Mela Walker, a full-time level III medical assistant at UCHealth Lone Tree Medical Center and mother to a one-month-old daughter, commenced her studies in January 2023 in the Regis University CHOICE Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
She recently graduated with honors in August 2025 and received a prestigious evidence-based poster award for collaborative research with a fellow student during the graduation ceremony. Despite the challenges, Walker found the journey manageable.
“Staying focused, having a strong desire, and practicing self-discipline are essential,” said Walker, BSN, RN. “The program is outstanding; it gave me the opportunity to become a registered nurse.”
Walker is one of the first graduates of the Regis CHOICE BSN program from the Ascend Career Program at UCHealth, which covered their nursing school tuition. She aspires to work as an emergency department nurse and eventually become a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Yesenia I. Salomon, BSN, RN, completed the program with honors while working as a phlebotomist II with the UCHealth Longmont Clinic. She is considering an ICU or ED nursing role.
“My father, a firefighter paramedic, introduced me to the medical world and the ability to help people beyond the general help we can give as humans,” she said, adding that she was drawn to a nursing career because of the opportunities it offers for hands-on work caring for patients.
Salomon also intends to continue pursuing education, potentially becoming a CRNA or nurse practitioner. She said she appreciates being able to complete her clinical rotations at UCHealth, and the preceptors were especially impactful to her nursing education.
The Ascend Career Program continues to be available to eligible employees in good standing at 0.5 full-time equivalent or above. This year, UCHealth expanded its academic partnerships to include CU College of Nursing and Community College of Aurora to offer an additional BSN program. For both these BSN programs, UCHealth will pay up to $10,000 of tuition, books and fees per calendar year for eligible employees.