Campus Leadership at our
Las Vegas Nursing College

Catherine Chege, Ph.D.

Campus President

Ph.D. (c ), Leadership and Change,  Antioch University

M.B.A. Keller Graduate School of Management

M.H.R. M. Keller Graduate School of Management

B.S. Communications. Pensacola Christian College

Catherine Chege came to Arizona College of Nursing with 17 years of higher education experience. Her specialties include: admissions, student services, student life, veteran benefits, registrar services, financial aid, and leadership development. Cat was drawn to Arizona College because of the opportunity to contribute to campus operations for a fairly new campus.

Kiersten Garcia

Executive Director of Enrollment Services

BBA in Business Administration, Brandman University

Kiersten Garcia came to Arizona College of Nursing, Las Vegas in June 2017 with over 15 years of higher education experience. Kiersten most recently served as Director of Financial Aid, focusing her efforts on college affordability. In her current role as Executive Director of Enrollment Services, Kiersten manages a team of admissions and financial aid advisors focusing on quality student experiences and maintaining a positive campus culture.

Shawn Higgins

Dean of Nursing

PhD in Education – Capella University

BSN, MSN, Nursing – University of Phoenix

Shawn Higgins came to Arizona College of Nursing – Ft. Lauderdale in 2021 with 14 years of experience in nursing education and 23 years of leadership experience. Shawn Higgins earned her Master’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and her PhD from Capella University where she was drawn to understanding the “why” and the “how” behind education. Her degree specialty is specific to Leadership in Higher Education.

Shawn Higgins’ nursing background prior to education includes long-term care, rehabilitation services (stroke and TBI), home health, hospice, and basic med-surg. Her nursing education experience spans the country, having worked in the private sector for schools in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. She and her husband have eight children between them and will be welcoming their fifth grandchild in the spring of 2022. She is looking forward to a long and happy relationship with her new Arizona College of Nursing family.

Michelle Palaroan, Ed.D.

Dean of General Education

BS, Pre-Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno

MA, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Doctor of Education, University of Phoenix

Michelle Palaroan came to Arizona College of Nursing, Las Vegas in April 2022 after two decades at the University of Phoenix. As an academic affairs leader, her background possesses a breadth of expertise in overseeing all aspects of academic direction and instructional leadership via strategic planning, faculty development, and overall compliance to ensure academic delivery excellence.

Marni Montgomery-Blake

Academic Records Manager

BA in Elementary Education, Idaho State University

Marni Montgomery-Blake came to Arizona College of Nursing, Las Vegas in April 2017. Her experience as an administrative assistant and her background in education lend themselves well to the college environment. Her prior experience includes teaching kindergarten and music, working as the testing/assessment specialist for a K-12 school district, and serving as the Program Officer for another nursing program at a state university.

As Program Manager at Arizona College of Nursing, Marni creates, updates, and disseminates all student schedules; registers students for classes; orders student textbooks; and maintains student records. Marni also serves as a Student Success Coach and tracks and monitors a variety of school and student data for reporting purposes.