Alleah Travis, a graduate of the UW-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging through UW-Flexible Option, may have a typical day-to-day routine as a travel sonographer, but her environment is anything but.
Alleah started out working as a permanent sonographer – a role she held for five years. Then, she decided to take the leap into travel ultrasound, which led her to Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, the northernmost city in the United States. There, she provides ultrasound services for the city and five remote villages across Alaska’s North Slope.
“On a typical day in Utqiaġvik, my work is much like it would be in many other hospitals,” she says. “I perform a variety of ultrasound exams for emergency department patients, obstetric patients, and outpatients. About every third week, though, my job looks very different. We fly in small 12-seat Cessna planes with a portable laptop ultrasound machine to one of the surrounding villages, where populations range from about 200 to 500 people. There are no roads connecting these communities—located roughly 700 miles north of Anchorage—so flying is the only practical way to bring imaging services to patients.”
During those weeks, Alleah stays in village hotels, or sleeps overnight in the clinic.
“It’s been an incredibly eye-opening experience,” she says. “Seeing firsthand how much access to healthcare can mean in these remote communities has given me an even greater appreciation for the work we do and the impact it can have on patients.”
Finding Her Footing on the Job – and in the Mountains
In addition to ultrasound, Alleah has developed a love for the outdoors and hiking – something that sparked when she visited Yosemite National Park a few years ago.
“Since then, I’ve taken travel ultrasound contracts in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and now Alaska, and I’ve used that opportunity to explore some incredible places. The mountains have become my happy place.”
In 2024, she attempted to climb Mount Rainier. Though she didn’t make it to the summit, she learned a lot through the experience and met her current hiking guide, Jess Wedel. Jess is an ovarian cancer survivor and the first ovarian cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest.
“Through her, I discovered Any Mountain, a nonprofit that raises money for gynecologic cancer research through mountaineering expeditions,” Alleah adds. “I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. As a sonographer, I get to play a small role in women’s healthcare every day, and this felt like a meaningful way to combine that passion with my love of the mountains.”
“I had hoped to join one of Any Mountain’s Mount Rainier expeditions, but they had already filled. I was already planning to trek to Everest Base Camp with another group, so when I saw the Ecuador Volcanoes expedition, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I completed the Everest Base Camp trek earlier this year and have been training for Ecuador since arriving in Arctic Alaska in April.”
During her expedition, which takes place in October, Alleah will climb Cayambe and Cotopaxi. Cotopaxi is the second highest peak in Ecuador, standing at 19,347 feet.
“At the end of the day, I’m just hoping to do something that helps support women and families affected by gynecologic cancer,” Alleah says.
Building Skills for the Trail Ahead
Climbing Ecuadoran mountains isn’t the only accomplishment Alleah will have made this year. Earning her bachelor’s degree through UW Flexible Option is another milestone that will help her continue ascending through her career.
Alleah was working as an ultrasound technologist for about four years when she decided she wanted to finish her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging. She’d already completed two certificates and an associate of applied science degree in radiography, and wanted to keep building on her education.
“After looking into several different programs, I came across the UW Flexible Option,” she says. “It seemed like the best fit because it allowed me to keep working full time while earning my degree. I liked that I could complete coursework on my own schedule and move through classes at a pace that worked with my job and everything else I had going on. That flexibility is ultimately what made me choose the program.”
Alleah’s experience with the program was largely positive because it’s designed for working professionals – something she says was “a great fit for me.”
“I was able to complete coursework on my own schedule and customize my course load based on what worked best for me,” she says. “Some subscription periods I completed multiple courses, while others I focused on just one. For example, I knew statistics would be more challenging, so I took that course by itself. Having that flexibility made it much easier to balance school with working full time, and I really appreciated that throughout the program.”
Though having her bachelor’s degree hasn’t necessarily changed what she does on the job, it fulfilled a personal goal while giving her a sense of achievement and preparation for future opportunities.
“If I decide to move into teaching, leadership, or an administrative role someday, having my bachelor’s degree has opened those doors and given me more options for my career.”
Are you ready to take the leap and earn your bachelor’s degree like Alleah? Contact us to learn more at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu.