First-gen student, future nurse carries on hero’s legacy of service

Samantha Cornell (’28), an Honors and Nursing-Track student at James Madison University, tapped into her desire to help others from an early age. She was inspired by childhood visits to the breast cancer clinic where her mother worked as a receptionist.

“Just seeing all the nurses help people who are going through that difficult time,” she said.

Cornell still remembers the messages her mother would receive from former patients after she changed jobs. “People would still text her and be like, ‘You made my journey a whole lot better,’” Cornell said. “And I just wanted to be that person, too.”

This year, Cornell was awarded the Lt. Col. Justin Constantine (’92) Scholarship, created in memoriam by Dahlia Constantine to support first-generation students. This year, Cornell and Dahlia met in person for the first time ahead of their joint presentation at the 34th Annual Stewardship Luncheon. “Justin had great respect for nurses,” Dahlia said. “And I know he would be so excited to see Samantha receiving this scholarship.”

At her mother’s encouragement, Cornell visited JMU during her college search. “The campus was beautiful. The people I met were so nice. It was just bright, and everyone was so happy,” she said.

When she toured the Health and Behavioral Studies building and learned more about the university’s expansive nursing program, something clicked. “That really sparked my interest,” she said. “To hear that [nursing students] get to travel to so many different hospitals.”

Cornell said she likes the versatility that a nursing degree offers. She’s considering specializing in dermatology or women’s health, with aspirations of becoming a nurse practitioner who sees her own patients.

“There are so many fields that you can go into,” she said.

First, she wants hands-on experience in a hospital setting. “I think it would be helpful to be so universal—working with different people with different backgrounds,” she said. She’s also considering a future as a travel nurse and is excited about the places nursing might take her.

As a first-generation college student, Cornell admits it was challenging to navigate the admissions process without family experience to draw from.

“I’m just very grateful to be given the opportunity to go to college and get an education,” she said. She’s looking forward to helping her younger sister with the process next year.

“My parents worked very hard to get me to where I am,” she said. “And now my sister—she won’t have to go through all that confusion, because I’ve already been through it.”

“I’m just honored to be the first one.”