In 2019, Hannah Lucas began her career in healthcare at Sampson Community College (SCC) as a student in the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, graduating in 2021 as an RN. Recently, she returned to SCC to obtain the pre-requisites needed for her Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) degree, while working full-time at Sampson Regional Medical Center (SRMC) as a Labor & Delivery nurse.
Part of Midway High School’s Class of 2018, Lucas began taking courses needed for admission into SCC’s ADN program during her senior year. Growing up, Lucas stated that she always found joy in helping people and particularly enjoyed her science classes in school, which led her to consider nursing as a potential career option in the first place.
In 2017, she decided to volunteer at SRMC to familiarize herself with the healthcare field and all it entailed. Looking back, Lucas explained that this experience truly reassured her of the decision to pursue a career in nursing and influenced her future job decision to return to SRMC. Now back at SCC as well, Lucas voiced that obtaining a BSN has been a goal of hers since graduating nursing school, so she is very excited to be furthering her education while also working a job she adores.
Lucas reflected, “I have always heard so many great things about SCC’s nursing program and the instructors from many different people, so that made me interested in attending SCC back in 2018. In addition, I knew that SCC’s ADN program ranked high in the state, which also inspired me. After hearing this, I took the time to look more into it and decided that SCC was perfect for me.”
She continued, “Job wise, I knew I wanted to work at a smaller, local hospital because I wanted to help the people in my community. After volunteering at SRMC and having some of my clinicals there during nursing school, I knew that this would be a hospital I would enjoy working at. Everyone was always friendly during my times there.”
Throughout her first year of classes at the College, Lucas remarked that she truly felt a sense of community at SCC. In her eyes, everyone was so “kind and helpful” and really wanted to see her succeed. Concerning the ADN program specifically, Lucas had nothing but the highest remarks to say about her educational experience. She expressed that studying towards her ADN degree at SCC truly made an enormous impact on her life and prepared her for the successful career in healthcare she has today.
Lucas praised, “I love how much pride, dedication, and professionalism is within the nursing program at SCC. As SCC nursing students we were held to high standards, and I am thankful for that because we learned early on the qualities that would be expected in the workplace as a registered nurse. In addition, the nursing faculty truly cared for us nursing students and motivated us in many ways for us to succeed. There were many days when some of us felt like giving up, but there was always an instructor or classmate there to give an encouraging word to keep you going.”
Before officially starting at SCC, as a senior in high school, Lucas was awarded The James and Norma Jones Nursing Scholarship by the SCC Foundation, which helped her financially cover the costs of the ADN program. The scholarship was created specifically for nursing students at the College who demonstrate outstanding academic potential.
Lucas recalled that she was, “…very excited and thankful when I found out that I had received the James and Norma Jones Scholarship. The financial assistance this scholarship provided me was greatly appreciated along my journey to becoming a nurse.”
Altogether, Lucas voiced that she would wholeheartedly recommend the nursing program at SCC to other prospective students. Not only did it provide her with a remarkable college experience but blessed her with high quality, accredited instructors and coursework– preparing her for the beloved career in healthcare she has today. Lucas expressed that she is excited to return to SCC to further her education and mentioned that while she continues on to her BSN, the ADN program will forever remain in her heart.
“I feel that the SCC nursing program is one of the best around. The instructors are amazing and want you to succeed. The SCC nursing program provides you with a great foundation to begin your nursing career. The program taught me clinical skills, but most importantly how to think like a nurse. The nursing instructors emphasized the importance of being prepared, on time, professional, and a team player. These are all qualities needed in healthcare or any career in general and they did a great job of instilling these values within us. I will always be proud to be an SCC ADN graduate and am thankful for the foundation this program gave me to begin my nursing career.”
I feel that the SCC nursing program is one of the best around. The instructors are amazing and want you to succeed. The SCC nursing program provides you with a great foundation to begin your nursing career. The program taught me clinical skills, but most importantly how to think like a nurse.
Sampson CC is very proud of Hannah. The College loves seeing students give back to their communities through the education they received at SCC. SCC is thrilled that she chose to return to further her education again and looks forward to seeing all she will do within the healthcare field.
For more information about the ADN program or how to apply, visit www.sampsoncc.edu/associate-degree-nursing. For more information about how to apply for SCC scholarships, visit www.sampsoncc.edu/scholarships
About Sampson Community College
Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education.
