At the President’s Fall Address, Robert Lamm and his guide dog Fletcher directed people toward chairs, kept the sidewalk clear, while generally just welcoming and chatting with people.

Welcome to the life of a CSU Presidential Ambassador, the newest of Lamm’s many hats in his short time at CSU. As part of those responsibilities, Lamm is featured as one of the guest speakers at Friday’s President’s Gala.

Finding his potential

It took him a while to get here.

In 2022, at age 27, Lamm transferred to CSU through the “Wolves to Rams” program at Front Range Community College.

This fall, the first-generation student is taking 17 credits in environmental engineering in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. He helps staff the front desk of the Engineering Success Center. Over the summer, he took two classes and worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Professor Chris Snow’s laboratory, which has already led him to investigate graduate school.

Not enough? He’s also president of the National Federation of the Blind, Northern Colorado chapter.

Lamm is driven because he has a goal in mind – acknowledging and continuing the philanthropic efforts of others who have helped him achieve these honors.

That includes giving back to the people who helped give him Fletcher, his English black Labrador retriever trained as a guide dog by Leader Dogs for the Blind.

“Without Fletcher, I never would have had the motivation to come back to community college, let alone a four-year university. I can’t be more grateful for not only how he’s guided me, but just the relationships he has helped build as well,” Lamm said.

Breaking the cycle as a first-generation student

These days, small things are major victories.

Lamm is legally blind. Over a month in 2019, he went from 20/20 vision to not being able to see two fingers in front of his face. He was diagnosed with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a disease his doctor tells him may have come from a lifestyle that included abusing drugs and alcohol.

At 13, he was hit by a car going 45 mph. He was set to be in a wheelchair for six months and crutches for another three, but found himself walking with no aid after four months, inspired by his father.

“Heading into my surgery the doctors told my dad I had a 2% chance of walking again with all the trauma to my legs. No words said, I made eye contact with my father and felt a fire in which I knew I could do anything I set my mind to,” Lamm said. “The lack of proper physical therapy and finding the wrong crowd in high school one year later led to self-medication mostly with alcohol and other occasional drugs. “

Both parents were addicts, and the abuse killed his mother in 2020. Eleven days after Robert’s diagnosis in 2019, he quit abusing alcohol and drugs, in place of painkillers he had abused after the car accident, he said. He got in with the wrong crowd, and enrolled in community college, but quit to work at Echter’s Garden Center in Arvada with his dad. He is rebuilding a relationship with his father.

“He did inspire me and teach me a heck of a lot,” Lamm said. “He’s probably planted 10,000 trees around the Denver metro area. If we can change something in our environment, why not? If we can make something better.”

Robert Lamm’s wife, Adriana, inspired him to go back to school. He attended Front Range, and took a job as a work-study student in the Math department there before transferring to CSU.

“My wife inspired me to return to school,” Lamm said. “My recovery from both vision loss and addiction is focused on my faith and spirituality. Every realistic challenge I come across, I use my tenacity to find a way through it.”

Engineering his future

Lamm is now starting his junior year at CSU in environmental engineering, with a minor in water sustainability, while serving as a Presidential Ambassador and water fellow with the Colorado Water Center.

He’s gotten here with a little extra help – from students who have mentored him, to faculty members who have learned tricks like using bold markers on the whiteboard, ensuring Lamm sits up front, or even helping advocate for new accommodations with the Student Disability Center when appropriate, such as taking tests on iPads.

Accessibility tools on his computer have come a long way, he said.

“I’m so grateful for the technological advances out there. Without my iPad, I don’t know how I would do calculus, chemistry, or any other engineering course involving drawing,” Lamm said. “I’ve met 50 completely blind engineers that use tactile graphics among other forms of assistive technology.”

That first year at CSU was a little rough despite ending his first year with a 3.2 GPA.

“It was definitely a bit of a rocky transition from community college life, but a goldfish will grow into any fishbowl you give it when allowed to thrive,” Lamm said. “I had excelled at everything I had done at Front Range, and now I feel myself growing and finding new opportunities every month it feels like.”

A life geared to philanthropy

This fall, he was selected as a Presidential Ambassador, a rare opportunity that has a rigorous application and selection process.

“Robert is a remarkable human being who is extremely thoughtful and kind,” said Marissa Dienstag, associate director for Engagement at CSU. “When looking for our next cohort of Presidential Ambassadors, we seek those who have a deep-rooted understanding of philanthropy and the positive impact of giving back to one’s community. Robert exemplified that in spades when we first met him last spring, and has been a tremendous asset to the PA program. He is a leader, a wonderful teammate and someone who tries to life up those around him to reach their highest potential.”

Lamm definitely finds joy in things most people don’t think much about. He gets excited over voting at the Durrell Center. Or even taking a tour of a CSU engineering professor’s research fluid dynamics laboratory. He’s also grateful for the students who have helped him, including those in Snow’s lab who shared presentation slides via Teams so Lamm could read them, and ensured Fletcher had safe places to lay down.

A dog’s life

Fletcher works hard too, so when he’s off his harness, you might catch him enjoying the “wonderfully kept” historic grounds of CSU and socializing with his Engineering classmates, Lamm said.

While Lamm appreciates the company in the President’s suite for football games, Fletcher’s favorite perk has been dressing up with his formal Presidential Ambassador bow-tie.

They’re looking forward to talking at the President’s Fall Gala this weekend.

“Philanthropy is going to be a huge part of my future career, and giving back to the community that’s helped you,” Lamm said.