In his current leadership position as Dean and Professor for the College of Nursing at CU Anschutz, Provencio-Vasquez hopes his own lived experiences will help other first-generation college students move forward in higher education and healthcare. "Seeing faculty or other or other students like you really makes a difference," he said. "Seeing people like yourself even within a hospital system, a clinic, or a university really makes a difference, so I’m hoping that my presence here really invites others to take this journey."