Long before she ever stepped foot in a nursing classroom, Samantha Berrien was absorbing lessons in compassion. As a young girl, she tagged along with her mother, who worked as a physical therapist at nursing homes. While her mom attended to patients, Berrien became a familiar face in the activities department—playing bingo and watching movies with residents. What left the deepest impression were the nurses and therapists moving quietly through the halls, tending to patients with steady hands and kind words.
“My mom tied her Christian values into the way she cared for people,” said Berrien, '16, DNP '25. “She was not just sympathetic, but empathetic, going beyond what was required. One of her clients was a blind man who had no family, so Mom would take him some of my father’s clothes and shoes.”
That exposure planted the seed for a future in health care. After earning a biology degree at Tuskegee University, Berrien attended Samford for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The path forward wasn’t easy. She struggled with exams and wasn’t the type to simply scan books and ace tests. “I had to really work for it,” she said. “I’ll never forget the mentors at Samford who studied with me and encouraged me when I thought I couldn’t keep going.”
Berrien worked as a surgical nurse while earning a master’s in healthcare management from UAB. After becoming a skills lab instructor, she returned to Samford for another challenge: balancing professional duties and motherhood while pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice. Her son was a newborn at the outset of her doctoral program, and Berrien’s daughter arrived before the final semester.
“There were some long nights,” she said. “But sometimes you need that journey to learn important lessons.”
At Samford’s Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing, professors such as Stephanie Wynn poured into students personally. Berrien credits their Christian values of empathy and encouragement “for shaping the way I want to show up for others.”
Today, she’s paying that support forward. Berrien works in UAB’s Office of Access and Engagement, building workshops and coaching sessions for nursing students. She leads the mentorship program for the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, making national presentations about behavioral health support initiatives. She founded Bright Rose Foundation—a nonprofit inspired by the middle name Berrien shares with her daughter—that helps students see their potential.
“School didn’t come easy for me, but I was blessed to have people telling me, ‘You’re bright—don’t let anyone discourage you.’ That extra push really sparked me,” she said. “Now I get to remind students of the same truth. My professors believed in me, and because of them, I can pour into others.”
Outstanding Young Alumna
Samantha Berrien ’16, DNP ’25
Position: Working within UAB’s Office of Access and Engagement and leading the mentorship program for the Birmingham Black Nurses Association
Quote: “I had to really work for it. I’ll never forget the mentors at Samford who studied with me and encouraged me when I thought I couldn’t keep going.”
