LOVELAND — When Jonathan Rogers was tasked with identifying a topic to base his English 1021 persuasive research essay on in the fall of 2024, the Aims Community College student scouted work on some notable social issues: Capital punishment, the potential negative effects social media has on today’s youth, whether vaccinations should be federally mandated and a host of other topics.
Those topics, though, seemed distant to Rogers. Nothing really piqued his interest until he came across a database report on youth homelessness and the need for more resources.
The issue hit home with Rogers. He and his father became homeless in both California and Colorado for the better part of two years beginning in 2020, before Rogers was even 17…