Alumni Spotlight: Jerry Ware ’91 & ’97

From Marine to Healthcare Leader: How MSU Denver Helped Jerry Ware Build a Mission Driven Career

A Mission That Started in Denver

When Jerry Ware ’91 & ’97 graduated from a Denver high school in the early 1980s, he was eager to serve. That calling led him to the United States Marine Corps, where he spent three formative years learning discipline, endurance and the importance of completing the mission.

After his Marine Corps discharge in 1985, Ware returned home with a new goal, to earn a college degree. He found his next mission at Metropolitan State College of Denver, now MSU Denver, a university known for opening doors for working adults, veterans and first‑generation learners.

“At the time, I worked full-time swing shift and night shift,” Ware said. “I attended college part time in the mornings or afternoons after work. I would catch up on sleep when I could.”

What made it possible, he said, was flexible class schedules, supportive faculty and a campus designed for real‑life students allowed him to pursue higher education at his pace, without pausing his career.

Building Skills and Confidence in the Classroom

Ware earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice with a Coaching minor in 1991, followed by a B.S. in Health Care Administration in 1997. Along the way, he found mentors who shaped his academic experience.

“The Criminal Justice instructors, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Sandoval, left lasting positive impressions,” he said. “The same was true for many of my healthcare administration faculty.”

He remembers spending time in the gym and the library, two places that became anchors during his demanding schedule. He also recalls a campus still taking shape around him.

“I still remember when the off‑ramp from I‑25 cut across the school where the flag pole now sits by the gym,” he said, laughing. “In those days you had to hurry to get across.”

Despite the obstacles, Ware found a sense of belonging and the academic rigor that challenged him but prepared him for his next step. “The course information I completed matched well with the career options I selected,” he said. It was preparation that paid off.

Advancing Through Persistence and Social Mobility

Today, Ware works for the State of Colorado as an External Quality Review Organization Contract Manager, overseeing healthcare contracting and quality assurance to improve member experiences and care.

It’s a career built on discipline from the Marines but refined through his education.

“The drive to complete a mission learned in the military helped me finish college at Metro,” he said. “And the skills I learned at Metro helped me advance after school.”

He credits lessons in project management from his undergraduate and later graduate coursework as essential tools he uses each year while managing complex healthcare projects.

“The road has been long and the hurdles were many,” Ware said. “But MSU Denver helped me move forward.”

Through education, Ware built a stable and impactful career, working to improve healthcare systems that touch countless lives across Colorado.

Giving Back to a University That Opened Doors

Even decades after graduating, Ware remains connected to his alma mater. When possible, he volunteers for commencement setup, attends alumni sporting events and keeps up with the online alumni newsletters.

The university’s growth since his student days continues to impress him. “The college has grown well since I attended,” he said.

Advice for Today’s Student-Veterans

Ware’s journey from Marine recruit to state health administrator is a story of resilience and he hopes others can learn from it.

His advice to current military‑connected students is simple: Decide what your long‑term goals for military life versus civilian life will be. For example, will you stay in the military for a few years, or plan on staying in until retirement?

For those who choose higher education as their next mission, he believes MSU Denver remains the right place.

“My time spent at Metro was wonderful,” he said. “The opportunities were there, and the university helped me turn them into a career.”