CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020 - 29

29

ALUMNI

met with immigration and retrieved
her green card.
The woman saw Ngounou's plight and
agreed to help. "She told me about her
cousin who was in Colorado studying
nursing and suggested I move there."
She did. "I knew that if I wanted to
stay in this country, I had to know
how to speak and understand the language." She started taking classes at
Community College of Aurora.

News and Quotes
Read more about these and other alums in the newsroom of the
College's website at www.nursing.cuanschutz.edu/about/news
NANCY NILES FROST

JOURNEY TO NURSING

RN, BSN ('66)

For two years' she immersed herself
in becoming proficient in English.
She also became pregnant with
her first child and underwent a
C-section at 36 weeks. Memories
of her mother's experience flooded
back. "I was fearful that it was going
to be the same, but it wasn't. The
level of care I received was amazing.
Nursing in Cameroon is not like it
is here." Her experience made her
think about a career in nursing. "The
way they took care of me touched my
heart," said Ngounou.

In the fall of 1962, Nancy Niles Frost
began her nursing education at the
University of Colorado College of
Nursing (then the CU School of Nursing).
Frost was a founding member and the
Corresponding Secretary of Sigma Theta
Tau at CU Nursing. After graduating, she
was grateful for her education and how
prepared she was to enter the workforce.
Frost spent most of her career working
within public health and as a School
Board Nurse in Seminole County, Florida.

Ngounou enrolled in CU Nursing's
BSN program and graduated in May
2019. "I loved the program. I was so
lucky to have gotten into it," said
Ngounou who was working full-time
while going to school. "They pushed
me and it was difficult, but CU cared
- from Shane Hoon in Admissions
to faculty members like Sue Bonini
whose door was always open."

JAN PICKETT SANKO

PAYING IT FORWARD
"It was rough. But I learned a lot from
what happened to me. In the end, my
story is really a happy story. And it
shaped me for my work with veterans," said Ngounou who works for the
Veterans Administration.
"Helping people is my purpose in life,"
said Ngounou who is helping two students go to school right now.

BSN ('86)

Attracted by the diversity of specialties
in nursing, Jan Sanko saw the profession
as the perfect blend of her passions.
Today, Sanko is living her nursing dream,
providing critical care at the Centura
Parker Adventist Hospital. "The ICU and
ER are constantly challenging. Every
day is different." Since her time at CU,
Sanko has developed an intense passion
for pediatrics. She spent thirty years
dedicated to the patients at Children's

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Hospital. "I'm still in touch with families
and patients from over the years. Those
early experiences really shaped me."

DEBBIE RODITSKI
NP, Palliative Care Certificate ('17)

Debbie Roditski's career has spanned
a variety of specialties. Palliative care
became an interest after a familial hospice
experience and working at a subacute
rehabilitation center. Other Advanced
Practice Nurses encouraged her to enroll
in a certificate program. "I couldn't ask
for a better fit. CU's program worked
perfectly online," said Roditski. She is
now working in palliative care at Holy
Name Medical Center.

SHANNON VOGEL PERRY
RN PhD, FAAN, MS Class of '71

Shannon Perry has dedicated her life to
serving, whether through scholarship,
in the classroom, or abroad. She spent
much of her career developing innovative
operations to offer care to populations in
need. Perry produced research, academic
articles and even textbooks that are still
in use. These days, Perry spends her
time traveling the world. On October 3,
2020 Perry and her husband Bill will be
celebrating fifty years of marriage! They
hope to celebrate with their daughter, Julie,
her husband, Darren, and grandchildren,
Alex and Zoe.
https://nursing.cuanschutz.edu/about/news
CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2020

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