Reed Lawson is Determined to Build Community with His Peers and Patients

Reed Lawson knew he felt comfortable in hospitals and healthcare settings from an early age, when he would tag along with his mom during her nursing shifts. 

“I've just always had an attraction to healthcare. There's something about working in a hospital that carries a level of prestige in my opinion,” he says.

During his first college experience in Nebraska, where he studied biology, Lawson found himself feeling lost and left school. He ran a lumberyard and worked as a grocery store manager, but his passion for healthcare never went away.

When Lawson moved to Colorado, he ran into a friend at Community College of Aurora (CCA). The friend mentioned the Integrated Nursing Path through the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing.

“It seemed like a super cool program, so I decided to apply,” he says. “I did a couple of classes at CCA because I wasn't really sure if I was dipping my toes in or if I was jumping in.”

After talking with the college’s admissions team – who encouraged him to jump in and apply for the program – he knew earning his BSN was the right path for him.

After finishing two years of prerequisites at CCA, Lawson started his nursing journey at CU Anschutz Nursing in June.

Lawson says he likes the technical side of nursing. His favorite class so far has been pathophysiology.
“I love Dr. Theresa Nino’s pre-recorded lectures. I like the way that she presents the information in them,” he says.

His courses and conversations with healthcare professionals have pointed him in the public health direction as he decides what kind of nurse he wants to become.

“I like the idea of educating and providing service to underrepresented populations,” he says.

An Emerging Leader

This time around, earning his undergraduate degree has been filled with purpose and Lawson is trying to be as immersed in the experience as possible.

“I feel like I screwed up my first experience with college, like I thought I was experiencing college, but I wasn't at all. And so I just want to see what that's like. I want to be a part of the community,” he says.

“I've tried to be as involved with campus as I can. I'm here and I want to be here.”

At 37, Lawson is one of the older students in his cohort and has taken on many leadership roles. From serving on panels for prospective students to supporting his classmates before exams, he is committed to helping his peers.

“I've been able to build a sense of community here,” he says. “I try to make practice exams for everybody to share before every exam. I want to be helpful to the whole cohort.”

He says he wants to bring people together through social and outdoor outings. He hopes to start a hiking club next semester, but acknowledges his academic schedule doesn’t always leave enough time to pursue all his leadership ideas.

“I have too much passion sometimes,” he says with a smile.