Two Journeys, One Finish Line

Samantha and Brady before MAC's 2026 Commencement

“Life doesn’t pause, and the time passes anyway. Find your support, and you never know who will look at you and say, ‘They did, I can too!’”
-Samantha Duncan

Samantha at the Associate Degree Nursing Pinning Ceremony

Brady’s Story

Brady’s journey toward his Associate of Arts in Pre-Education was fueled by a solid support system and professors who treated him like a peer. In the classroom, it was Dr. Young who left the biggest impression. “He made coming to class enjoyable because he was not just a teacher, but an equal that you could talk to,” Brady recalls. “He is real and genuine.”

But Brady’s journey hasn’t been a solo effort. They say it takes a village, and his entire family stepped up to help him reach his goal. At the center of that support system was his mom, who served as his chief accountability officer.

Transitioning into the rhythm of college life isn’t always seamless, and Samantha wasn’t about to let her son fall behind. Between managing her own grueling nursing clinicals, she was right there helping Brady navigate registration. And when procrastination threatened to take over? She used the ultimate weapon in a mother’s arsenal: the silent, unblinking stare.

“She helped out with so much,” Brady said. “From registration, to sitting and staring at me to make sure I got my work done! She’s always in my corner and cheering me on.”

With his whole family firmly in his corner and his mom holding the line, Brady had the foundation he needed. Add in his girlfriend, Launa, who constantly sent motivational words despite her own packed schedule, and Brady thrived.

 

Samantha’s Story

While Brady was executing a one-year game plan thanks to credits earned in high school, Samantha was closing a chapter she began in 2009.

"I honestly didn’t think years ago that I would ever make it to graduation,” Samantha admits. “Since I earned a GED, I didn’t have a high school graduation, so MAC’s commencement was my first.”

When she first set out to become a nurse, life did what life tends to do—it got crazy and sometimes messy. She paused her education to raise her family. But dreams don’t expire just because they’re put on a shelf. Nearly 20 years after she first imagined herself in scrubs, and with the unwavering support of her husband, Zach, Samantha returned to school to earn her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).

The demanding program was made brighter by two people. First was her classmate and best friend, Addie, who braved the trenches of nursing school right alongside her. Second was her sister-in-law, Kristen, who always knew exactly what to say when the stress peaked.

But it was a MAC instructor, Ms. Nancy Vernon, who showed Samantha the exact kind of nurse she wanted to be. Samantha happened to be in Ms. Vernon’s very first cohort of MAC students.

“She is one of those people who you just want to show that you can do this,” Samantha says. “Ms. Vernon was a clinical instructor also, and I was fortunate enough to see the woman that I looked up to very much doing the job I had dreamed of doing for so many years.”

Driven by that inspiration, Samantha didn’t just finish the program—she graduated with honors.

 

Side by Side to the Next Step

On graduation day, the dynamic shifted from mother-and-son to peers.

“As a parent, seeing your child succeed is already an emotional experience. Getting to achieve something so meaningful side by side is hard to put into words,” Samantha says. “I hope that by completing this part of our journey together, I can show my kids that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.”

The diplomas they received that day are stepping stones to careers where they’ll have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others. Brady is moving on to Central Methodist University (CMU) to finish his bachelor’s degree and get ready for his ultimate goal of becoming an elementary school physical education teacher. Samantha is gearing up to conquer the NCLEX, dive into her dream job as a Labor and Delivery nurse, and immediately begin working toward her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Their concurrent chapters at MAC proved that whether you take the direct route right out of high school or the scenic, nearly twenty-year detour, the view from the finish line is exactly the same.

As Samantha puts it: “Life doesn’t pause, and the time passes anyway. Find your support, and you never know who will look at you and say, ‘They did, I can too!’”