Admissions and Student Affairs

Kristi was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska attending Nebraska Wesleyan University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Kristi credits the kind faculty and staff at Nebraska Wesleyan for guiding, supporting, and encouraging her to consider higher education as a career field. When you see her in the halls, don't be afraid to ask her about the story that got her into higher education - it’s a good one that ends with a crying 18-year-old Kristi saying, ‘please don’t call my mom”. Her higher education work landed her in many different places including North Carolina and Texas. She earned her master’s from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she worked for many years in various roles including admissions, recruitment, and financial aid.

On a personal note, Kristi is a dog mom to the fabulous Mr. Furley, a doodle mix.  Her time away from the office is spent with family and friends, listening regularly to the Hamilton Soundtrack, waiting for the next Marvel movie debut, doing all things crafting, planning her next trip abroad with her travel crew and completing the daily Wordle.

Laura or better known as Babbs, was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and as a little girl was obsessed with the American Girl historical books, fairies, the color pink, her scooter, and worms. Babbs is a proud alumna of CU Denver (go lynx!), where she majored in English literature. In Babbs’ senior year of college, she got a work study job in the CU Denver Undergraduate Admissions office. The work study job introduced her to the field of higher education. She will always be thankful for that work study job and all the ways it helped her grow personally and professionally.

You will find Babbs taking walks around campus in thrifted clothes (she is currently working on adopting the coastal grandmother aesthetic), with an iced oat milk vanilla latte in hand, and listening to her favorite band, The 1975. She is a huge fan of Matty Healy and Kate Middleton and is a Capricorn sun and Gemini rising. Her favorite flowers are lilacs, and she loves to watch PBS programs and Seinfeld. Her dream job is owning a bookstore/coffee shop in a college town.

Madison (she/her) serves the College of Nursing as the Student Engagement Coordinator. As the daughter of an educator, Madison grew up playing ‘school’ and reading books in her mom’s classroom­­­­ — it was inevitable that her path would lead to a role in education. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from the University of Wyoming (go Pokes). During her time at UW, she taught public speaking courses and served as an advisor for multiple student organizations. She credits the incredible faculty, staff, and students at UW for contributing to her own student experience and encouraging her to pursue a career in higher education. She is passionate about creating a culture of belonging at the College of Nursing as she values the important factors that contribute to the student experience.

Outside of work, Madison can be found spending time with family and friends, traveling, entertaining her crazy cat, Winnie (she will show you pictures if you ask), listening to a podcast, binge-watching the latest reality TV craze (Love is Blind anyone?), and catching up on her never-ending reading list. She is a proud Colorado native who enjoys exploring the mountains, perusing farmers markets, and supporting local restaurants and businesses. She is also a huge music lover who prides herself on her vinyl collection and well-curated Spotify playlists that match any mood or occasion (she also loves getting new playlist recommendations…hint hint).

Claire (she/her) is from New Orleans, Louisiana, and has moved back to Colorado after over a decade of living in different places across Tennessee and Virginia. She earned her B.A. from a small liberal arts college called Sewanee, and her M.Ed. from Vanderbilt. Claire despises mornings, but she gets out of bed to work because her passion is supporting students through challenges, academic and personal. Claire believes that there is no such thing as a dumb question, only the one you don’t ask, so ask her anything and everything. If you meet with Claire via Zoom, odds are high that her cat, Minerva (yes, Claire is a huge Harry Potter fan and will beat you in trivia), will crash the meeting. If you swing by Claire’s office on campus for a meeting or just to say hi (which she loves), you will likely find her sitting with bad posture, legs curled up, shoes off, and surrounded by plants (fake ones, so she can’t kill them).

When she is not at work, Claire can be found spending time with her retired parents, catching up with friends, fist-bumping her nephew via FaceTime (her niece can’t hold a phone yet), at anything arts-related, trying to catch her breath on a hiking trail (she moved here from sea-level, it’s an adjustment), screaming WHO DAT to cheer on the New Orleans Saints, making lists, kickboxing, reading, cooking, and eating. Claire will never be seen pre-coffee, always wears at least SPF 50 even if she doesn’t leave the house, and will probably tell you what that bird was, even though you didn’t ask.

Meet with Claire

Nicolette Hammell (She/Her) currently serves the College of Nursing as an Academic Services Professional. She is a Colorado native who proudly calls CU Boulder her alma mater (Sko Buffs!) Nicolette credits the kind faculty at CU Boulder for encouraging and supporting her to pursue a career in higher education. As a first-generation college graduate, she is passionate about the power of education to transform lives and open doors to new opportunities.

When she is not at work, you can usually find her on the tennis court with her partner, chasing around her sweet cat, Etta, and spending time with family and friends. She is also a big fan of the arts, and she loves catching a musical or play whenever she can. If you happen to hear someone belting out a Whitney Houston song at the top of their lungs, there's a good chance it's her!

Meet with Nicolette

Mark’s journey has been intricately woven with healthcare, adventure, and education. His father was an independent pharmacist for more than forty years and Mark’s formative years were spent playing in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin in a small town called Minocqua with his two older siblings. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate in technical communication. Following a stint working for Eaton Corporation, Mark has spent more than twenty years managing internship and cooperative education programs, facilitating Strengths-based leadership programs, and advising and mentoring college students from all walks of life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.

Mark understands that education is a lifelong endeavor as his mother returned to school to obtain her bachelor’s degree when she was in her 50s and his partner is a student in Anschutz’s genetic counseling graduate program. Mark is proud to serve as a Board of Director of the Shanta Foundation, an international nonprofit focused on eradicating extreme poverty through the creation of education, quality healthcare, and economic opportunities in rural communities throughout Myanmar and Zambia. A student of leadership, Mark is a facilitator for LeaderShape and has facilitated experiential leadership programs for students around the US and Canada. Feel free to ask Mark what the tallest waterfall is that he has paddled in his whitewater kayak – he’ll show you the picture, too!

Mark’s Top 5 Strengths are Adaptability, Arranger, Woo, Strategic, and Self-assurance.

Meet with Mark

Jesse is a proud Denver native, born in Rose Hospital. She is a product of Denver Public Schools and the University of Colorado Boulder. Jesse has worked in various roles in education and in the nonprofit sectors, primarily in public school administration, scholarship administration, and education research and evaluation. Her evaluation work took her to a variety of public schools around the country, and she enjoyed interviewing and learning from students and teachers who were involved in a wide range of educational initiatives. She gained an appreciation for the hard work and dedication of teachers, administrators, and staff, and met amazing students along the way.

Jesse serves as the Student Affairs Assistant for CU College of Nursing. She supports the Admissions and Student Affairs team and assists students and the public in any way possible. She also has a weird love of spreadsheets, and cleaning and organizing data. In her off-time, Jesse loves the joys of cycling and hiking in the beautiful state of Colorado.

Austin is from Denver, Colorado, and has been molded by the Colorado education system. He earned a B.A. in Communication Studies and a Minor in Business Administration from Colorado State University. This has led him to become one of our new Enrollment Advisors for undergraduate programs. Austin has always wanted to help others and understands education’s importance in giving people new opportunities.

When Austin isn’t helping out students, he’s most likely laughing by himself at a terrible dad joke or explaining to his wife why Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy created. He’s someone who loves to make others laugh and never takes anything too seriously. Once the weather turns nice, Austin is outside either playing golf, walking his two dogs, or trying to get rid of his farmer's tan that built up after years of playing baseball. During the winter, he loves to stay in, watch movies and great TV dramas, as well as get to the mountains for some much-needed fresh air.

There are so many ways to help others, and being kind is one of the most impactful traits we should possess. I know the effect kindness has had on me, and I can’t wait to provide that to my students.

Meet with Austin

Sandra has over 15 years of experience working in higher education and worked at the University of California, Riverside prior to joining the CU College of Nursing family in 2011. In her teens and early 20s, her family, friends, and advisors encouraged her to pursue a career in education (there are three teachers in her family) or healthcare, specifically nursing. After taking numerous education management courses and a short tenure training to become a Limited-Scope X-Ray Technician/Medical Assistant, Sandra quickly discovered that she loved to help others, but these two avenues did not lead to her true calling. Little did she know her passion to help others would lead to an opportunity to work with students interested in pursuing a nursing education.

Sandra currently serves as the Admissions Program Manager for the CU College of Nursing. She is passionate about serving and supporting students throughout the admissions process, program matriculation, and beyond. In addition, anything you can think of related to admissions and matriculation processes, student record maintenance, and all things related to data management, Sandra is definitely involved, and loves every second of it! Serving in a role in Admissions and Student Affairs with the opportunity to provide support for someone’s incredible journey into healthcare/nursing brings Sandra great joy.

When she is not at work, Sandra loves a good comedy or action flick, tries to keep up with at least 10 different shows at any given time, enjoys drawing, playing guitar (although not very good), cooking and baking, watching sports (GEAUX SAINTS!), throwing down at karaoke (Eye of the Tiger is her go-to song), fishing, and spending time with her husband and fur baby, Bella.

Anapin is the team’s bleeding heart. If it was up to her, she would admit everyone. She has always had a passion for helping others. She has been with the College of Nursing for over nine years (though she has been with the university for almost two decades!). She is a graduate of CU Denver and has worked as a financial aid advisor, scholarship counselor, and pre-collegiate instructor and coordinator.

Anapin is a proud mother to her four children and is a new grandmother; she devotes most of her time to her family and their two dogs- a malshi named Romero and Sunni, a Goldendoodle puppy. When she is not at work, she enjoys reading, tending to her garden, binge watching period pieces on Netflix (hello, Bridgerton), healthy eating (mostly), and when she drinks... oh man, she goes all out! Drinking water, that is. She loves her red nail polish, and “has a bazillion red lipsticks” her husband would say. She has a love for vintage clothing and likes to collect vintage/retro inspired dresses of the 1940/1950s. Yes, she was born in the wrong era. Anapin received many accolades for her fashion style—she has been accused of being the Best Dress at CU Nursing. She loves eating spicy food and bets no one else can eat spicier!

Meet with Anapin