When Jenna Black walked into the Call to Care Ceremony at Fort Lewis College in August, she experienced something rare in life: a moment that bridged her past, present, and future in nursing.
“I was teary-eyed the whole time,” she says.
Black wasn't there as a student—though she had once been one. She was there as a donor, supporter, and witness to a program that represented everything she believed in: bringing nursing education to the Four Corners region and keeping healthcare talent in rural communities that desperately need it.
The speaker that day was Karen Zink, a University of Colorado School of Nursing alumna and major supporter of the CU Anschutz Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative. For Black, Zink's presence made the moment even more profound. Years earlier, Zink had spoken at Black's own Call to Care Ceremony when she was earning her nursing degree at Pueblo Community College.
“Seeing the students take their nursing oath and knowing they’ll be able to stay and serve their communities—it’s a legacy.”
“It was so special listening to her talk to these new nursing students at Fort Lewis College,” she says. “When I was a student, after her speech at my ceremony, I saw her at a restaurant and told her how incredible it was and how I was excited to be a nurse. Talking to her and learning from her opened this new opportunity for me.”
That conversation with Zink had set Black on an unexpected path—one that would lead her to aesthetic nursing, through CU Anschutz Nursing's RN to BS program, and ultimately back to Fort Lewis College, where she now invests in the next generation of nurses serving Southwest Colorado.
“I didn’t even know aesthetic nursing was a thing,” she says. “But I found it so interesting—helping people feel confident in their skin and hearing their stories.”
Black has been in that role for 10 years. Her work ranges from skincare consultations to non-invasive treatments, all focused on patient education and safety. She’s the face of Durango Medical Aesthetics, where she continues to serve hundreds of patients across Southwest Colorado.
“In my role, I’m able to do a lot of patient education, which I love so much,” she says. “I also love helping people get to where they want to be with their skin health.”
Giving Back to New Nursing Students
Black attended the Call to Care Ceremony at Fort Lewis College because she supported the program by making a donation. It was even more special for her because she also has a bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College.
CU Nursing alumna Jenna Black with her husband, Beau, at the CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative Call to Care Ceremony. |
“I fell in love with this program, and I wanted to do something to help,” she says.
Black says she started to get involved by attending community meetings about the collaborative, where she learned about the curriculum and what was needed for it to be successful.
“I’ve lived in the Four Corners for 21 years now, and rural medicine must have the support it needs,” she says. “There’s more care needed, so the fact that these nurses are coming out of school and they’re going to stay here is so incredible. I think we’ll see the benefit of this program for years to come."
Black even knows students in the program, highlighting the area’s tight-knit community.
“I’ve known one student since she was a little girl, so it’s incredible to watch these young people come here with so much passion,” she says. “They want to care for their community, and it’s so special that they want to stay here after earning their degrees.”
Staying Involved
Black is continuing her nursing education at CU Anschutz Nursing as a student in the college’s BS to DNP program, focusing on Adult-Gerontology Primary Care while earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice.
“Having advanced degrees gives me more clinical insight and allows for a better experience for the patient population I’m treating,” she says. “We need more clinicians providing evidence-based care.”
She also wants to stay involved with nursing students at Fort Lewis College with the hopes of becoming a faculty member.
“As nurses, we’re always learning,” she says. “The profession changes your identity. You’ll always be a nurse, and I think that’s so powerful.”
