UCHealth Yampa Valley Awards $10,000 in Scholarships to Four Local Seniors

“Healthcare is a field that allows me to combine my compassion for others with my interest in science and medicine.”

Ava Elshere didn’t just say that. She lived it. The Soroco High School graduate is heading to Colorado Mesa University to study nursing, armed with a $2,500 check from UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.

It’s a modest sum for college tuition, but it’s a start. And for the four graduating seniors selected for the 2026 UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center Medical Staff Scholarship, it’s validation. They aren’t just picking a major; they’re picking a life’s work.

The scholarships are funded by the physicians and providers who actually run the show at the medical center. It’s a direct pipeline from the people treating patients in Steamboat and Craig to the students who might one day take their place.

Elshere is one of four recipients. Each gets $2,500. The requirement is simple: live in Routt or Moffat County, graduate high school, and intend to pursue an education in medicine.

It’s a local investment. The money stays in the valley, funding the next generation of healthcare workers who will likely serve these communities.

Elshere sees nursing as more than a job. She sees it as advocacy.

“I am inspired by the role nurses play in supporting patients and their families, often acting as both caregivers and advocates,” Elshere said.

That’s the kind of mindset the facility wants. They aren’t just funding book learning. They’re funding empathy.

Isabella Vanzo, another Moffat County High School graduate, is going to Colorado Mesa University too. She’s majoring in kinesiology. Her goal is pediatric occupational therapy.

She didn’t pick that field by accident. She has a “strong passion” for it.

“I look forward to dedicating my life to giving youth opportunities tailored to their needs that enhance their working brain and body,” Vanzo said.

Think about that. She’s talking about helping kids function better, learn better, live better. That’s not just a career. That’s a community service.

Then there’s Guadalupe Lopez Gutierrez. He’s leaving the valley for Worcester, Massachusetts. He’s heading to the College of Holy Cross to study pre-med.

He’s not just interested in medicine. He’s fascinated by the mechanics of it.

“My desire to pursue medicine is driven by the mesmerization I feel about the brilliance of the human body and the ability of internal systems to maintain human health through intricately interdependent systems,” Gutierrez said.

It’s a mouthful, but it’s clear. He wants to understand how the machine works.

Janie Gonzales from Steamboat Springs High School is going to Colorado State University Pueblo. She’s majoring in molecular biology. She wants to be a surgeon.

She’s driven by curiosity.

“I’m so deeply interested in everything to do to how the body functions, grows and changes,” Gonzales wrote. “I want to share my love for learning and life, and I can’t think of a better way than as a surgeon.”

Four students. Four different paths. All funded by the same local institution.

The total cost to UCHealth for this scholarship round is $10,000. It’s a rounding error in the grand scheme of a medical center’s budget, but it’s significant for the families. It’s a down payment on a degree. It’s a signal that the community believes in these kids.

The question is whether this investment translates into long-term retention. Will Elshere, Vanzo, Gutierrez, and Gonzales come back to the Western Slope after they get their degrees? Or will they drift to Denver, or further, leaving the valley short on providers?

The health system hopes so. They’re betting on local roots. They’re betting that if you start here, you’ll stay here.

For now, the focus is on the education. The $2,500 checks are written. The acceptance letters are sent. The students are ready.

As Gutierrez put it, the human body is a complex system. So is the healthcare workforce. You need both the scientists and the caregivers. You need the people who understand the biology and the people who understand the patients.

These four students are the future of that system. And they’re getting a head start.