Nicholas Lomax holds himself to high standards, and his hard work produces results. The veteran and alum earned 19 military honors while in the U.S. Army—including two Army Achievement Medals for his service—before beginning his academic journey at CU Denver. On campus, he continued to garner recognition for his contributions. So much so, that he earned the Rosa Parks Outstanding Student award and the University of Colorado President’s Inclusive Excellence Award. But the principle that’s most important to him isn’t achievement for achievement’s sake—it’s always giving back.

At CU Denver, Lomax earned two degrees—a bachelor of science in 2024 and a master of science in 2025. In between classes, he found ways to uplift his classmates and make a difference, whether that was by supporting his peers in the Business School as a teaching assistant or creating community amongst Black students and students of African descent as a student organization leader. And, when he needed support, he found it in some of CU Denver’s services for veterans.

Forging Connections

Lomax was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and his service in the U.S. Army landed him in Colorado Springs. When it was time for him to finish his military career and go back to school, CU Denver was the perfect fit. He found he could pursue his interest in international business for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, while still exploring his other interests in the university’s dozens of other programs. Once on campus, with classes in motion, Lomax focused on connections and—specifically—creating more opportunities for community building among Black and African students.

Lomax helped restart the Black Student Union at CU Denver, which had been inactive for several years. “There was still that disconnect between African American students and students of African descent,” Lomax said. “So, one way I was trying to help mitigate that was by bringing together the African American student population to form more of a community.”

The reinvigorated group did things like bring in local speakers to shed light on how Denver’s Black population has changed over the decades, held study groups, created Black History Month programming, and put on some fun events, like a hair care giveaway. “It helps students get the best out of coming to Denver,” Lomax said.

When he began his master’s in international business program, he found another way to give back as a teaching assistant in an Empowering Women in Business class. Lomax, who was raised by a single mother alongside his twin sister, saw it as an opportunity to pay forward all that his family had done for him. “They’re the two women who supported me the most throughout everything I’ve done in life,” Lomax said. “Of course, I’m going to do my part to ensure that women have that space and have that voice to be able to do and say what they want to do.”

Finding Community Among Veterans

When Lomax wasn’t helping others, he recharged by connecting with other veterans. Spending time in the Veteran & Military Student Services (VMSS) office, Lomax found a sense of camaraderie that helped him feel at home. “Everyone has similar stories,” Lomax said.

His peers could relate to his experience of having been in the military, but it was more than that. Most of them were far from their hometowns, like he was. They were also intent on completing their degrees and, all the while, they were navigating the complexities of funding their educations using military benefits.

That’s where the VMSS really made a difference for Lomax. “Getting out of the military, I knew I had free schooling, but I didn’t know the right offices to call, how to update my information, all the paperwork I needed to fill out,” he said. “[VMSS] definitely helped me out with that.”

With the help of the VMSS, he even discovered ways to leverage his benefits to pay for his graduate studies, which he hadn’t known were possible. He was also able to lean on his professors for support. One of them was Business School professor Manuel Serapio, PhD, who encouraged faculty to hold classes in person. This enabled Lomax to meet a requirement for the location-based housing allowance he was entitled to as a veteran. Serapio also helped Lomax ensure he could complete his master’s degree in one year, which allowed him to get his graduate degree fully funded by his military benefits.

Discovering Opportunities Through CIBERVets

The VMSS was a haven for Lomax, but it was far from the only place he felt at home and connected with other veterans. Through the CIBERVets program, housed in CU Denver’s Institute for International Business, Lomax was able to network with fellow veterans who shared his specific career aspirations.

CIBERVets was created by veteran students more than a decade ago to help their peers transition successfully from the highly structured environment of the military to the world of international business, which is relatively less structured, but where their military background is often highly applicable. “Military students come with foundational skills, which are then developed further through the master of science in international business program,” Serapio said.

Through the program, Lomax was able to compare notes with others who were learning to explain their military experience on their resumes, attend guest speaker talks explaining opportunities in the field, and network with companies and peers who might hire CU Denver graduates with backgrounds like his. “I think one of my biggest takeaways was the lesson we had on franchising,” Lomax said. “It was like, ‘Oh, that’s actually not a bad business opportunity.’”

CIBERVets and his coursework also helped Lomax discover his passion for international consulting and supply chain logistics. Thanks to Serapio’s mentorship and guest speakers brought in by CIBERVets, he was able to hear real accounts of what it takes to build a career in these fields, and how people with similar military backgrounds were able to leverage their service experience to do it. Now, he’s looking forward to reconnecting with his family and planning his next move. “I think he will do very well,” Serapio said of Lomax. “He’s a person who does not just take. He gives a lot of himself.”