Madison Mey’s biological mother told her “You are a healer and will end up helping people in need”.
Those words stuck with Mey growing up.
“I do believe those words she told me impacted my career path and my education,” she says. “Even though she isn’t here today, I know she would still believe in those words she said back then.”
Unfortunately, her biological mother could no longer care for Mey and her twin brother growing up. They lived with foster families until being adopted by their aunt and uncle when they were nine. Sadly, Mey’s biological mother passed away when she was 11.
She says her time in the foster care system inspired her to pursue a career caring for people and young children.
“I realized I did not want anyone to have to go through life challenges such as the foster system or being in the hospital alone,” she says. “Situations like that can feel very isolating if there isn’t someone on your side who wants to see you succeed.”
Finding Her Way to Nursing
Mey’s path to a career in healthcare started when she was in middle school when her class took a trip to Anschutz Medical Campus.
“We went to campus, went to a lecture, walked around and it always stuck with me. I was like ‘I’m going to Anschutz for school’. I didn’t know what it would be for, but I knew I was going to come here," she says.
Mey’s goal came true. She came to Anschutz for the BS in Nursing program through the Integrated Nursing Pathway (INP) at Red Rocks Community College.
“I was looking through my career options and trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, and what really pulled me into nursing was a nurse’s interaction with patients that other healthcare professionals don’t get to do,” she says. “I love being able to make connections with patients. Being there for a person and seeing them through their healthcare journey is what sealed the deal for me.”
Reaching that goal took an unexpected turn.
A Career Path Switcheroo
Mey was taking prerequisites at Red Rocks Community College with the idea of going into nursing and had a job where she worked with children. One of the children’s mothers was a nurse and steered Mey into a career path in radiology technology. Mey wasn't accepted into the program, so she went back to her original plan of becoming a nurse.
“I’m so happy I was able to switch back to nursing,” she says. “Looking back, I’m thankful I didn’t get accepted into a radiology tech program because I don’t think I would have been happy doing that. I’m so happy with nursing.”
Mey credits the CU Nursing faculty for preparing her for this career. She says it’s valuable to hear stories and life lessons from them to understand what it’s like being a nurse.
“It’s helped me so much hearing from Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Program Tammy Spencer, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CCNS, CNE, or Senior Instructor of Clinical Teaching Theresa Nino, RN, MSN, CCRN. I love hearing about the different paths they took in their nursing careers,” she says. “And in our lectures, we not only learned how to be a good nurse but also be a good person.”
Promoting Diversity on Campus
Mey says one thing she’ll miss about CU Nursing is coming to campus and seeing her classmates because it feels like a community.
“Campus is very lively, and there’s always people doing stuff in the commons area. I’ve met my closest friends on campus, and I like being involved.”
One way Mey is involved on campus is as the secretary of Future Voices, an organization dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is Native American and wanted to bring more attention to underrepresented groups within CU Nursing.
“It’s great to meet a bunch of different people, and we all want to feel heard and included,” she says. “This group is so inspiring. It keeps students motivated and opens so many doors for us. Everyone has different backgrounds, so it broadens our horizons.”
