Michael Mayeresera receives Gail & Stephen Duree scholarship that saves his dream
When Michael Mayeresera boarded a plane to Denver in March 2025, he left far more than his country behind. He left his wife and two young sons in Zimbabwe to pursue a long-held dream: a master’s of science in accounting, technology and analytics at the Daniels College of Business, ultimately earning a CPA and a better life in the United States.
“I came here in March 2025, and I didn’t come with my family. My family is in Zimbabwe,” he says, a simple statement that carries the weight of his sacrifice and hope.
Mayeresera’s path to Daniels was built on steady work and a clear purpose. He earned a bachelor’s in accountancy from Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe’s third-largest city, and worked in internal audit across Zimbabwe and South Africa.
He chose Daniels because he believed the school would help him bridge the gap between his current work and his professional goals. However, the practical realities of financing graduate school overseas nearly derailed that plan.
“The interest rate of my international loan is very high, and the debt was accumulating faster than I was able to pay,” Mayeresera explained, describing a financial burden that made finishing at Daniels feel uncertain.
The Daniels community steps in
But Daniels didn’t just offer Mayeresera a classroom. It offered him a community that noticed when a student was struggling, and took action. When mounting interest on the loan threatened to prevent Mayeresera from finishing, the late Sharon Lassar, then head of the School of Accountancy at Daniels, stepped in.
Lassar authorized a grant from the scholarship established by Stephen and Gail Duree, a husband‑and‑wife pair of Daniels alumni who endowed the scholarship for accountancy students in 2021. The intervention was practical and immediate. The Duree’s scholarship filled the gap, making it possible for him to complete his degree. The Durees were informed of the grant and invited to meet with Michael.
Mayeresera recalls the moment clearly.
“The scholarship meant so much to me because I had reached the point where I couldn’t pay my tuition,” Mayeresera said. “My dream began to fade, but once I received the funds, I had the confidence to finish the program.”
The Durees: a family story of paying it forward
Steve and Gail Duree’s decision to create a scholarship at Daniels grew out of a lifetime of witnessing how education changes lives. Both are DU alumni—Steve (BSBA 1967, MBA 1973) and Gail (BA 1968, MBA 1982)—who met at the university and married in July 1968. Both trace their opportunities to family support and scholarships.
“Each of our parents is a first-generation college graduate,” Gail reflected, explaining how those experiences shaped the couple’s belief in higher education and in giving back.
Steve’s story is rooted in a long career in accounting and entrepreneurship. He founded and worked in a forensic accounting firm—Duree Barton PC—focused on litigation consulting and public utility regulatory investigations, alongside fellow Daniels alum Larry Barton (BSBA 1970), for 35 years. Gail’s background blends psychology, finance and years of service on mutual fund boards. Together, they saw scholarship as a way to extend the lifeline they and their families received.
They established their Daniels scholarship in 2021 with the goal of helping accountancy students who show promise but face financial barriers. For them, the scholarship is both a tribute to the mentors who helped them and a deliberate act of paying it forward.
Meeting Michael: human connection beyond the award
This relationship between donor and recipient is more than transactional. The Durees met Michael over coffee and were struck by his character.
“Michael is a very bright, outgoing and articulate young man,” said Steve. And Gail notes his diligence and hard work.
They met him again at Lassar’s memorial and another time for coffee in Frisco, CO. Most notably, Michael invited them to his graduation, and they happily accepted. Those meetings matter, turning a scholarship into a relationship and a network into a support system. Because for Michael, the Durees are more than benefactors.
“They are really wonderful people,” said Mayeresera. “They told me their background story of them being alumni and how they built their own business, and with Steve being a CPA. Hearing how Daniels helped shape their lives reinforced my belief that I chose the right place to pursue my goals.”
The safety net
Mayeresera’s story demonstrates two very important values at Daniels: making students feel supported and the active support of its alumni network. Support shows up in many forms—faculty advising, career placement and, when needed, scholarship intervention.
The Durees’ scholarship is an example of alumni stepping in, and Lassar’s advocacy demonstrates how staff and faculty can connect students to resources that change outcomes.
That combination—institutional care plus alumni generosity—creates a safety net that lets students focus on learning and career preparation rather than being consumed by financial anxiety. For international students like Mayeresera, who often shoulder family responsibilities from afar, that safety net can be the difference between leaving a program and starting a career with momentum.
Looking ahead: CPA and a family reunion
Mayeresera says he plans to stay in the U.S., sit for the CPA exam, and pursue a career opportunity, possibly with a major accounting firm, which he is actively seeking. Beyond career goals, there’s a quieter ambition: to reunite his family in Denver.
Michael’s journey is a reminder that education is rarely a solo endeavor. It’s a chain of small and large acts—mentors who notice, staff who advocate and alumni who invest—that together enable students to cross thresholds they could not cross alone. At Daniels, that chain is real, active, and, as Michael’s story shows, life changing.