Mark Stoller moved to Falcon in 2007.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, enjoy life with their daughters, extended family and adopted rescue dogs in Latigo. Mark savors the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.
†I discovered the All-Pro Dad website and a post titled, ìDo Lifeís Milestones Matter?î The answer is an unequivocally YES.Milestones are opportunities to stop, rest and collect our thoughts before we move forward again. We are encouraged to 1) celebrate and/or acknowledge the moment, 2) take inventory of ìnowî to plan future goals, and 3) remove the weeds i.e., isolate your bad choices and figure out what can be learned from them.Last month, we commemorated two milestones. We celebrated my momís 80th birthday. Despite multiple health setbacks, she continues to forge on and bless us daily. We also celebrated Avaís graduation. She successfully closed this life chapter and stepped to the edge of the nest. Sheíll take flight when she attends college this fall.For me, turning 50 was a milestone. I took a hard look at my expected remaining years, determined to make them count.My second tour in Iraq had taken its toll. To move forward, I felt I should earn the privilege of coming home when others didnít. With the help of our firefighter friend, Lauren, I attended her departmentís Emergency Medical Technician academy. I have been an EMT for the last three years and thoroughly enjoyed the connection with my patients. Itís a win-win. I get to provide care for folks on their worst day and my soul continues to heal.For my next steps, I just submitted my application for acceptance to the Pikes Peak Community College Nursing program, having completed the prerequisite coursework since June of last year. Iím looking to close out my working years with a meaningful career change.PPCC holds the honor of being the No. 1 Nursing Associates Degree program as awarded by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.As you can imagine, itís very competitive among the applicants to be accepted by the college. About 200 people will apply for 60 openings. Based on the scoring algorithm, the chosen method to objectively break ties between applicant scores is to use the date-time stamp of when the application was turned in.With that in mind, I drove down to the campus at 8:30 p.m. the night prior with a lawn chair, layered clothing, food, beverage and an umbrella to stake my claim in the rain and below freezing temperatures.I felt confident I would be first at the door. To my surprise, 10 other applicants with the same great idea had arrived at 4:30 p.m. to take their place in line. The number of applicants rose to 20 people by 5 a.m., and then about 80-plus applicants by 9 a.m. for the opening of application turn in.My processed application time stamp is May 23, 2022 / 9:15 a.m. I will find out whether I am accepted, wait-listed or rejected by mid-June.Weíve all heard of the country-wide shortage of nurses due to COVID. Rest assured, there are a good number of people with a heart for service waiting to fill the void.(Captain Obvious moment) Our world is filled with people of different race, heritage, ideology and priorities. In every possible way, people try their hardest to be different and ìidentifyî one way or another.In the end, we are all members of the human race. The basic common denominator that ties us all together is the desire for dignity, respect and love.When the selection process is complete, 60 applicants will be accepted in the Pikes Peak Community College Nursing program. They will undergo two years of school, spend hundreds of hours in clinicals, and go forth with the express intent of providing care for their fellow humans.Iíll let you know next month if that includes me.
