, joy, and life satisfaction despite histories of chronic stress.
• The program is equally effective across all demographics; notably, youth who felt the most marginalized in other settings reported the highest levels of belonging and satisfaction.
• Recent innovations, including Regulation Rooms and Emotion Coaching, have proven successful, with mentor empathy serving as a direct "buffer" against the negative effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences).
• Despite nearly one-third of participants entering the program feeling unloved or unprotected at home, youth consistently rated "feeling accepted by staff and peers" as the highest-scoring element of their experience.

CSU Campus Connections is more than a mentoring program. Those familiar with it say it’s a vital intervention that transforms high-risk circumstances into stories of resilience for Larimer County youth. By fostering deep, trauma-informed relationships within a university setting, the program successfully bridges the gap between significant childhood adversity and a future defined by emotional stability and social belonging.

Reenie Terjak, a diversion manager with the 8th Judicial District of the Larimer County district attorney, reaffirmed how important it is for youth to have stability, guidance, and predictability in their lives. 

“It really does take a village and, especially, when you have a kid who’s struggling,” she said, noting, “It’s sort of like this: A stool can stand on three legs. But a chair is more stable on four.”  

Campus Connections is a licensed program operating at other universities including the University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, University of Auckland in New Zealand, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and the University of Wyoming. Staff also get calls from magistrates in other communities, asking how they can start programs. 

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Terjak said. “In fact it should be in 200 colleges around the country. It really should be in every community.” 

Jasper is sad this is his last semester with the program. And while he’s not sure what comes next, he wants to find a way to continue with Campus Connections – perhaps as a mentor, ready to change someone else’s life the way his mentors changed his.