Alumni Spotlight: Bo Walker '08

Bo Walker’s path to becoming a firefighter for the Denver Fire Department (DFD) was deeply influenced by his family’s legacy of service. Raised in a family with strong ties to law enforcement and the military, Bo was naturally drawn to a life of public service. “My family has always been involved in service-oriented careers,” he says. “The world of public service felt natural to me. I was drawn to roles like search and rescue, where you get to solve problems as part of a team.” This commitment to service was nurtured during his time at St. Anne’s, where he developed the core values of teamwork and community that would guide him throughout his career.

While at St. Anne’s, Bo fondly recalls the small, tight-knit community that allowed him to build deep, lasting relationships with his classmates and teachers. “St. Anne’s was special because it gave me the chance to really get to know my classmates,” Bo explains. “The relationships I built there were unlike anything I experienced anywhere else.” Teachers like Mr. Gifford and Mr. Sigler helped instill in him a strong sense of integrity, humility, and respect—qualities that continue to influence his work as a firefighter today.

The lessons he learned in the St. Anne’s community—particularly the emphasis on teamwork and service—have stayed with him throughout his career. "What I carry with me from St. Anne’s is the importance of being part of a team and giving back to the community," he says. “It really taught me the value of hard work and respect for others.”

During his senior year of high school, Bo became actively involved in the Arapahoe Rescue team, a group of high school and college students responding to emergency calls and looking for missing persons. “That experience gave me my first real exposure to emergency services,” Bo recalls. After high school, Bo attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he continued his commitment to public service. While in college, he went through his first fire academy, gaining critical training that laid the foundation for his future in the fire service. He also took hazmat classes, which further fueled his passion for emergency services. After volunteering for a year with Winter Severance Fire Rescue, Bo was hired by the Denver Fire Department.

Today, Bo works out of Station 1 in downtown Denver, home to a special operations team specializing in high-angle rescue, rope rescues, confined space, and collapsed structure rescues. He finds the unpredictability of the job both challenging and fulfilling. "Firefighting is such a unique profession because no two days are ever the same," Bo explains. "We’re constantly solving new problems, and I love that about the job."

One of the things Bo appreciates most about firefighting is the sense of camaraderie. "The guys I work with are like family. At Station 1, we have a team of eight personnel. Four are assigned to Engine 1, and four are assigned to my rig, Tower 1," he says. "We work closely together, and the relationships we build make everything easier when things get tough."

Despite the technical demands of firefighting, Bo emphasizes that compassion is equally important. “One of the core values of the Denver Fire Department is compassion,” he says. “When you go out the door, the people you’re helping are often having the worst day of their lives. It’s our job to treat them with dignity and care, no matter the situation.”

Bo's focus on community and compassion is rooted in his early experiences. At St. Anne’s, he learned the importance of working together and helping others, and those lessons have shaped how he approaches both his job and his community. "Sometimes, it’s not about putting out the fire—it’s about making a difference in someone’s life when they need it most."

In a field that demands so much of his time and energy, Bo also makes a point to maintain a healthy work-life balance. "It’s definitely tough at times, but I make sure to take care of myself—whether that’s spending time with family, going on trips, or enjoying the outdoors. You have to make time for yourself so you can be there for others when they need you the most."

As he looks back on his journey, Bo feels proud of the career he has built and the values that continue to drive him. "St. Anne’s taught me a lot about community, respect, and the importance of helping others," he reflects. "Those values are what continue to drive me today as a firefighter."

Alex Oberg, a 2010 St. Anne’s graduate, has followed an adventurous and impactful path since her school days. Now working for the Beaver Creek Ski Patrol and Eagle County Paramedics, she reflects the school’s values of community, curiosity, faith, compassion, and humility in her professional life. Her journey is one of resilience, growth, and a passion for helping others.

Alex’s career wasn’t a straightforward one. She began in government and later moved into commercial real estate, but eventually found herself drawn to the mountains. Volunteering with the ski patrol at Loveland Ski Area sparked her love for outdoor work and hands-on problem-solving. “Being outside and skiing, tinkering and playing with your hands—it just clicked,” she reflects. When the pandemic hit, she moved to the mountains full-time, joining Beaver Creek Ski Resort. Five years into the job, she enjoys the diverse challenges of ski patrol, from avalanche mitigation to helping tourists. “It’s a lot of fun,” she says with a smile.

One of her new and exciting endeavors is training Bridger, a black Labrador puppy who is on the path to becoming a certified avalanche rescue dog. Alex finds the process both eye-opening and fulfilling, adding to her already multifaceted career.

Working in a male-dominated industry comes with its challenges, and Alex is candid about facing bias from both inside the field and the public. “You’ll have people look around and ask, ‘How are you going to get me down this mountain?’” Yet, Alex has thrived, thanks in part to the support of her fellow women on the ski patrol. “Our director is a woman, which is really inspiring,” she says, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities for more women to join the field.

Alongside her ski patrol duties, Alex is a with Eagle County Paramedics, working 48-hour shifts responding to 911 calls. She finds the work fulfilling, especially as she serves her own community. She is currently pursuing her paramedic certification, with long-term plans to expand her scope in emergency medicine and possibly attend medical school.

The strong bonds she has formed with her teammates are one of the most rewarding parts of her ski patrol career. “The coolest part is going through your career with the same group of people,” she says. Her rookie class of four became her best friends, creating a tight-knit group that continues to support one another. This sense of community mirrors the values she first experienced at St. Anne’s. “Community was a big part of St. Anne’s, and I’ve taken that feeling with me,” Alex shares. "If I don’t find that sense of community in the work or the people I’m surrounded by, I move on until I do." This approach has been ingrained in her since childhood and remains central to how she lives her life.

Curiosity has also been a driving force in Alex’s career. Reflecting on her work as a ski patrol member and, she shares that moments of challenge constantly push her to learn more and improve her skills. “You have to be curious about everything,” she says. “Learning and understanding the world around you makes you better at what you do.” Alex credits St. Anne’s for fostering this mindset. “They made learning fun and engaging,” she says. "Some of the best teachers I’ve ever had were at St. Anne’s, even through college. They were compassionate, made learning accessible, and always encouraged curiosity." That foundation in lifelong learning is something she carries with her in every role she takes on, striving to constantly improve and stay engaged with the world around her.

Alex credits St. Anne’s with instilling both a strong sense of community and a lifelong love of learning, both of which have influenced her career. Curiosity drives her to continuously improve, while compassion and humility guide her in high-stress situations. She believes in meeting people where they are, showing them grace, and never assuming she knows everything, always staying open to learning.

Looking ahead, Alex aims to advance her medical career and explore new opportunities in ski patrol. Whether responding to emergencies or mitigating avalanches, she remains dedicated to serving her community and living the values she learned at St. Anne’s. Through every challenge, Alex embodies curiosity, compassion, and humility, making her not only a skilled professional but also a role model for others.

Working as an industrial designer, Schuyler Livingston ‘04, utilizes his design skills and creativity to bring innovative products to life, including the creation of medical devices, furniture, clocks, toys, outdoor gear, mountain bikes, and more. 

Industrial design is the practice of creating and developing concepts and specifications for products that are intended for everyday use. It's a dynamic field that has undergone significant changes over the years. In the early days, industrial design was primarily focused on aesthetics and creating visually appealing products. Today, the field has evolved to prioritize user experience, functionality, and sustainability.

Schuyler’s passion for design began at a young age. One of his fondest memories at St. Anne’s was in Rick Sigler’s art class crafting a woodworking project with a classmate, Tucker Larson ‘04. “I remember we grabbed some blocks of wood and began engraving them with a dremel tool,” Schuyler recalls. “This evolved into a full on landscape with water features built from hot glue and wood engravings of fishermen and trees. As the classroom filled with the smell of burnt wood, Mr. Sigler wondered what the heck was happening at the far side of the room.” Today, Schuyler and Tucker’s woodworking project (pictured below) is still prominently featured in the middle school building right inside the main atrium doors. “I realized through this project that I had an affinity for designing and building,” Schuyler reflects. 

Throughout high school, Schuyler continued to fuel his passion for design and arts while also excelling in math and science. As college approached, engineering felt like the most obvious next step combining his skills in math, science, and art. However, Schuyler quickly realized that he longed for more creativity that was missing from the engineering world. Instead, he decided to enroll in the Industrial Design program at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU).

“I didn’t fully understand the field of industrial design until I was already a year into the program,” he admits “I just knew I enjoyed working with my hands, being creative, and finding solutions for real-life situations.” As it turns out, industrial design was a perfect fit for Schuyler, launching him into his career working for (with a team of fellow designers and engineers at) Link Product Development, a Denver-based design studio. Schuyler particularly enjoyed the furniture design projects at MSU and continues to pursue this passion in his free time. 

Working remotely while living in Seaside, California, Schuyler designs a wide range of consumer products. “The design process involves extensive research, ideation and sketching, mockup development, and prototyping, all culminating in the final production,” Schuyler explains. “To be successful in this field, you need to study people in everyday life and figure out how to solve the problems they encounter. It's about designing products that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but meaningful, serve a functional need, and meet the expectations of a target market.” 

Industrial designers need a combination of technical and soft skills. They need to be proficient in computer-aided design software, have excellent communication and collaboration skills, and be able to work in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment.

Schuyler was able to teach himself many of these skills at a young age (which was complemented by his formal education at MSU). Now, all St. Anne’s students will be able to develop these skills in St. Anne’s new Innovation and Design Center. When Schuyler learned about the plans for constructing this new space, he was eager to hear more about a space he would have thrived in as a St. Anne’s student. 

These collaborative and creative workspaces provide students with access to tools, materials, and equipment for designing, prototyping, and building. They offer a supportive environment for students to experiment with new ideas and technologies, and to collaborate with others to develop innovative solutions. “I look forward to the construction of the Innovation and Design Center and would love to come back to campus to work with students once it’s complete!” Schuyler stated.

Overall, Schuyler's success as an industrial designer serves as a testament to the power of a strong foundation in creative freedom and hands-on learning, such as one that St. Anne’s hope to build upon with our new Innovation and Design Lab at St. Anne’s.

Check out Schuyler’s industrial design projects and woodworking creations on his website: You can check out his woodworking projects at www.schuylerlivingston.com!

Lauren Kenney Berv’s (2002) best friend was her grandmother Laurene Kenney. She had four children, a few great grandchildren, and a lot of people who cared for and loved her. But when Lauren’s grandmother moved into assisted living, it became a part-time job for Lauren to care for her and help her create a brand-new way of life. She moved from living with one of her children to eating with strangers. Lauren wanted to help her grandmother preserve her core sense of self and find purpose in this new life. As a result, Lauren went through her grandmother’s clothes to create a more functional wardrobe, had her wedding ring resized, did some personalized shopping, and problem-solved around what to keep, what to put in storage, and what to give away. She helped schedule appointments, provide for transportation, and managed her grandmother’s personal calendar. Lauren also helped organize her new living space and even queued up movies and TV shows to watch, all to bring the comforts of home to her assisted living facility and make the transition easier.

As a result of this experience, Lauren is now starting her own business – a personalized concierge service for seniors called Brighter Daily Living. Her overall intent is to support thriving relationships, help seniors make connections, and live their best lives. Lauren was inspired to start the business not only from her experience with her grandmother but also from being a new parent during Covid and feeling isolated and alone. She feels those in assisted living facilities can feel like they’re in solitary confinement and wants to make things better for them.

Lauren’s grandmother passed away about six years ago; but her daughter Stella will be two years old in June. Lauren is currently studying to be a Certified Senior Advisor to help with end-of-life care and the journey of aging. Although she misses her grandmother every day, she celebrates the good life she lived and the friendship they shared to the end.