Professional Pairing, Personal Progress

The SDSU Alumni Mentor Program gave Erica DeBoer and Carley Mullins the opportunity to form a lasting bond through their passion for nursing.

Being a mentor is all about modeling by example – and when it comes to pursuing dreams, there’s no better example to follow than that of a Jackrabbit. The SDSU Alumni Mentor Program pairs alumni and students who share the same professional passion, fostering an environment where the two can learn from one another and forge a relationship that cultivates competence, confidence, and success. In the case of Carley Mullins ’24/’25 and Erica DeBoer ’97, the pair instantly clicked over their dedication to nursing, their love of people, and the spirit of service around which they’ve built their careers.

A nursing and Spanish major from Algona, Iowa, Carley was eager to learn from a mentor and gain valuable insight into the nursing profession, long before she set foot in the workplace environment. As a self-described people person with a lifelong fascination with science, Carley was thrilled to be matched with Erica, Chief Nursing Officer at Sanford Health and something of a legend to aspiring nurses like Carley. The two dove into the curriculum offered by the SDSU Alumni & Foundation, with opportunities for Carley to visit Erica and observe her in her role. The pair even had the chance to continue their mentorship for two years, expanding and exploring how they’d like to connect outside the minimum requirements of the program. 

Beyond the professional, Carley admires Erica’s overall attitude of intentionality in all she does, emphasizing connections with everyone she works with and reinforcing the key role communication plays in providing the best patient care possible. Carley credits Erica as having taught her the importance of celebrating her accomplishments, reminding her to reflect on her wins and focus on the present instead of racing on to whatever comes next. Instead of being “head down” as Carley describes it, Erica believes in living and working with your head up, moving forward with intention and awareness. 

“I got to job shadow in a safe culture where I was encouraged to ask questions and focus on patient-centered care,” reflects Carley. “Erica made a lot of time and space for me, and she really shaped the nurse and leader I am today.”

As chief nursing officer, Erica’s role requires her to wear many different hats in the health care field, each day a dynamic blend of leading nursing practice, care management, and patient safety. Erica’s career centers on professional development, interprofessional collaboration, and supporting frontline caregivers – a job she depicts as very “boots on the ground” where she can be in the trenches with her team, forever in pursuit of being the best health care providers they can be.

When it comes to the alumni mentor program, Erica was the perfect fit to mentor someone like Carley, especially having served on the team of SDSU leadership that developed the program. She had the chance to not only envision what the program could be and brainstorm on the impact it could have – Erica got to experience the program she’d helped dream up. 

“My most meaningful takeaway is the power of intentional relationships. It’s something that fills my bucket, and you have to be intentional about building a relationship with your mentee and being a guide who they can trust and who listens to them and opens doors.”

Looking back on the years she spent mentoring Carley, two of Erica’s most memorable interactions with her revolved around speeches Carley gave. In April 2025, Carley was selected to share a presentation at the SDSU Alumni & Foundation’s Jumpstart Your Wellness seminar, speaking about chronic health challenges. Just before Carley took the stage, she got a message from a health care provider that had offered her a position after graduation. The provider shared that their team was unable to meet the accommodations Carley would need in the workplace for her medical condition, and they’d rescinded their employment offer. 

Stunned, Carley rallied enough to share her speech at the seminar, with Erica waiting in the wings to lend support in the face of that disappointment. A month later, Carley was again honored to speak at a university event, this time the May 2025 commencement. She practiced her speech with Erica countless times, determined to get it right. On the eve of graduation, Erica could tell something was off, noticing Carley’s lack of enthusiasm. Carley shared how the words felt hollow, how she was seriously debating forgoing a career in the nursing world altogether. Erica encouraged Carley to stick with her passion, insisting on how badly the world needed compassionate and competent nurses like her. In a full-circle moment, Carley would later accept a position with Sanford after graduation, having experienced their work environment during her visits with Erica.

Today, Carley works on the surgical trauma floor of Sanford USD Medical Center, where she did her preceptorship. It’s a role she loves and flourishes in, and she still stays in regular contact with Erica, who’s currently mentoring her third student in the program so far. The two connected over dinner in the months after Carley’s graduation, an invitation that meant a lot to Carley. 

“It really cemented that we have this relationship, and I was being noticed and thought of even after our program had ended.”

As for the mentor program overall, it’s an experience that Carley sums up as a testament to the opportunities that arise when you’re open to saying yes to things. For Erica, it’s a testament to perspective, encouragement, and momentum – all of which help students truly find their purpose. 

Mentors like Erica lead today so that mentees like Carley might lead tomorrow, moving one another forward in a pivotal Jackrabbit experience. The SDSU Alumni Mentor Program is proof in the power of modeling by example – and the positive impact on students when they find just the right footsteps to follow.