In the dynamic intersection of academia and sports, Bri Maestas emerges as an uncommon force.
As the admissions manager at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, it’s Maestas’ job to know who has applied to CU Pharmacy; where they are in the process and if they are qualified; set up the interviews; and finally, extend offers of acceptance. Maestas isn't your typical admissions manager. She's also the creative mind behind one of Bronco Country’s most popular podcasts, Let’s Talk Broncos (LTB), which airs five Broncos-focused shows a week, as well as a University of Colorado Buffs show and film breakdown contributors/videos; the host of Zero 2 Sixty; guest host of Broncos Country Tonight on KOA 850 AM and 941 FM; she’s appeared on Mile High Sports radio; and she is one of the only female personalities in the Broncos fandom.
By the close of an admissions cycle, Maestas knows the incoming class as if she were their coach, or perhaps, a football broadcaster. She knows what they bring to CU Pharmacy, she knows their strengths, she knows where they come from, and she knows that once they get to campus, they will be able to flourish – because she had a hand in choosing every single one, and Maestas likes to see her team win.
But she hasn’t always juggled the dual professions of admissions manager and Broncos insider. For over a decade, Maestas has been part of the CU Pharmacy admissions team. Known around the school for her work ethic, she only started broadcasting in the last two years.
“I’ve always been a football fan,” Maestas explains. “But I never saw it as anything else. This [sports broadcasting] was an accident. I never saw myself doing anything camera-focused, or in the public eye.”
Maestas calls herself, pre-podcast career, a casual football observer… but also mentions that she has had Broncos season tickets since 2016.
L-R: Maestas and the "Let's Talk Broncos" crew in the KOA studio guest-hosting Broncos Country Tonight; with Broncos great Steve Atwater; in the KOA studio with Nick Ferguson for Broncos Country Tonight KOA. |
“There is a large [Broncos] fan-following in Colorado, and a lot of people like to meet up at training camp. I decided to meet some other fans from X, (formerly Twitter,) at training camp and we had fun with a shared hobby,” she explains.
Soon, people noticed that Maestas could talk football. She was invited, by her estimate, to be a guest on podcasts two to three times a week as a Broncos fan. At first, she brushed off the offers, thinking why would anyone want to hear her on sports podcasts? But the offers kept coming, and she decided to make a few guest appearances.
“I said ‘sure, what is the worst that can happen?’ Soon, another female commentator asked me to cohost, and it very quickly evolved,” she said. “It was a lot of exposure. Friends of mine had a podcast called What’s on Draft, and they asked me to be their third cohost. That’s how LTB started.”
It came at a time in her life when she needed a new creative outlet, and she found it to be both cathartic and incredibly rewarding. Maestas has found her calling (or, one of them). When asked what year LTB was formed, Maestas explains not in years, but in football.
“Umm, that was not the first Russel Wilson season but the last Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater season,” she answered thoughtfully.
During LTB’s inception, Maestas was also making guest appearances on the Fan Cave radio station, recording her own weekly Monday mid-day show (Football React Monday), and running the CU Pharmacy admissions team.
“I decided to keep saying yes,” she said. “I decided that was how opportunity was going to keep presenting itself, so I said yes.”
Yes has worked, in her broadcast life, and for the CU Pharmacy admissions team. While Maestas star was rising in sports, the CU Pharmacy admissions team has recruited and admitted its most diverse classes in the school’s history. Her team transitioned to virtual interviews well before COVID requirements and worked to make a more inclusive environment for all. CU Pharmacy allows guests during interview day for stakeholder decision-making and assists in the comfortability of the process. The recruitment team introduced travel reimbursements for prospects and lowered barriers to higher education.
“With a hands-on and high-touch admissions process, candidates are not just numbers,” Maestas explained. “They receive personalized communications, advising, and assistance from application to entrance. We are continuously monitoring national trends to adapt to student and applicant needs.”
The entire experience has made Maestas stronger personally and professionally.
“I remember my dad would say to me growing up, ‘What do you want to be, kid?’ and I would break down because that is such a big question,” she said.
Students come to CU Pharmacy, and they may be feeling the same way. Maestas knows how that feels, and she knows how it feels to find your spark.
“Finding your passion and purpose is never a straight line,” she said. “It is a summation of following your heart, doing what scares you, and leaning on those who support you to chase every opportunity you are presented with. I have a tremendous support system, and my role with CU Pharmacy is to be a part of that support system for our applicants and candidates. If you want to be a pharmacist, I have a program full of world-class education and a winning identity. My drive is to C U succeed.”
February 1, 2024