Nathan B Carson Memorial Scholarship

The donor has established this endowment in honor of her brother, Nathan Carson. Noelle was a former full-ride scholarship recipient at CMU, and has always dreamed of starting a scholarship fund. Out of the grief and tragic loss of her brother, she hopes to accomplish this goal of giving back to the college that gave her and her brother so much.

Nathan B. Carson graduated from CMU in 2007/08 with a BFA, emphasis Graphic Arts. As a student he designed the layout for the Mesa State Criterion, and he created several items to promote the Art and Design Department. After graduation, he hired on as the graphic editor for the Fruita Times and later worked in Denver for the conglomerate newspaper company that owned the Fruita Times. After a few years, he returned to Grand Junction and made all manner of print and digital media for Cobb & Associates’ clients. He taught part-time as an adjunct faculty for the Art and Design Department of CMU, impacting the lives of many students.

Feeling the pull to bigger markets, he left for NYC in 2014. He landed an independent contract at the prestigious Weiden-Kennedy marketing firm and went on to design for Direct TV before exiting the corporate world completely to pursue his own independent art business.

Outside of his work in the graphic arts, Nathan was a dedicated poet, author, painter, and musician. His health declined over the past seven years as he battled with Crohn’s Disease. The disease impacted his mental health to the point where a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder dramatically affected the fabric of his once-stable life. He died August 11, 2018.