In the midst of one of those intolerably hip bars that cascade down south Broadway in Denver, I found myself dumbfounded and confused at the sentiment I was hearing.
“I hate Aurora.”
The statement came from a casual acquaintance and was elicited because apparently I had made the mistake of mentioning how much I loved living and working in Aurora. That set off a 10-minute diatribe from this Denver native about why he refused to even go across city lines for a brief visit.
“I would jump out of the car if it was headed into Aurora.”
I bring up this moment because it isn’t unique when it comes to talking about the place I’ve called home for a year and a half. Too often, those in Denver and the metro area look down their noses at Aurora and scoff at the notion that it has anything to offer.
It’s why when anything bad happens, Aurora is painted across the headline. But if something good is happening here, Aurora is only referenced as “A Colorado town.”
It’s that sentiment that causes people to roll their eyes when I start to espouse why Aurora is the gem of the metro area. But all of those people are sitting on the wrong side of history.
Aurora is what Denver claims to be — a culturally, economically and politically diverse community that represents the best of the American melting pot. And I have had the pleasure of telling its story and doing my small part in pushing back against the narrative that colors so many people’s view of Aurora.
On the education beat, I documented the serious issues that face Aurora Public Schools and its struggles to raise test scores. But those issues in large part are born from a student population that has such a large percentage of English language learners, including immigrants whose documentation status has created serious instability in their home lives and refugees and asylum seekers who have overcome life-altering trauma just for the chance of sitting in a classroom.
Those students are the reason why I have such high hopes for the future of this city. Those future leaders of Aurora will have been raised in a community that has decided to embrace diversity, and as they grasp the reigns of power, they will work to further cement Aurora as a global city.
That quality and potential can never be gauged by any standardized test.
While I am moving on from the Sentinel to pursue a great opportunity professionally, I do so with a broken heart. I’m going to miss the heck out covering this city I have truly grown to love and hope one day my life will bring me back into its embrace.
You have my heart, Aurora. Until we meet again.