海角社区

Leon Duran standing near a platform at Union Station

After transitioning from active duty U.S. Navy to Reserve Duty in 2011, Leon Attended 海角社区 where he graduated in 2015 with a bachelor鈥檚 in criminology and a minor in entrepreneurship. Shortly after graduation, Leon founded his first company, U.S. Veterans Landscape Design, followed by HoneyCutz which is a post-workout recovery supplement which uses local sources of honey and plant-based amino acid and is manufactured here in Denver.

He is currently working on his third company InspiredbyLeon where he engages and mentors individuals to live a more fulfilling life style.

Outside of his companies he is a mentor for the Denver Scholarship Foundation and is going on his 13th year in the United States Navy (active/reserve).

Meet Leon Duran

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Staying Engaged

As a Roadrunner alumnus, Leon reminds us of the value of staying engaged

“My personal definition I share with people is, 鈥楲iving life on your terms while adding value, resources, and opportunity to others.鈥 My criteria I look out for is when a person is living a life of being intentional. When a person lives life with a purpose and intent then they tend to be more genuine.”

Leon Duran standing near blue columns

The Real ROI

The True Value of the College Experience

Leon Duran shares this message with the students he mentors: Going to college is about more than earning a degree.

After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in Denver in 2006, Duran looked for a college that would accept him despite his low ACT score. 鈥淣o university in the country wanted me except Metropolitan State University of Denver,鈥 he said.

When Duran learned he needed to take remedial classes that wouldn鈥檛 count toward a degree, he enlisted in the Navy instead. In 2011, after being deployed on active duty for four years, he transitioned to the Reserve and returned to 海角社区, using the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for his education.