Associate of Occupational Studies
Medical Assisting

Suzanne (nee Merrick) Edmonds was born in Bishop, California. In 1982, she received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where she majored in cross-disciplinary studies: biology/art. In 1985, she received a master of arts degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where she majored in medical and biological illustration. Her thesis was titled “The Course of Digital Nerve Axons in the Brachial Plexus of Macaca Mulatta.”

She was hired in 1986 as the staff illustrator at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, California, and worked directly with the sports medicine and orthopedic pioneers of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic. In addition, she has been a freelance medical illustrator, providing illustrations for numerous medical and surgical texts, as well as journals.

Suzanne’s teaching experience includes teaching anatomy, physiology, and pathology at the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She also taught life drawing for Ink Spinners School of Cartooning, also in Colorado Springs. In 2005, she joined CollegeAmerica, Flagstaff campus, as an adjunct instructor in medical specialties, and is currently an associate professor and externship coordinator. She is a published author of equine coat color genetic articles and exhibitor in juried medical illustration exhibits.

Jamie is a health sciences and medical specialties instructor and has been with CollegeAmerica since 2010. Hailing originally from sunny southern California where he was a Los Angeles County paramedic, and, while still in his teens, he eventually retired early as a paramedic for the City of Tulsa in Oklahoma. At this time, he returned to graduate school at the University of Utah in 2001 to become a physician assistant (PA-C).

He has been a board certified physician assistant since 2003 and his specialty is in emergency medicine and rural medicine and he has a special NCCPA board recognition in surgery also. He also spent five years on the full-time faculty at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he cites teaching as his most rewarding profession.

Jamie has a bachelor of science degree in health services management from California College for Health Sciences, a master of science degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Utah, a post-graduate certificate in healthcare administration from Capella University, and is currently completing a master’s degree in public health from CollegeAmerica.

Catherine is a medical specialties instructor. She teaches courses in hematology, phlebotomy, microbiology, capstone, externship, NHA certification preparation, urinalysis, and body fluids.

I began my career as a medical laboratory technician with an associate’s degree. I worked in a hospital microbiology lab and then in immunology research. My education led me to earn my BS as a medical laboratory technologist, working as a supervisor of a stat lab (CLIA waived tests) for Kaiser, a clinical microbiologist and part time as a medical assistant.

I later returned to school, becoming a secondary licensed science teacher. I taught high school science for 15 years during that time I earned my master’s degree in the art of education. I currently hold a certification as a personal trainer, and I am employed as an indoor cycle instructor to fulfill my fitness passion!

Dr. Hargraves has been an adjunct healthcare administration instructor at CollegeAmerica for three years. She is an associate professor emeritus at University of Texas, director of health policy and health services research, and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She is editor of the book, Minority Health in America: Findings and Policy Implications from the Commonwealth Fund Minority Health Survey. She was also guest editor of the American Journal or Public Health’s April 2002 issue on the health needs of women of color.

Dr. Hargraves’s professional experience ranges from senior management positions in state and national government to academia. She has served in senior management positions in Washington, D.C., including chief of interagency coordination in the Division of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) at what is currently known as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); special assistant at the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS); deputy assistant secretary, licensing and regulation, in the State of Louisiana; as well as program management at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hargraves earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Jarvis Christian College, a master of public health degree in health services administration and community health, and a Ph.D. in management and policy sciences and health services research from the University of Texas School of Public Health.

Mike has a BS and MS degree in chemistry and has spent over 25 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in positions including laboratory, project management, marketing, licensing and acquisitions, and executive management. Before joining CollegeAmerica in 2010, he worked in software development, nanotechnology, and healthcare delivery companies and taught chemistry at Concorde Career College in Aurora. He is married to Susan Bowling, a physical therapist and energy healer, and they have two daughters: Elizabeth, who currently lives in Aurora, and Cheresse, who is married and living in Copenhagen, Denmark.

I earned a BS in physical anthropology from the University of New Mexico in 2001 and an MS in physician assistant studies from the University of St. Francis in 2006. During my undergraduate studies I worked at the Office of the Medical Investigator at UNM as a morphology technician. My duties included directly assisting the forensic pathologist in autopsies and evidence collection.

After the OMI, I worked as a surgical technician in the operating room at the University of New Mexico Outpatient Surgery and Imaging Center for four years. My position was “scrub technician,” and I assisted in various outpatient surgeries in various medical disciplines including OB/GYN, general surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and plastic surgery. After going back to school and earning my master’s degree in physician assistant studies, I worked as a physician assistant at New Mexico Orthopedics.

After some time in the medical field I gradually shifted my career to education. First, I worked with neurologically and behaviorally challenged adolescents at an inpatient treatment center in New Mexico. Since moving to Colorado, I have worked solely in the educational field and it has been a wonderful change. In 2013 I moved from Denver to Northern Colorado and began tutoring and instructing at the college level. I accepted a faculty position at CollegeAmerica in 2013 and have been employed here since. Teaching at CollegeAmerica has been truly the most rewarding and enjoyable of all my careers.

Jon Allison is the associate dean of medical specialties. He served in the Navy as a hospital corpsman for four years and was stationed with the Marines. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Most of his work experience has come from working in various pharmacies. He teaches many of the medical specialties classes including pharmacy, EKG, vital signs, A&P, and others. He has worked as a corporate trainer, a high school teacher, a community college adjunct professor, and has been with CollegeAmerica since 2011.

Amy Gibson, Associate Dean of Business and Accounting, has worked in education for 10 years. Like many CollegeAmerica students, Amy too had to work full time while going to school. She graduated from Johnson and Wales University with two associates degrees: one in business administration and the other in criminal justice. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

During this time, Amy was an active member of the Student Leadership team that volunteered at many non-profits, including Ronald McDonald House and the Denver Rescue Mission. Through this experience, she was able to truly connect with the community and gain real-world leadership experience. While at Johnson and Wales, she also studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea, for a semester.

Amy started at CollegeAmerica in 2008 as a corporate financial aid officer for several of the CollegeAmerica campuses. In 2013, she joined the Denver Campus and started as a second-year planner. During this time she also earned her master of science degree in teaching and learning from Colorado State University, global campus. In June 2013, she transitioned into the associate dean of business and accounting position. Throughout this time she also went to Independence University for an additional master’s degree in business administration. She is expected to graduate in October of 2015.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master of business administration degree in management, both from the University of Georgia, Ron Elsdon entered the US Air Force and trained as a pilot. Upon completion of three tours in southeast Asia flying B-52s, he performed four years of duty as an instructor pilot/flight examiner, attaining the rank of captain and the ratings of senior pilot and master instructor pilot.

Following his Air Force career, Ron gathered over 22 years experience in the business world as a senior project manager for the Motorola Government Electronics Group. During that time he was responsible for team building, development and instruction, and conducting various training courses in production, management, organization, and communication. He has been with CollegeAmerica, Colorado Springs for six years. During that time, he has served as an instructor, acted as the director of faculty development, served as the associate dean of business and accounting, and has been the dean of education for over four years.

Sid Rubey is the Colorado Springs campus associate dean of business and technology. As an officer in the U.S. Navy, Sid completed training in nuclear engineering and served in this capacity onboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz CVN-68. He also has over 22 years experience in engineering, project management, and information technology positions. Sid has taught computer science, mathematics, business, and management courses at CollegeAmerica since 2009. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a master of science degree in computer science, a master of business administration, and has completed half of a doctoral program in computer science – data analytics.

Paul Benedict has a master’s degree in project management from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in network communications and management from Devry University. He has worked as a chief information officer, project manager, team leader, store manager, IT technician and network engineer. He has performed these duties for companies such as Sprint, Whole Foods, Microsoft, The Geek Squad (Best Buy), and Circuit City.

Paul loves bringing extracurricular activities to the classroom and frequently takes students on fields trips to museums, Maker Faires, and other technical and scientific activities in the Denver area.

In his free time, Paul enjoys working as a minister along with his wife of 16 years, as well as hiking and photographing the splendid beauty of the Rocky Mountains where he lives.

Ludo Pierson is the associate dean of the computer science programs. He possesses a BS in information technology from Brighton University, England, and an MBA from Stevens-Henager College in Utah. Mr. Pierson is also a Microsoft® Certified Professional and holds networking certifications from Cisco® and CompTIA®.

Ludo has over 20 years of experience in the IT field. He has worked for Microsoft during the release of Windows 95, for several telecommunication corporations pioneering voice over IP technology as director of software development, for Unified Communications as a technical product manager, and he was an active member of the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Program) association dictating standards for wireless multimedia messaging (MMS).

Ludo is a business owner of Pierson Amplifiers, manufacturing guitar amplifiers sold in retail stores across Japan and on the Internet, as well as the owner of a race management and timing company, directing races such as the Flagstaff Marathon and the SP Crater Marathon. He has been with CollegeAmerica since 2005.

Hello. My name is Jonathan Perkins. I am the director of IT for the Fort Collins, Colorado, campus. I am also one of the instructors for the computer science degree programs. I have been with the CollegeAmerica team for almost two years now, and it is a fantastic place that truly fosters a great environment for learning and focuses on the needs of the students.

I started building my own computers completely from scratch from a very young age. I was completely hooked and drawn to the field from the very beginning. After receiving my first degree, I worked in the field of computer graphic design. I then decided to continue my education even further and went back to obtain a degree in information technology. I changed my focus to the network and systems administration area of IT. I have been in this area of the field for almost 15 years now and still absolutely love it.

I pride myself in always making myself available to our students to discuss questions they have regarding the IT industry. A personally rewarding part to me is to always catch that “ah ha” moment when a new concept “clicks” for them. In my leisure time, I have enjoyed the sport of cross-country mountain biking for many years. I also enjoy building custom cars and motorcycles. I also participated in the seventy-fifth annual Sturgis, South Dakota, motorcycle rally this year.

Rich White has been an instructor at CollegeAmerica for over five years and enjoys giving students the chance to go forward and make themselves into contributing citizens. He teaches computer science, networking, and some general computer usage classes. Rich graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor of arts degree in math with a computer science option. He worked in industry as a defense and civilian contractor for various local, state, and federal agencies for about 15 years. He then worked with teens and taught in the public schools for another 20 years before joining the faculty at CollegeAmerica, Colorado Springs. Rich teaches all levels of networking and computer security classes, math classes, and introductory programming. He feels very privileged to have been able to bring computer concepts to a lot of people who are now working in industry.

Fred Tower has been teaching at CollegeAmerica as the lead instructor in the School of Graphic Arts since 2009. Across a span of 45 years, he has been a photographer, a graphic designer, a soldier, a teacher, a counselor, a public speaker, a computer geek, and an award-winning writer/producer of educational television. Fred served for eight years in the U.S. Air Force as a graphic artist, aerial photographer, and intelligence analyst. From 1968 through 1976, he served in Texas, Colorado, and Alaska with a deployment to South Vietnam in 1971. Fred has developed two businesses: Midnite Sun Advertising in Tucson, Arizona, and Tower Media Group in Colorado Springs. He worked as a media production specialist with Colorado Springs Public Schools. His experience has included photography and video production, as well as presentations and developing curricula in computer-generated graphic design.

Kyle Mickelson is a certified public accountant (CPA) in the State of Arizona and holds a bachelor of science degree in accountancy from Northern Arizona University. He joined the CollegeAmerica team in May of 2013. His accounting experience includes six years of working as an auditor for a national accounting firm, three years of governmental accounting, and two years industry management. He mainly specializes in financial statement audits and preparation helping to achieve financial goals through external reporting. His experience on both sides of the accounting table has allowed Kyle to share real-life examples of hard-to-understand subjects in the classroom.

Jim Drohan was raised in an Air Force family, moving from state to state (and Korea) every few years. He attended the US Air Force Academy and the University of Northern Colorado where he earned a BA, MA, and professional teaching certification, all in English. He has taught a wide variety of English-related courses in public schools all over Colorado for the past 29 years at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. He has four children and enjoys tennis, traveling, music concerts, and skiing. He has a strong passion for teaching and hopes his students will learn to love learning.

I was with Denver Public Schools from 1972–2005, the final 20 years at George Washington High School. I also served as acting foreign language supervisor for three years, taught staff development, and was active in student activities. I was honored as a Mile-Hi Teacher in 2005 by then-mayor John Hickenlooper. I was also named Most Valuable Teacher by the John Lynch (Denver Broncos) Foundation and recognized by GW PTSA (Parents, Teachers, Students Association) as an Outstanding Teacher. After retiring from DPS, I spent four years at Johnson & Wales University and am now beginning my fifth year at CollegeAmerica. For the 2011–2012 academic year, I was named Faculty of the Year. I am delighted to be part of the CA faculty and thoroughly enjoy

Kristine Stevens earned a BA in history from Kansas State University, an MA in human resources from Ottawa University in Kansas City, and an EdD in leadership education from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Stevens has more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration with a focus on international education and recently retired from her position as assistant provost for international programs at Kansas State University. She also has substantive experience in teaching and mentoring adult and nontraditional students. She teaches American civilization, U.S. history since the civil war, career development, and human resource management at the Colorado Springs campus.

Bruce Porter has bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and psychology. He holds master’s degrees in psychology and business. He has been teaching college since 2000, and he has taught at CollegeAmerica, Colorado Springs campus, since 2004. In addition to performing the scheduling duties, he specializes in teaching the introductory course, CSS101. During his time at this campus, he has held numerous positions, including dean and director of training.

Karen Jazowski is an adjunct professor at CollegeAmerica in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is a retired manager of morgue operation for the City and County of Denver with over 25 years experience teaching students, interns, and residence. She is a sought-out educator in the area of forensic radiology. She has shared her expertise in Canada and in the United States. Most importantly, Karen provides her education, experience, expertise, and tools to help all levels of students to achieve an understanding in many topics. She has a passion to share her knowledge with all.

As the Associate Dean of Medical Programs for over 9 years, I have more than 17 years’ experience in the medical field, ranging from a phlebotomist to working as a medical assistant/office manager within internal medicine and family practice along with that I was a first responder for 14 years. I have the opportunity to share my passion with the many students I serve. I teach the entire Medical Specialties program and also the Healthcare Administration courses. I have an associate’s degree in occupational sciences; I have completed my bachelor’s in English Literature with a minor in Sociology from Grand Canyon University along with a Master’s Degree in Education. I am an avid advocate for patient rights and health care delivery. I enjoy sharing with our CollegeAmerica students the importance of learning along with giving back to our community.

After nearly twenty years in private practice, Dr. Gary Paterno began instructing Medical courses at CollegeAmerica in 2010. In practice and business one of Gary’s true callings was mentoring and teaching others to recognize their full potentials in the pursuit of their life goals and ambitions. He currently has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the University of Health Sciences of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Political Science from Ramapo College of New Jersey. Gary currently teaches Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology and is the Externship Coordinator.

Good health is the beginning of everything people want in life. As a primary healthcare provider and instructor, nothing gives me more pleasure than to see our students go off into the world helping others achieve and maintain good health by rendering quality healthcare.

I received my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, and moved to Arizona to work for Intel Corporation. I obtained my Master’s in Business Administration  from Arizona State University in 2004. I have an extensive background in computer science and business and have been in the industry for over 30 years. I’ve worked at Briggs and Stratton, 3M, and Intel Corporation. I have traveled the world supporting installing, configuring and testing software systems in Ireland, Israel, just to name a few.

I have enjoyed over 18 plus years as a medical assistant and office manager. I have worked in a variety of areas, from geriatrics to endocrinology, gynecology, neurology, surgery, emergency, and fluoroscopy, as well as general diagnostics.

From private practice to hospital, I have been teaching medical assistance in my office on the extern program for over 14 years. All this being said, as a medical specialties instructor, teaching has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I am happy to have joined the teaching team at CollegeAmerica and pass on the knowledge that I have gained over the last 18 years that I have worked in the medical field.

I have a medical assistance certification, I received my bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in interdisciplinary study with a certification in gerontology, and I also completed my master’s degree at the University of Phoenix in healthcare administration and informatics.