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On the surface, studying real estate and volunteering for a rodeo don’t have much in common. But sophomore Lilly Justice (RelEst’27) has found a way to combine her passions for both.

Justice earned a 2023 scholarship from the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo for volunteering for the organization, which donates its proceeds to nonprofits including the Calaway•Young Cancer Center.

“[Volunteering] was mostly being on the floor in the arena,” Justice said. “Being basically a performer too. You have to put some barrels out and keep everything nice. And we’re out there in sun, rain, snow, anything. No matter what, the rodeo goes on, and it really builds your character, especially at a young age.”

She loved volunteering at the rodeo so much that she began thinking of how she could combine this passion with a business career. She already knew she wanted to study real estate, so she narrowed her focus to ranch real estate specifically.

Justice found the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo after moving to Colorado. She participated in mutton-busting at the rodeo as a child and was once featured on TV. Knowing several people who were involved with the rodeo inspired her to volunteer the summer before her senior year of high school.

“A lot of my friends were in the rodeo, but it wasn't something that I had been into,” she said. “It was a different kind of discipline. I decided to start volunteering there, and I just fell in love with everyone there. It was so much fun.”

Colorado ties

Justice grew up on a farm in Virginia, where her family raised horses, dogs and chickens. She compared horseback riding in Virginia to skiing in Colorado, noting that, like many in the area, she spent her childhood riding English-style.

Despite living in Virginia, Justice was influenced by her mother’s love for Colorado. At 18, her mom followed the Grateful Dead out to Red Rocks and fell in love with the state. She went on to graduate from CU Boulder with a degree in economics. For Justice, the story was both inspirational and aspirational.

“She’s always been really hardworking,” Justice said. “She built a construction company from the ground up as a single mom and really inspired me to follow in her footsteps. My whole life, I was like, ‘Leeds is where I want to go.’”

“No matter what, the rodeo goes on, and it really builds your character, especially at a young age.”

Lilly Justice (RelEst’27)

When Justice was 9, she and her mom moved to Snowmass, and she turned to horseback riding to make friends. That’s when she found a new discipline: Western riding, which she began learning at a ranch in Carbondale shortly after moving. Now that she’s at Leeds, she takes riding lessons at a barn just 10 minutes from campus on Baseline Road.

“It’s a lot more fun than English riding,” she said with a laugh. “Coming out here, it's like the Wild West, and I just love that. It’s such an awesome discipline and a whole new world out here.”

Life at Leeds

Thanks to the college-level international baccalaureate classes Justice took in high school, along with her mom’s advice, she felt well prepared coming to CU. But upon arriving on the Boulder campus, the customization and individual attention available to Leeds students surprised her.

“You can focus on what you want to do,” she said. “I think everyone tries to make that their priority. Professors reach out. They just really want all the students to succeed. They give you every opportunity they can.”

Beyond her Leeds coursework, Justice stays busy preparing for her future. She recently completed a 160-hour online course for her real estate license. Her next step forward will be taking the real estate broker licensing exam.

“I think real estate is a great thing that literally anyone can do,” she said. “It’s an industry that’s never going to die. I find it fascinating.”

When she isn’t studying or riding, Justice is an avid skier and has recently been learning how to repair her car. She recalled spending two days on a car project—even sleeping overnight at the shop.

“Learning how to do my own work on my car has been really fun,” she said. “I like trying to do it myself.”

Back at the ranch

Justice stays connected to her horseback-riding roots. She has worked at a local barn for the past two years, caring for and training horses. The job has given her new skills in veterinary care as well.

Her rodeo experience has impacted her life in many ways, including her confidence. She described herself as “super shy” before volunteering.

“It helped me be OK with being in the spotlight and having people watching me do things,” she said. “I definitely built so many friendships and relationships through [the rodeo].”