Michelle Sampson of Mountain City, Tenn., traded an oily auto mechanics shop apron for a nurse’s uniform. In her quest to become a nurse, she said she overcame fear and anxiety.
"I had been out of school for 19 years. I overcame those obstacles with a lot of prayer and support from my family," she said. Michelle's family support group consists of her husband, Dale, a 15-year old daughter, three stepchildren and 11 grandchildren who affectionately call her "Nanna."
With her family support group in the audience, Michelle received her diploma after completing the 12-month Practical Nursing Program at the Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton.
Along with 132 other nursing graduates in the 2006 Graduation Class, Michelle received the required training at TTC-Elizabethton for the State Board of Nursing exam to become a Licensed Practical Nurse.
Michelle grew up on a dairy farm in Bliss N.Y., located 45 miles south of Buffalo. "My dad taught me how to make repairs to farm equipment and machinery." Mountain City (population 2,419) is the largest town where she has ever lived, she said.
In October of 1997, Michelle and her husband moved to Mountain City (elevation 2,429 feet above sea level). "We wanted to live in the mountains and do something different, she said.
On Jan. 27, 1998, the couple opened Sampson's Garage and Auto Sales, Inc. in Mountain City. Michelle was the office manager but also worked on automobiles in the shop. "On the day the business opened, we had 12 inches of the wettest snow imaginable," she said.
"I planned to go into nursing school right out of high school. All high school credits were for college preparatory classes." However, Michelle said her plans changed when she became a single parent while in the 11th grade.
Michelle hopes she will be an inspiration to other single mothers who may have given up hope of being successful in life. She said it was difficult to overcome the stigma of being a single mother while in high school.
With good grades and an excellent class attendance record, Michelle was named to the National Vocational Technical Honor Society. Later, she was elected president of the NVTHS chapter at TTC-Elizabethton.
"I want people to know they can overcome obstacles in life, even for a single parent who may feel they are stuck in a rut. They are not stuck. Opportunities for them are endless. You just have to look on the bright side," Michelle said.
Michelle plans to continue her education at East Tennessee State University and become a Registered Nurse. Meanwhile, she is employed as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Johnson City Medical Center.
"I believe (health care) opportunities are endless…I want to go as far as I can. I want to be able to do all that I can for my patients. Being an RN opens the door even farther. I want to have real patient contact. I am not sure what direction I am going to take if I specialize. Getting over the initial fear of school was the hardest thing for me to overcome," Michelle said.