A Small-Town Beginning 

At 17, Amanda Hildebrandt was a young mother in the tiny town of Monte Vista, Colorado, with no clear path forward. She had dropped out of high school in 10th grade and was living in a small apartment with her two-year-old son, feeling stuck. When her brother brought her to Denver at 19, he mentioned he had heard of Warren Village. She applied, unaware of how it would change her life’s trajectory. 

“It was so intimidating for me,” Amanda recalls of her arrival at Warren Village in the early 1990s. Coming from a small town where everyone knew everyone, Capitol Hill felt overwhelming. She didn’t drive, so she relied on public transportation to navigate the city with her son. “My brother taught me how to get around on the bus.” 

The Push That Changed Everything

When Amanda first met with her case manager, Gerri Brown, she had modest expectations. The program offered residents two years of support, with the option to either work or attend school. Amanda’s plan was straightforward: work for two years and then move on. Gerri, however, saw something more.

The idea was overwhelming. Amanda left that meeting feeling anxious and uncertain. “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t do this,’” she said. Having left high school early and as the first in her family to even consider higher education, the path ahead felt daunting and unfamiliar.

Building Structure and Finding Purpose

But Gerri’s firm push proved transformational. Amanda enrolled in both GED classes and college courses simultaneously at Community College of Denver. The structure Warren Village provided became her foundation. She had to check in with her case worker every six weeks, showing progress on her classes. For the first time in her life, she was working toward concrete goals. 

“I feel like living here really provided me that structure that I needed,” she explains. 

The daily routine was challenging. Warren Village’s daycare didn’t have room for her son at the time, so Amanda initially took four buses daily—dropping her son at childcare, getting herself to college, then reversing the journey. Despite the logistical difficulties, she persevered. 

Creating Community and Lasting Bonds

At Warren Village, Amanda built a lasting network of support.

A simple request to borrow a can opener led to a 35-year friendship with her neighbor, Rose Barrientos. Together with other residents, they shared childcare, encouragement, and community activities—creating connections that provided both practical support and lasting personal bonds. 

The Ripple Effect of Education

As Amanda progressed in her education, she faced one significant challenge: public speaking.

When she left Warren Village, she was just one month shy of completing her associate’s degree. She finished her degree and continued on to earn her bachelor’s at Metropolitan State University of Denver, choosing communications as her major—the very area that had once intimidated her. By confronting her fear head-on, Amanda not only earned her degree but became a confident and skilled communicator.

Her passion for helping others naturally guided her career. Amanda has worked in partnership development at Western Governors University and as a Pre-Collegiate Advisor at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, supporting students in navigating higher-education opportunities and resources. Reflecting on her journey, she says, “Education completely transformed my life—it opened doors I never thought possible. That experience ignited a calling in me to give back, to walk alongside others, and to help them see and embrace the full potential within themselves.”

Coming Full Circle

The full circle was complete this year when Amanda returned to Warren Village as the Alumni Navigator, helping residents who are transitioning out of Warren Village. Now she works with families in the same situation she once faced, sharing her story and providing the kind of support that once changed her life. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without someone who believed in me and encouraged me to see my own potential,” Amanda reflects. “I credit Warren Village with giving me the foundation to build a better future. At the time, I was scared and uncertain, but pushing through that fear opened doors I never imagined. I am forever grateful for the opportunities and support that changed my life.”

Today, Amanda works to connect Warren Village alumni and strengthen their sense of community. She is married, has three grown sons and enjoys dancing, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Amanda is passionate about expanding Warren Village’s reach and envisions more locations in the future to meet the growing need for affordable housing for single parents.