Fast-Track Student Accelerates Towards a Future in Nursing
Student Spotlight: D’Angelo Peña Accelerating Toward a Future in Nursing
When D’Angelo Peña arrived in Flagstaff, he did not expect to find his future in healthcare. With a bachelor’s degree in animation, he began exploring local opportunities but found few that matched his training. He took what he thought would be a temporary job as a Medical Office Receptionist with Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH), an unexpected step that would become the turning point that led him to Coconino Community College and the start of a new professional calling.
Working in the hospital environment and surrounded by nurses, physicians, and medical staff, he realized he wanted to be part of the team that supports patients more directly.
“As I started working more and more with the hospital, I realized I really do want to be involved more directly with patient care,” he said. “I come from a family with many healthcare professionals, and the more time I spent in that environment, the more it felt like the right path for me.”
When NAH partnered with Coconino Community College to offer sponsorships for CCC’s first accelerated three‑week Certified Nursing Assistant program, Peña was among the first to apply. NAH covered the full cost of tuition, and in return he committed to two years of service as a CNA or Patient Care Technician. “I don’t know if I would have been able to do this without NAH,” he said.
The accelerated program is demanding by design. Students spend long days balancing lecture, skills labs, and hands‑on practice, all within a condensed schedule intended to help them move into the workforce quickly. Peña found the pace intense but ultimately clarifying. “I’ve really enjoyed how vigorous it is,” he said. “It gets you set up and knowing what you’re getting into as a CNA.”
Peña credited the CNA instructor Jennifer Kotalik for creating an environment where students could not only keep up but grow. The structure, repetition, and support he received helped him build confidence as he prepared for the state exam. “She has provided us with everything we need,” he said. “As nervous as I am for the state test, I’m confident all ten of us will pass.”
Peña is continuing to take prerequisite courses for CCC’s Nursing program, intent on applying for admission in Spring 2027. He sees the CNA credential as both a crucial steppingstone, as well as a meaningful way to serve the community now.
“Flagstaff has been an absolutely wonderful town,” he said. “If there’s any way I can give back to the community I moved to, that’s what I want to do.”
All Dates
- Friday, 30th January 2026