Her Story
About Amanda
My journey into healthcare education has been shaped by overcoming tremendous obstacles and finding strength I didn't know I had. I'm the first person in my entire family to graduate high school and go to college - my parents both had to leave school early to work and were raised by their grandmothers. When I was young, I dreamed of being a 5th grade math and science teacher, playing school with my little sister and having popcorn parties. Life took me on a different path when I faced a rare molar pregnancy that turned into cancer, requiring 6 months of chemotherapy while caring for three young children. Thanks to an amazing nurse practitioner named Sherry who advocated for me when I had no health insurance, I'm here today. That experience showed me the profound impact healthcare professionals can have on people's lives. After being a stay at home mom, I went to college for surgical technology. The director of my program, Sheila Spence, really inspired me, both professionally and personally. I knew I wanted to be in her role one day. I've spent over a decade in sterile processing and surgical technology since 2013, working every position from tech to manager. When I moved to Colorado in 2023, I became an adjunct instructor at Community College of Denver, and within 5 months was promoted to director of the surgical technology program. This role brings together my two passions - teaching and healthcare. I absolutely love preparing the next generation and helping students who come in without their voice yet, watching them transform into confident professionals by the end of the program. Every decision I make is with my family in mind - my husband Ben, who has been my rock for 21 years, and my daughter who is the most beautiful person I have ever known and is all about women empowerment. A strong support system will do wonders! My little sister and her fun personality has kept me sane and grounded. My dad, who passed way four years ago, always had confidence in me and I could always go to him for anything. My mother still makes me laugh, especially during the tough times. My cousin Sandra checks in on my weekly, always being the loving woman that she is! I want my students to know they can trust me the same way I would trust them as the surgical tech in the operating room with any of my support system as their patient!
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If I could talk to my younger self that was just getting started in life, I would tell myself that I have a bigger impact, and I can do more than what I think I can. I would say you don't know it yet, but you have no idea how powerful and how impactful you will be in other people's lives. So keep that in mind when those days get tough. And for future surgical techs, remember that when you're in the OR, you have somebody underneath the drape - there's a person, a mom, a dad, brother, sister, husband, wife, etc. Every time you have a patient come into your room, always introduce yourself. Let them know who you are, that you're the surgical tech and you're gonna make sure we take really good care of you. They're people, and they're going through one of the scariest days of their life, if not the scariest day. Empathy goes such a long way.
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