Donna Otabachian, PMCRT '99 & PhD '00

A passion and a dream

For some, incorporating our passion into a career can be difficult.  Donna Otabachian, PMCRT ’99 & PhD ’00 has been fortunate enough to do just that.   As founder of Ranch Good Days, she has made a career out of helping others.  The day treatment and transitional program in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain region, provides health services and equine assisted therapy to at-risk girls, ages 10-21, from predominately Native American backgrounds.  

With her degree in educational administration and a focus on vocational studies, Otabachian moved to Colorado in Fall 1999 to develop an alternative high school.  “My interest was always in vocational studies with at-risk youth; the two go hand in hand.”  Otabachian was fascinated by the juxtaposition of students who were able to maintain their grades despite facing hardships.  A few years later in 2002, working from a grant, Otabachian developed a museum school that combined resources from an existing high school in Denver’s inner city and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  This school became the first museum school between Mississippi and California.  She teamed up with Native American tribes in the region to create an atmosphere conducive to learning for that population; though it proved to be a great success with a 96 percent attendance rate, after two years the program was forced to close due to Denver school system budget cuts.

Changing the way for others 

To see a slideshow of Ranch Good Days, click here

Otabachian next turned her attention to helping less fortunate Native American girls become positive influences in society.  Thanks to her relentless ambition she was able to secure funding from local government and tribal representatives who understood the need for these types of programs.  In 2003, Ranch Good Days was launched with two distinct programs, the first to serve girls in Garfield County, CO and a second to specifically assist girls of indigenous cultures.  Ranch Good Days is modeled after a similar ranch just for boys in La Junta Colorado, which houses 100 boys.  

According to Otabachian the success she has garnered can be linked to her experiences at UB.  “I think about UB every day.” she said.   Several professors made an impact on the work she does today, including Lynn Ilon, PhD, former professor of global education, who worked in Africa to assist poverty-stricken communities.  Ilon used her hands-on experiences in third world countries as examples for her students, and Otabachian sees parallels in Ilon’s work with the poverty she has seen on Native American reservations in Colorado.  Frederick Gearing, PhD, professor emeritus, mentored Otabachian on the lessons of teaching that she incorporates with her present work.   Taher Razik, PhD, her advisor taught her the cultural approach to school systems.  And Austin Swanson, PhD, professor emeritus, taught her one of the most important lessons – those in need deserve a second chance.  “UB opened up my education so that when I went elsewhere it opened up my heart to see beyond my own personal gain.”

The future 

The waiting list for Ranch Good Days is quite long.  The only all-girl foster home in Colorado, the ranch is located on sacred Native American ground in the western part of the state.  Because of the sensitivity of the location, Otabachian and her staff pay very close attention to land preservation and wildlife.  Her work has been praised widely, and according to the largest Native American news source worldwide, Indian Country Today, “Donna Otabachian has created a healing place for girls at risk of losing themselves to the ferocious forces of alcohol, drugs, unhealthy sexual activity and violence that stalk young people on and off the reservation these days.”

Six girls are enrolled and now consider Ranch Good Days their home.  Otabachian’s goals for the future are simple:  growth and expansion.  “We are a safety net, safety is important,” says Otabachian.

To find out more information about Ranch Good Days please visit www.ranchgooddays.org

Written by Jessica Griffin
December 2007

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