Full circle moment for ENMU-Ruidoso Foundation, Board of Directors Vice President during hospital stay

Sandy Gladden walked into the hospital expecting care but instead found herself face to face with a powerful reminder of the reach of local education. Several of the nurses tending to her were former students she had once helped support through scholarships at the ENMU-Ruidoso Foundation.

In the hospital, that work came back to her in a deeply personal way. One recognition led to another as Gladden realized the caregivers around her were part of the same local pipeline she had helped strengthen. What unfolded at her bedside became a full-circle moment. One that reflected not only the value of scholarships, but also the importance of training healthcare workers close to home.

“I think what that moment really showed me is the value of training people locally and giving them the chance to stay here and serve their own communities. A lot of our students are place-bound, and that’s not a bad thing; it means they are rooted here, and they want to give back here”, said Sandy Gladden.

The ENMU-Ruidoso Foundation Allied Health scholarship offers students a $3,500 scholarship. Students studying and working in a variety of allied health fields receive academic funds to use in a variety of ways.

“There is such value in what partnerships like this do for a small community. They remove barriers, they create opportunity, and they help build the workforce we need right here at home”, Sandy continued.

In a rural community like Ruidoso, that matters. The partnership between ENMU-Ruidoso Foundation and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New Mexico has helped remove barriers for students pursuing nursing and other allied health careers, giving them the chance to build futures while helping meet local healthcare needs.

This partnership has already graduated 12 nurses, with eight serving locally. For Gladden, the experience underscored a simple idea that can carry a community far: “Grow your own”.