Caregiver Feature 
Ashley Walton, RN, Float Pool at Rapid City Hospital, transitioned from environmental chemistry to nursing, driven by a desire to help people in her newfound community and to honor her parents’ health care experiences. Now, she’s looking forward to settling into a new career at Monument Health.
Ashley Walton didn’t always want to be a nurse; the same way she didn’t always know she’d be a transplant to the Black Hills. She is now thankful to say she’s both after a season of change in her life led her here. A multiple time recipient of scholarship funding from Monument Health Foundation, she’s also grateful to be looking forward to a job waiting at Monument Health.
Shifting Gears
Previously, Ashley spent 11 years as an environmental chemist utilizing a master’s degree in environmental policy. Although the work was fascinating, the lifestyle of travel and living in a bustling Colorado community led Ashley and her husband to consider relocating to the Black Hills.
“The Hills are beautiful, and they offer a lot of what’s to love about Colorado, while not being like it in other ways that we were excited for,” Ashley said. “Colorado is getting so busy and expensive. There’s a lot to do here, and the people are nice.”
After relocating to the Black Hills, Ashley decided to pursue a career change that would more effectively align with her new territory.
“I have always been interested in science and the human body, and just helping people,” Ashley said. “My parents both have had some chronic illnesses, and so I feel like in a way I’m paying back the tremendous value they’ve received from the health care workers in their lives.”
Stearns Scholarship
Working in Rapid City Hospital through the South Dakota State University nursing program, Ashley was told about the Gwendolyn Stearns Scholarship for the first time. Available for those who wish to pursue a health care career at Monument Health, Ashley applied and has received the endowment multiple times.
“I applied that first time and was really surprised and excited when I got it,” she said. “It’s a big deal, and I really have appreciated how it has been able to allow me to succeed in school and be successful—to be able to focus on school rather than focusing on paying for school.”
On The Floor
Ashley is transitioning into a career in nursing, having finished with nursing school and her boards. Following her externship in the Intensive Care Unit and a fellowship in the float pool gathering a wealth of different experiences in nursing, she sees herself in a bedside nursing role in ICU or somewhere with a similarly fast-paced environment.
“I love ICU, and I think it’s been really worthwhile to get my bearings with float pool and get a stronger sense of where I’d like to be, eventually,” Ashley said. “That’s one of the things I think is so great about nursing; there are so many different roles and experiences under the scope of it and so many places you can work and care for patients in different ways.”
Monument Health believes in empowering the next generation of health care professionals. Our scholarship opportunities are designed to support individuals who are pursuing careers in health care to gain access to quality education and training. In addition to the Gwendolyn Stearns Student Assistance Program, aspiring Monument Health employees can pursue scholarships from the Build Dakota Scholarship Fund, The Student Nurse Extern Program, The Nursing Scholarship Program and The Respiratory Therapist Scholarship Program.
If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, scan the QR code or go to monument.health/careers/scholarships/.