[Clinton, N.C.] – Each year, the Sampson Community College (SCC) Foundation selects eligible students to participate in the College’s Ambassador Scholarship Program. For the 2024-2025 academic year, four students were chosen to serve as Student Ambassadors, one of them being Maria Contreras, an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) student at SCC.
Established in 2010 by the Foundation, the College’s Ambassador Scholarship Program provides selected individuals with funding for the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters that can be applied towards tuition, fees, supplies, and books. Upon appointment, student ambassadors also become “the face of SCC,” assisting with college-sponsored events throughout the year.
Contreras explained, “I felt extremely honored and thankful to be nominated for such an admired title and the chance to represent SCC as a student ambassador. As an ambassador I hope to be an advocate to my peers…Being in school can be stressful at times so I want to encourage student to reach out because they are not in this alone. I want to be an example for those around me and inform others that you can peruse your dreams despite the circumstances you are in.”
Contreras began her interest in healthcare when she worked at a small local pharmacy under David Webster, her longtime friend and mentor who she considers to be a “second father.” After working with Webster at the pharmacy for several years, he encouraged Contreras to return to school. She began attending SCC in Spring of 2022 and recently graduated with her Associate of Arts degree in 2024.
She expressed, “To know David is to love him. Sharing many years by his side in small town pharmacy environment shaped me into the type of person and professional I strive to be. The most incredible part about this story is that he was my mother’s pharmacist when she was pregnant with me. Nineteen years later, I began working with him as a pharmacy technician. I could actually say I was blessed with two fathers, one biologically and one by fate.”
Since graduating with her Associate of Arts degree, Contreras recently enrolled in SCC’s nursing program where she intends to graduate in 2026 with an Associate Degree in Nursing. Afterwards, Contreras plans to continue her education in the nursing field by obtaining her bachelor’s degree, specializing in either trauma or psychology. Her ultimate goal is to work within healthcare administration or management, where she can continue to practice and educate others in the nursing field.
“Overall, my dream is to work with people,” Contreras mentioned. “I want to help them improve or attain their health goals all while demonstrating compassion and empathy with the upmost integrity.”
Throughout her time at SCC, Contreras has had the rare opportunity to experience her higher education journey alongside two of her four children, Junior and Mireya. According to Contreras, all three of them motivate each other throughout the halls of SCC and plan to complete their degrees around the same time.
She shared, “Family is the most important thing to me in life. I became a mother at a very young age, but I assumed the responsibility and did what I had to do. Today, those four amazing individuals are my biggest cheerleaders and keep me motivated to push towards that finish line. Trust me it hasn’t been easy to return to school, but if I can do it anyone can. Just take the first step, you won’t regret it.”
Along with being a student at SCC, Contreras also works as a CNA in the emergency department at Sampson Regional Medical Center. She also spends a large part of her free time working with Hobbton High School as a first responder for the athletic department, and a substitute teacher whenever she has the spare time.
Overall, Contreras stated that she would highly recommend SCC to other prospective students looking to further their education. As an older student and mother who returned, she noted that while her journey has been challenging at times, the support she has received from both her loved ones and SCC faculty & staff have made it worthwhile.
“I highly recommend attending SCC to other prospective students,” Contreras closed. “It is a great college to attend with wonderful people and endless resources. Everyone I have encountered has played a part in paving the way to my ultimate goal. I’ve learned that success is tangible, but it doesn’t come easy. No matter how old you are it still takes a village, so use those resources provided to you from SCC and ask your teachers questions to ease the way.”
Sampson CC is very proud of Contreras for her accomplishments at the College thus far. The Foundation is glad to have welcomed her as a Student Ambassador for the 2024-2025 academic year and looks forward to seeing all she will continue to do throughout her education.
For more information about SCC Foundation scholarships or the ADN program, visit www.sampsoncc.edu/scholarships or www.sampsoncc.edu/adn
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. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
