Article
May 4, 2026
Written by Sydney Kern
More than Meals, Student Fights Hunger While Consuming Master’s Degree
Outside of his Counseling classes and internship, Freddie Horn devotes his time to making sure students have their basic needs met
Explore four other exceptional graduates who forged different paths and overcame obstacles to reach their goals.
As an undergraduate student at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) studying Psychology, Freddie Horn had one main goal: to get into the University of Northern Colorado’s (UNC) Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
“It was the only grad program I applied to; I did not apply to a single other school,” Horn said.
Horn says there’s a large pipeline of Psychology students at CMU who choose to pursue further education at UNC.
“My professors at CMU always spoke really highly about the program, and how unique the psych services in McKee Hall are,” Horn said. “It’s a very robust experience for training on how to become a counselor, and it’s pretty intense.”
So, when Horn received his acceptance letter into UNC’s program, there was no doubt in his mind about whether he would enroll. However, he didn’t expect his experience at UNC to have such a big impact on his life.
“I’m very devastated to leave,” Horn admits when speaking about his upcoming graduation on May 8.
Along with his coursework, hands-on counseling training experience on campus and at a private practice, Horn decided to apply for a graduate assistantship (GA) while pursuing his program.
“I was very, very hesitant to take out any loans to pay for school, so I needed to find a way to fund my schooling,” Horn said. “One of my peers from CMU worked at the Counseling Center. I really looked up to him, and he pointed me to grad assistantships, and I thought that would be a great opportunity.”
Horn had a list of positions he could apply to, but one stood out. Before grad school, while working for AmeriCorps in Atlanta, he relied on local food pantries for his groceries — an experience that inspired his passion for making healthy and nutritious food accessible to all. It’s what drew him to work at UNC’s Bear Pantry.
“I had a lot of personal experience with food insecurity, so I wanted to be in a position where I could help students mitigate any sort of obstacle they are going through,” Horn said.
Horn started working at the Bear Pantry — which offers free food and essential items to any student, faculty or staff in need — in 2023. Back then, the pantry was housed in a room the size of a walk-in closet. The shelves were packed full of supplies from the ground to the ceiling, and only about five people could fit in the space at one time.
“We did our best,” Horn said about working in the small space.
Now, Horn operates the Bear Pantry in a space that resembles a mini grocery store on the first floor of the University Center — a significant renovation that he has helped bring to fruition.
“It has elevated the resource to a different level,” Horn said of the transformation. “The reach that our department has been able to make for students has been astronomical. Before, we were averaging between 90-100 people using the previous space to now, we easily hit 300 people plus every single week.”
The new and improved Bear Pantry is a night-and-day comparison to the original space. The renovation was made possible by a grant from The Weld Trust, ongoing support from the Weld Food Bank and by donations from individual and corporate donors, along with a sizable investment into the project from UNC. However, Horn is the familiar face of its daily operations.
Throughout the week, Horn is inside the pantry stocking shelves, managing the volunteers, arranging donations and supply pickup or simply striking up conversations with those who walk through the door.
“Sometimes, it’s a little hard for me to get work done because I love talking to our guests. That’s my biggest priority. I want to be present for people that come in, because this could be five or 10 minutes of their entire week where they actually feel seen, where they feel heard and acknowledged and accepted,” Horn said.
Horn even has some of the students’ grocery orders memorized and makes sure to keep their preferred items in stock. For him, his job is about more than just supplying food. Drawing on his counseling education and his natural, warm presence, he makes sure students facing hardship are aware of resources that can help.
“When someone comes into a pantry, that means they need support, and it’s not unlikely that there are other things in their world that they need help with,” Horn said.
Next door to the Bear Pantry is the Center for Student Well-Being, where Taylor Schiestel serves as director. Horn often sends students over to the center to get connected with support in housing, medical assistance, course materials and many more needs.
“It’s the work of so many people coming together who just want to support people,” Horn said. “And that’s just been such a breath of fresh air to be a part of.”
While the expiration date on a job that has helped thousands of students is drawing near, Horn says he’s ready for the next step. His grad assistantship has ignited a fire in him that he didn’t know he had.
“I think it’s rare that people find potential career options that they’re passionate about,” said Horn. “Being immersed in helping others at UNC has me considering a job in school counseling or counseling support in higher education.”
Horn’s Weekly Full Plate:
- Monday: Internship 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tuesday: Bear Pantry 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday: Class 9 a.m. to noon, Bear Pantry 12:30 – 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday: Class 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Friday: Internship 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Now with a master’s degree under his belt and the strength from carrying pounds of canned fruit and vegetables, Horn is ready to take his passion for service elsewhere.
“I’m so grateful to John Hancock and Stephanie Jones, who were the ones involved in my hiring. They took a chance on me and allowed me to have just this literal life-changing experience,” Horn said.
