Nearly two dozen Chaffee residents receive degrees at CMC commencement
By Mike McKibbin
Back row, from left: Kayla Prosser, Dona Andrea, Nancy Stepisnik, Andrea Garcia, Susan Greiner; front row, from left: Mariah Painter and Lindsay Durant. Photo Steve Sunday
BUENA VISTA – When and if she opens the restaurant of her dreams, Dona Andrea of Salida will have workers ready to cook and serve her customers.
The recent Colorado Mountain College graduate – and grandmother of six – said her grandchildren are excited about helping out at her restaurant someday.
“They’re all very happy for me and want to work for me,” Andrea said, with a laugh.
Andrea received her Associate of Arts degree during the college’s May 6 commencement exercises in Leadville. She said she waited until her own seven children were all adults before she returned to college to get her degree.
Andrea enrolled in CMC’s culinary arts program in 2013 but said she had conflicts with class schedules, family and work responsibilities. “So I decided to get this degree first, then finish the culinary program in about three years,” she said.
While she now wants to have her own restaurant, Andrea said she didn’t even really like to cook until about five years ago. “I was working as a waitress and my boss asked if I’d like more hours,” she explained. “I said sure, he said I’d have to cook and I just fell in love with it.”
Andrea had kind words for the instructors and staff at Colorado Mountain College who helped her to get her degree.
“I’m from Indiana and I went to a school there and just felt lost,” she said. “I didn’t have anyone by my side to help me and push me. At CMC, everyone was great. They almost made me feel like family.”
Juggling kids, classes
Family was a big part of Andrea Garcia’s decision to get an Associate of General Studies degree from Colorado Mountain College. The Salida resident said she took classes online, as well as in person in Buena Vista and Salida, off and on over the past four years.
“I have three kids, so I had to take a semester off here and there,” Garcia said.
A stay-at-home mom, she said her husband pushed her to get her degree. “And I wanted my kids to see their mom could do this and see how important it is,” Garcia said. “That was the hardest part, taking classes and taking care of three kids.”
While Garcia said she might pursue a bachelor’s degree when her youngest is older, right now she planned to relax and spend time with family.
Four Chaffee County residents earn bachelor’s degrees
Kayla Prosser of Buena Vista is among four Chaffee County residents to earn a bachelor’s degree from CMC this year. The others are Nancy Stepisnik of Poncha Springs, Lindsay Durant of Salida and Susan Greiner of Buena Vista.
Prosser enrolled in 2008 in concurrent enrollment classes while attending Buena Vista High School. In 2012 she decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science in business administration; on the way there she earned an Associate of Arts in 2014 and an Associate of Arts in business in 2015. And it’s already helped.
“I work full time at a bank and started as a teller,” Prosser said. “Now, I’m an accounting specialist.”
Like many other graduates, she had to accommodate her life and class schedules, but wasn’t deterred.
“Some of the courses were along the I-70 corridor, so I had to drive to Edwards every Thursday night and had to leave work early to do that for an entire semester,” she recalled.
Prosser plans to continue to live in Buena Vista – “I bought a house in 2013” – and work at the local bank.
She is appreciative of the opportunity CMC offered. “It’s great we have the chance to take college courses right here in Chaffee County and not have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars,” she said.
Sidebar-
CMC graduates 23 local students
This year, 23 graduates from Chaffee County either attended Colorado Mountain College in Buena Vista and Salida or attended Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. They are:
Jennifer B. Accaira – Associate of Arts; Nathrop
Dona J. Andrea – Associate of Arts; Salida
Elizabeth Leona Bowen – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: early childhood education – director, early childhood education – group leader, and early childhood education – teacher; Buena Vista
Travis M. Campbell – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: Fire Academy I; Buena Vista
Bryttney Coleman – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Salida
Cheryl Cwelich – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Salida
Clayton DeLaney – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Lindsay M. Durant – Bachelor of Arts: sustainability studies; Salida
Andrea A. Garcia – Associate of General Studies: generalist; Salida)
Amy E. Green – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: early childhood education – director, early childhood education – group leader, and early childhood education – teacher; Poncha Springs
Susan Marie Greiner – Bachelor of Arts: sustainability studies; Buena Vista
Jalyn McMurry – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Andrew Null – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Salida
Mariah N. Painter – Associate of Arts; Buena Vista
Kayla Nicole Prosser – Bachelor of Science: business administration; Buena Vista
Rachel Rheam – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Phillip Rodriguez – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Jeannette Shane – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Nancy D. Stepisnik – Bachelor of Science: business administration; Poncha Springs
Sara Jo Sturgess – Associate of Arts; Salida
Nicolaus Sylvester – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Buena Vista
Leah Grace Underwood – Associate of Applied Science: accounting; Salida
Benjamin Weber – Certificate of Occupational Proficiency: emergency medical technician – basic; Salida