Our Story
Meet Katherine, our founder. Like many of us, she has her own story of dysfunction, brokenness, and a difficult childhood. She started looking for answers as a child and found mentors, therapy, and skills that helped her break free of negative patterns and build a new foundation for her life. Now, she’s passionate about helping other young people do the same.
In the spring of her senior year in college, Katherine founded the Leon Foundation of Excellence (LFE) to support students who were at risk of failing high school or on probation in Lafayette, CO. After completing the program, high schoolers who were once unsure if they would even see their 18th birthday due to local poverty and violence gained hope for their future.
Now, LFE provides in-person leadership training and mentorship to students in the Denver Metro and wider Front Range area in Colorado. Online courses are also available to anyone in need of support.
Leon (“lion” in Spanish) represents the bravery it takes to form a new life beyond what was modeled for us by our families. When we find the courage to do the work on the inside, we have the chance to create a new foundation and set ourselves up for lives of excellence. We are no longer fated to pass down dysfunctional habits and limitations.
Every human, regardless of the hand they are dealt or the environment they are born into, deserves to build a life that is healing, uplifting, and fulfills their potential.