When Stuart Eynon graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2013, he found himself uninterested in a career sitting behind a desk and working at a computer.
Students Equity Diversity and Inclusion Graduation
Arleny Muñoz donates blood whenever she can – and the first couple of times she donated, she nearly passed out because of the blood.
Five-year-old Dutch Shepherd Jackson is well known on campus, especially in the classroom, and is considered the unofficial mascot of the University of Colorado College of Nursing UCAN program. As a service dog for soon-to-be BS in Nursing graduate James Damioli, “He goes with me pretty much everywhere,” Damioli says. “He goes to the grocery store, on an airplane, and he’s been to every lecture with me throughout school.”
Students Equity Diversity and Inclusion Graduation
Lenae Aragon openly admits she’s struggled with her mental health since she was young. A big part of this had to do with the death of her sister Sabrina, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 16. Her sister struggled with mental health before she passed away.
As a young man, Sam Wellman felt lost. While his friends were pursuing their dreams in college, Sam succumbed to ennui and despair. Without purpose or direction, he drank and drank. Until one day at the bottom of a shot glass, he realized he appreciated and admired the people helping him recover. They were nurses.
Marcy Polk, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, understands the military, but she’s always been an outsider looking in. Her dad and sister are veterans. Her dad served in the Navy in the Vietnam War era but did not see combat, and later became a firefighter along with her brother. Her sister was in the Army for 15 years and now works for the VA.
Graduation is a major achievement, and it’s something all our graduates (and alumni) should be proud of. You’ve spent countless hours in class, studying, working on assignments, and attending clinicals. You’ve had to balance school, life, and work during your time at the University of Colorado College of Nursing.
Students Equity Diversity and Inclusion Graduation
Claudia Martinez Antillon’s father is the main reason why she wanted to pursue a career in nursing.
Students Equity Diversity and Inclusion Graduation
Mykell Fisher knows from personal experience how a nurse can make a difference in someone’s life and put them on a path to a career in healthcare.
A public health nurse. A substitute school nurse. A nursing tutor for Pueblo Community College and the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence. A hospice spiritual care counselor. A community health case manager. A home health nurse. A perioperative nurse.
“I feel giddy and get chills every time I talk about it to anyone who will listen.”
Years ago, Marie Stahl saw her future during National Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. As a front desk clerk at Denver Health, Stahl’s mother introduced her to life inside a hospital, and that made a positive impression on her to this day.
Students Equity Diversity and Inclusion Graduation
When Kimberly Morales-Ortiz was a child, she remembers going to a healthcare clinic with her grandmother who has diabetes. The nurses spoke Spanish with her grandmother, getting her engaged in her own treatment.
While most kids were hanging out with friends in middle and high school, University of Colorado College of Nursing BSN candidate Mark Domingo and his two siblings were helping their mom take care of three elderly people who lived in their home. His mom Ruby was a certified caregiver. For 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, they helped her feed the patients, get them showered and dressed, and take them on walks. They treated them like family. The experience sparked Domingo’s passion for helping others.
One foot in front of the other. That’s the mindset Taylor Santangelo used to break two cross-country running records in high school, and what she thinks now as a clinical assistant in the pediatric intensive care unit when she faces children with acute and chronic conditions.
Unexpected and unforgettable are two words that describe our graduates, their accomplishments, and activities of the past few years.
When Zhane Conner, CNA, officially earns her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing on May 22, it will mark another chapter in a life dedicated to serving others. But finding that passion didn’t necessarily come easily.
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