Skip Links

    RED logo Colorado news and culture from MSU Denver
    Subscribe Now
    Contact Us
    • Arts and Culture
    • Aviation and Aerospace
    • Business and Economics
    • Climate and Environment
    • Cybersecurity
    • Education
    • Food and Hospitality
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Politics
    • Science and Technology
    • Social Justice
    • Sports
    • University News
    Find an Expert View All Stories
    • All Stories
    • Video
    • Photo
    • Find an Expert
    • About RED
    • Media Resources
    • RED Magazine
    Subscribe Now
    Contact Us
    • All Stories
    • Video
    • Photo
    • Find an Expert
    • About RED
    • Media Resources
    • RED Magazine
    Find an Expert View All Stories
    Amazon partners with MSU Denver to help employees earn degrees
    MSU Denver student Shanae Metcalf is pursuing at Art degree with the help of Amazon's Career Choice program. Photo by Alyson McClaran

    Cory Phare

    August 28, 2023

    Business and Economics

    Amazon partners with MSU Denver to help employees earn degrees

    The tech giant's Career Choice program provides tuition assistance for workers looking to advance their careers at the company, or anywhere.

    Cory Phare

    August 28, 2023

    Amazon partners with MSU Denver to help employees earn degrees
    MSU Denver student Shanae Metcalf is pursuing at Art degree with the help of Amazon's Career Choice program. Photo by Alyson McClaran

    When Julie Rickman had to take care of her elderly mother, she encountered challenges navigating the complexities of the U.S. hospice-care system. Yet the experience held a silver lining that helped her discover her calling.

    “I realized I was actually really good at it and could help people on their final journeys,” the Metropolitan State University of Denver sophomore said. “So at 51 years old, I dove in. And though I was scared of going back to school at my age, from the moment I walked into the building, I had folks helping to guide me where I needed to go.”

    Rickman began her studies as a participant in Amazon’s Career Choice tuition-assistance program. Launched in 2012 in the U.S., the workforce-development initiative has helped over 150,000 participants globally, with more than 1,400 participants in Colorado. MSU Denver joined the program last year as one of seven Colorado partner schools, offering access to degree programs and industry certifications on campus and online.

    After the first year, it’s already producing promising outcomes, serving more than 100 MSU Denver students who are being retained at a rate 10% higher than the University average.

    Rickman was working as a level-one associate in Amazon’s Colorado Springs facility when she saw a promotional flyer for Career Choice by an elevator one day. A conversation with Amazon’s career-coaching service connected her to MSU Denver, where she enrolled in the University’s Aging Services Leadership Certificate program before switching over to the newly created undergraduate major, launching this fall.

    “Without the support from both Amazon and MSU Denver, I don’t know if I ever would’ve had the confidence to do this,” Rickman said.


    RELATED: Why employers are taking on college costs


    Now working at two home-health agencies, Rickman plans to launch her own hospice business specializing in dementia care. And though she has moved on from Amazon, she is forever grateful for the tools and resources that set her on the path to positive change.

    “We pride ourselves on being more than just tuition assistance,” said Jeff Bulanda, senior manager with Amazon Career Choice. “We’re just as excited to see someone successfully join the health care industry as we are to see them grow within Amazon.”

    The program differentiates itself by allowing employees to pursue any field that they and their support staff see as the best fit.

    “If students want to pursue the arts, we’re here to say ‘go for it’ because we know they have experts in place to help them understand what that means for a career and how to navigate the terrain,” Bulanda said.

    Shanae Metcalf began working in Amazon’s DEN5 sorting center on Tower Road as an “orange vest” before moving up. Now a “water spider” (a manufacturing term referring to a person in a production or warehouse environment), she is responsible for keeping work stations fully stocked. That includes wrapping and stacking pallets, labeling them and making sure they get where they’re going.

    As an Art major and Digital Media minor, she draws connections between her day job and the creative studies she’s able to pursue thanks to the Career Choice program.

    “I love to notice patterns, whether it’s in paintings or pallets,” Metcalf said. “Stacking packages in a geometric way so they don’t fall over is a strategic process. … I make it my mission to keep them upright — it’s a like a big Jenga.”

    MSU Denver’s Shanae Metcalf works at Amazon’s DEN5 sortation center
    MSU Denver student Shanae Metcalf works at Amazon’s DEN5 sortation center on Tower Road in Denver. Photo by Alyson McClaran

    Already enrolled in MSU Denver when she learned about the program, the 23-year-old has connected with three other students also taking advantage of the program. And though balancing school and work has been challenging, not having to worry about how to pay for tuition has freed her up to focus on moving forward.

    “I’m surprised how well I’ve been able to manage it all,” Metcalf said. “I appreciate the ability to stay at Amazon where the work is more physical and then switch into school mode so I can focus on that.”

    Bulanda noted MSU Denver’s history of supporting adult and transfer students, as well as its commitment to improving processes, as a reason why the University is the right fit for workforce advancement at Amazon.


    RELATED: Colorado has an overflow of job openings — and nobody to fill them


    The partnership has been a successful example of what happens when an infrastructure is built to support students at the right places and times, said Megan Scherzberg, Ph.D., executive director of MSU Denver’s Department of Orientation, Transfer and Reengagement.

    Reengagement navigators are assigned to each student, acting as a kind of collegiate concierge. They serve as friendly faces who can help along the way, from initial outreach to welcoming students to campus to building connections and providing referrals to individualized resources.

    “We’re really here to create a sense of belonging and community,” Scherzberg said. “(The Amazon Career Choice partnership) is more than just providing a scholarship — it’s about connecting students to resources and giving them the support they need to ensure their success.”

    And if the high retention rate is any indication, when students are supported and don’t have to worry about finances, they’re more likely to achieve their goals.

    “Students should be able to focus on their coursework,” Bulanda said. “Tuition shouldn’t be a stressor.”

    Related Topics
    • Education
    • University News
     

    Follow RED on Instagram

    Stay in the loop for fresh stories that matter to those who call Colorado home — and those who’d like to.

    Related Stories

    • Business and Economics

      5 tips for launching a successful startup

      5 tips for launching a successful startup

      5 tips for launching a successful startup

      A business professor gives her best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

      A business professor gives her best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

    • Business and Economics

      What you need to know about the Colorado Privacy Act

      What you need to know about the Colorado Privacy Act

      What you need to know about the Colorado Privacy Act

      The new law will give consumers more control over their data. A computer-security expert weighs in on what to expect.

      The new law will give consumers more control over their data. A computer-security expert weighs in on what to expect.

    • Business and Economics

      6 tax tips for college students

      6 tax tips for college students

      6 tax tips for college students

      The final day to file is April 18. Here’s what an Accounting professor and CPA says you should keep in mind.

      The final day to file is April 18. Here’s what an Accounting professor and CPA says you should keep in mind.

    • Business and Economics

      Denver tech sector hit hard by bank closure

      Denver tech sector hit hard by bank closure

      Denver tech sector hit hard by bank closure

      The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the biggest U.S. bank failure in a decade, sent shock waves across Colorado.

      The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the biggest U.S. bank failure in a decade, sent shock waves across Colorado.

    RED logo

    Subscribe to RED.

    Relevant. Essential. Denver. Delivered to your inbox, for free, every two weeks.

    Subscribe Now
    Background image
    MSU Denver logo
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    • Connect with RED
    • Subscribe
    • About RED
    • Contact RED
    • Sitemap
    • News Resources
    • Find an Expert
    • Media Resources
    • In the News

    Stay in the Loop

    Follow RED on Instagram for fresh stories that matter to those that call Colorado home – and those who'd like to.

    Follow RED

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
    • Twitter

    © Metropolitan State University of Denver

    Privacy