Meet Samantha.

As a non-traditional nursing student, Samantha "Sam" Rogers hopes others will see that college doesn't have to be over after your early 20s. 

"I was a high school science teacher," Rogers said. "I decided after about eight years of teaching that that wasn't what I wanted to do forever." 

She considered her options and landed on nursing — her sister is a nurse and she really enjoys her job, so Rogers thought it would be a good fit for her, too.  

She also vetted the nursing programs available. For her, scheduling and the degree were the two most important factors that helped her land on the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the WVU School of Nursing Bridgeport Campus.

"The year and a half of this one was very appealing to me, and the fact that I would come out with a bachelor's and not an associate's was huge," Rogers said. "Once I finish this program, if I decide to further my education and become a nurse practitioner or something else, I can just jump in and do that without a whole second degree." 

After graduation, Rogers will spend the first three years of her career with WVU Medicine United Hospital Center, as she is part of the Aspiring Nurse Program. In exchange for a work agreement, Aspiring Nurses receive $25,000 in scholarships to support their education. 

Rogers is looking forward to gaining experience in the medical field. While she's unsure what's next, she said she's sure there is continuing education in her future, as she loves school and learning. 

"The small campus here at Bridgeport has been so welcoming and the experience overall has been really good," Rogers said. "The instructors are wonderful and they have a very large base of knowledge between all of them. Any question we have about a possible scenario, they've been able to give us a really good, professional answer."