A three-year-old little girl toddles amongst a cohort of strangers, her mother the only familiar face in the crowd. She doesn’t know it, but she is a volunteer patient in The University of New Mexico College of Nursing Nurse-Midwifery program, assisting faculty member Carolyn Montoya, PhD, RN, CPNP, who is showing a class of midwifery and nurse practitioner students – including her mother, Connie Trujillo, RN, CNM, MBA, how to perform a pediatric assessment.
Fast forward sixteen years, and that once little girl, Celina Trujillo, has recently crossed the UNM College of Nursing stage, graduating with her own BSN and shaking hands with Montoya, now interim dean, and continuing a story three generations in the making. She and her mother aren’t the only women in their family to cross this stage. It all began with Celina’s grandmother.
Alberta Jimenez pursued her nursing degree with a “non-traditional” pathway. She discovered that her job as a nurse’s aide was immensely fulfilling and decided that nursing is where she belonged. The College’s RN-BSN program suited her perfectly and she completed her degree in 1995.
Even with three kids at home and only being able to take one class at a time, my mother knew nursing was her passion and dedicated her career to it. I told her I wanted to become a nurse and she warned me that it was hard, but I heard how amazing her stories were and saw the passion in her. So, I did it, too.
“Even with three kids at home and only being able to take one class at a time, my mother knew nursing was her passion and dedicated her career to it,” says Connie Trujillo, who is Alberta’s daughter. “I told her I wanted to become a nurse and she warned me that it was hard, but I heard how amazing her stories were and saw the passion in her. So, I did it, too.”
Connie also pursued a nursing degree on a “non-traditional” pathway. Although, her reasons were just as steadfast and strong as any other student. At the time of her pregnancy with Celina, Connie was a chemical engineer. She had a midwife assisting with Celina’s birth and was impressed by the skills necessary for midwifery and the rewarding nature it possessed.
Connie says, “I’ve always had an interest in birthing babies and nursing. I would flip through my mom’s textbooks for hours and dream of being a nurse. But life happened and I pursued something else first. But with UNM’s diverse degree options, nursing was still possible for me. I got my BSN with their accelerated 2nd degree bachelor’s program in 2005 and never looked back.”
Celina, the third generation, just graduated in the summer class of 2023 with a BSN degree and excitement in her heart; her mother and grandmother cheering from the stands, watching their legacy and love for nursing continue on in Celina.
Connie concludes, “Her work ethic and determination strike me. She witnessed the need for nurses during the pandemic and allowed it to fuel her desire to become a nurse. She is the culmination of our family’s dedication to nursing, but she brings her own unique love to it, as well. We are beyond proud. She’s rocking it!”
A story of legacy, family and education of this nature is what makes UNM’s College of Nursing so special. It is not just a college that benefits the health care of New Mexico, but one that enriches the lives of families, building generational stories filled with pride, success and dreams come true.