“Aims graduates go out into the community doing the work they were trained to do almost immediately. This school is a great benefit to the community and I’m proud to be a graduate of Aims. This is an exciting time here at Aims. This building will accomplish what we do in the hospital. It will bring all the modalities of healthcare together to provide great care.”

Students in the Class of 2006 selected fellow classmate and Radiologic Technology graduate Joseph Gomez to deliver the commencement speech. Gomez discussed the challenges of returning to the classroom after a 20-year hiatus. “When I finally got into class, I felt like Old Man Winter sitting there next to individuals half my age,” he joked. “So, if there’s anyone out there thinking that it’s about time we graduated, we agree.”

Quickly, Gomez said, the intense curriculum requirements made him forget all about his age, and the students in his classes became friends. “Through it all, one thing has remained a constant: the people,” Gomez said. “With helpful supportive and encouraging attitudes that have made all the difference in my college career. ... From the instructors who would take the time to teach a difficult concept enough to allow the light bulb to flash on ... then there are my fellow classmates, from bouncing ideas off each other to encouraging words before an exam, to much needed moral support before practical assessments, the camaraderie of my classmates has meant everything to me.”

Gomez landed a job as a radiologic technician with North Colorado Medical Center before he even graduated. He returned to Aims to speak at the Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Allied Health and Sciences building.