Superheroes are Made Here
Growing up, Gina Giannangelo knew two things. First, her mom was a superhero. Second, she wanted to be a Maverick.
Giannangelo grew up less than a mile from CMU and recalls riding bikes with her sister to watch women’s softball games, practice sports, and walk the family dog on campus.
Giannangelo graduated from Grand Junction High School in May of 2020, which was “a crazy year, with lots of unknowns and uncertainty,” as she put it. She shared that she had two criteria for choosing a college: she wanted to be near friends and family, and it had to have a respected nursing program. “CMU checked all the boxes, so it made the most sense for me,” she explained.
As for her mom, she was a nurse. “My whole childhood, I would watch her fix up all of our family and friends,” said Giannangelo, adding, “It was just so inspiring. She was like a superhero.”
Giannangelo came to CMU in the fall of 2020 with a head start. “I’ve always loved learning,” she shared. “I got bored in high school, so I started taking college classes at night.” As a concurrent student at Western Colorado Community College (now CMU Tech) during her sophomore and junior years, Giannangelo earned her certified nursing assistant (CNA) license and worked as a CNA during high school in home health and at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Following graduation in 2023 with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, Giannangelo returned to St. Mary’s and currently works on the cardiac floor. “It’s been like a full circle moment,” she laughed, noting that while working on her BSN, her hospital coworkers from her high school days became her teachers and that she is now a preceptor for nursing students and new graduates.
Nursing is a career with many paths and options. The CMU Nursing Program began in 1948 with a one-year practical nursing course. In 1962, an associate of science in nursing degree was added, with graduates eligible to become registered nurses. Once Mesa College became a four-year institution, opportunities expanded further with BSN degrees. Graduate programs are now available, culminating in the master of science in nursing or doctor of nursing practice degrees.
Lifelong learning is another aspect of nursing that intrigued Giannangelo. “That’s kind of the best part about nursing. There are so many different specialties and you have so many opportunities to grow within a specialty, but if you want to try something else, you can.”
Giannangelo is effusive about her career so far. “Nursing is such a feel-good career. It’s such an honor to take care of people when they’re in what could be their worst day. There are so many spectrums of emotion that we deal with, and it’s just so incredible to be a part of those big feelings and be someone who can advocate for the patient and advocate for their care.”
Even before graduating from CMU, Giannangelo was earning accolades for her caring and advocacy. Each quarter, St. Mary’s presents outstanding caregivers with the MONARCH Award in recognition of exceptional patient care. Giannangelo was honored in May 2022. She was nominated by a patient who praised her “energy, compassion, and her way of loving her patients.”
Reflecting on the CMU Nursing Program, Giannangelo pointed to the outstanding faculty and the community that they build with students. Nursing is a rigorous course of study, and Giannangelo shared that about 85 percent of the learning is clinical, based at a bedside or in simulations. She believes this helps students handle unpredictable situations. “We never see the same patient or patient presentation, and no one’s life is the same. You can never be prepared for everything, but the Nursing Program does a really good job giving you so much hands-on experience.”
With a foundation built on hands-on experience and compassionate care, the CMU Nursing Program prepares individuals like Giannagelo to become the superheroes their patients need.