Alicia Mendiola, MSN, RN is on the precipice of achieving something that has never been done before at Galen College of Nursing:

Earning 5 Galen degrees.

The current Assistant Dean of the Galen San Antonio Campus, Mendiola is in the latter stages of pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice, which would make her a record five-time diploma holder. It’s a journey that started in 2008 and is finally coming to fruition nearly 18 years later.

And it marks the latest chapter of Mendiola’s life that took her from a career with Amtrak in Texas to pediatric nursing, and finally to working as a nurse educator and then administrator.

It’s a career that few gave her a chance of achieving back in her hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

“I know what this college can give to students because being from a small town where I was from, my HS guidance counselor didn’t ask where I wanted to go to college, only how many children I wanted to have,” Mendiola said. “I don’t know if I couldn’t have done all this without this college, and Galen made it easy for me. I never let anything change my outlook on what this college is and the opportunities that it gave me.”

After meeting and marrying her husband Steve in 1998, the two started a new life together in central Texas. Steve Mendiola was working for Amtrak at the time, and there was an opportunity for Alicia to join as well.

While working for Amtrak as a ticket agent and station agent, Lisa Mendiola found herself at a crossroads. She had built a career in a male-driven industry, working long nights and trips across the country, but something was missing. As Lisa reflected on her future, she realized that her true passion lay elsewhere: “My husband said, ‘Do you really want to do this for the rest of your life?’ and I said, ‘I really want to be a nurse.’”

It was at this pivotal moment that Lisa decided to pursue a career change. She heard a radio spot for Galen College’s nursing program, and within three weeks, she was enrolled in the Vocational Nurse program at Galen San Antonio and was starting her journey toward becoming a nurse.

After graduating in 2009, Mendiola began working as a nurse in the pediatric ICU in the Baptist Health System in San Antonio, and she also worked as a hospice nurse in home health for Christus. Ten years after she began her nursing journey, Mendiola arrived at another crossroads – she needed to become an RN. Once again, she looked to Galen.

Mendiola enrolled in the Associate Degree in Nursing Bridge program, graduating in September 2019, and then quickly continued her education by starting the Online RN-to-BSN program at Galen. She graduated with her Online BSN in September 2020, and with the world still in the throes of the pandemic, she decided to continue leveling up and pursued her Online Master of Science in Nursing from Galen. It was also at this point that she began to look at life as a faculty member as a possibility.

“I never really thought I would go that route, but I did practice (nursing) during COVID-19, and I was tired and burnt out,” Mendiola said.

She initially began teaching at Galen San Antonio on the as an adjunct faculty member, and then while after receiving her MSN in 2022, she moved into a full-time faculty role, teaching ADN students in their final course before they took their NCLEX test. It was a full circle moment, the student becoming the teacher and helping students reach their ultimate goal, becoming a registered nurse.  

“I thought to myself, where can I go to make the biggest impact in this profession, and Galen was the answer,” Mendiola said. “From starting as a VN instructor, doors have opened for me, and Galen has really grown that work ethic. I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity I’ve been given.”

As Galen kept growing, so did Mendiola’s passion for educating the next generation of nurses. From not expecting a career in teaching, she kept climbing the ladder, becoming a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Associate Program Director. This allowed her to work alongside many of her former teachers and colleagues. Current Associate Vice President and Regional Dean, Dr. Tara Dailey, DNP, MSN, RN, was Mendiola’s Dean in San Antonio back when she was a student. Dr. Terry Douglas, DNP, RN, currently the Regional BSN Program Administrator, was one of her former instructors. So too were Dr. Lori Brodie, DNP, PhD Psy, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNE, Trina Campus, MSN, RN, CNE, and Dr. Carla McKenzie, PhD, MSN, RN.

“The gift of having a student who’s gone through the Galen pathway is that it demonstrates the commitment that we’re looking for, and the commitment to the iCARE values,” McKenzie, current AVP of Culture and Engagement said. “She could have chosen to go anywhere but she had a different experience coming to Galen and she chose to commit to that.

“It’s like having your own family business. She said I believe in what you’re creating, and she chose to embody everything about Galen as a faculty and a leader. She gets to directly relate to the students, and there is no better testimony to say, ‘I’ve sat there and look at where I am now’. It does speak to the opportunities for students. That’s a great gift, not only for the students but also for us as a leadership team.”

Earlier this year, Mendiola had the chance to step into an administrative role as Assistant Dean, a one-of-its-kind role at Galen.

With more than 2,000 students on campus, the San Antonio campus decided to open up an Assistant Dean position in 2022. The position opened up again in 2025 when Dr. Donna Hedges, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, CNE, became the new San Antonio Dean. And although there were others with more specific administrative experience, or who had already earned their doctorate degrees, what helped Mendiola stand out was her commitment to Galen, her commitment to her students, and her experiences as a Galen student in the past.

“I think it’s critical that all RN’s remember what it was like to be in school, chasing a dream that is life changing, while being stressed, frightened, and lacking self-confidence,” Hedges said. “The fact that Lisa has attained each of her degrees from Galen is a testament to her dedication to life-long learning and to Galen. Having experienced each of Galen’s degree programs, she is able to meaningfully walk beside our students across all three programs. She also had similar life experiences as some of our students, and this facilitates building trust and credibility between Lisa and students.”

At an event in San Antonio, Mendiola said she ran into Galen President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tracy Ortelli, Ph.D., RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN. Ortelli, seeing a rising star in Mendiola, encouraged her to be part of the first cohort of Galen’s Online Doctor of Nursing Practice. So Mendiola did what she’s been doing – as soon as a door appears, she opened it and continued on her path, beginning her DNP program in May 2024 with an expected finish in April 2026.

“Galen makes education achievable,” Mendiola said. “That’s really important for this college. We got our designation from Carnegie Classifications as a college of opportunity. For me, no one ever asked me what college I wanted to go to as a girl, but Galen never told me I couldn’t.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mendiola doesn’t see her DNP degree as the end of her education journey. She said she is planning to pursue the Certified Nurse Educator certificate, and then potentially become a dean at a Galen campus. In the meantime, she’s happy where she is, in a role where she brings the student perspective into administration and can also empathize and understand the challenges each nursing student faces.

“I want to continue to grow in this school,” Mendiola said. “I love it here, and I want other students to know and see that this is what this college is. I see people come and go. I don’t see a go for me.”

Are you considering beginning your nursing journey? Galen offers several paths including our: PN/VN diploma program, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, and 3-year Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN) program.

What does it take to become a nurse?

What is the Galen Experience?