Sam started attending Marshall full time in August 2021 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in spring 2024.
“Right now, I’m working on starting my own business, so having the community support for that has taken off a lot faster than I thought that it would. I’ve had a lot of encouragement that I didn’t expect,” Sam said.
Sam’s business idea is for a nonprofit housing program designed to help individuals pursue homeownership. Her own experience inspired the idea to help people ensure they have stable housing while they are working, attending school or pursuing their dreams.
“I always wanted to go to school for psychology and I did classes here and there, and I just kept dropping out. Not because I wanted to, but because the money wasn’t there. The time that I needed to put into it wasn’t there, and a lot of that was because I kept having to change houses every couple of years when rent went up,” Sam said.
Her long-term goal is to create a sustainable housing program in Huntington and make it possible for other communities to replicate.
Recently, Sam participated in a 12-week cohort through Dress for Success, where she pitched her business idea as a finalist in Richmond, Virginia, and secured $1,000 for seed funding.
Sam currently runs On the Rock, a trauma-informed coaching program that focuses on teaching emotional wellness through artistic workshops, individual coaching sessions and community collaborations.
“One of my most popular community collaborations last year was a community vision board where I just put out a canvas, put out a bunch of paints, and invite people to come paint on it,” Sam said. “Then we do a lesson about how each person kind of has a place in the community and we feel like we’re not adding anything substantial, but in the end, like if everybody makes their mark, something really beautiful comes out of it.”
Sam participates in First Ascent West Virginia, a two-year program focused on helping recent Marshall University and West Virginia University graduates develop their hybrid and remote careers while encouraging them to explore everything Appalachia has to offer.
“It’s been helping in a lot of different ways,” Sam said. “I think the networking is the number one thing that contributes to success in every area, so that has been a big opportunity for me.”
The networking through First Ascent has included seasonal get togethers, weekly coffee outings and conversations with others about personal and professional goals. Sam said it has helped ease the transition out of college, prevent burnout and helped her make new friends.
Sam loves to hike so staying in the Mountain State has been a big deal to her—but it’s been more about the community.
“Huntington in general is just a tight-knit community, so I definitely wanted to be here and stay local,” Sam said. “I have lived in Maine, California and Virginia, and the community is not the same as it is here.”
Looking ahead, Sam plans to pursue her master’s degree at Marshall in the next year or two and hopes to help make mental health services more accessible and engaging in the Huntington region.
“A lot of people in West Virginia aren’t big on mental health services, so through art and group activities, they can experience self-growth in a more approachable way,” Sam said.
