Grounded in Purpose, Sam Gountounas ’25 Dreams of Radiating Compassion in Pediatric Nursing
For senior nursing student Sam Gountounas ’25, compassion and care will always go hand-in-hand — in the classroom, on the soccer field, and when caring for every patient. Grounded in the values of our nationally ranked College of Nursing and Health Professions, Sam plans to use her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) to fulfill a lifelong calling.
“For some reason, I’ve always been called to the healthcare field. With nursing specifically, it’s something you can go into right out of college,” Sam shares. Doctors and physician assistants, on the other hand, require two or more additional years of study. While Sam can see herself going back to school to become a nurse practitioner or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in the future, nursing just offers a versatility that many other healthcare professions don’t. “There’s also a large variety of nursing positions to choose from. There [are] different floors and specialties, and you can always change or go back to school if you change your mind.”
With so many different pathways within the nursing study alone, clinical rotations and intensive field placements have given Sam the guidance needed to further expand her vision for the future. Her clinicals at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago have been most impactful, leading her to discover her passion for pediatrics. “I really want to give my patients a strong sense of security. Not everybody gets a nurse they feel comfortable talking to and confiding in; some nurses just do their thing and then get out,” Sam says. “With kids especially, it’s so important to make them feel comfortable. You’ve got to know how to talk to them and answer any question they have in a certain type of way.”
As she begins her next clinical at Northwest Health just minutes from Valpo’s campus, Sam feels she’s gained the hands-on experience needed to be prepared for the real world. “The thought of entering the nursing world is obviously intimidating. It’s not clinicals anymore; I’m not shadowing nurses… I’m the nurse now,” Sam reflects. It’s a noble yet weighty role — and one that she feels prepared to take on thanks to her professors. The College’s flexibility and dedication to her personal success allowed her to flourish not only in the program but on the soccer field, as well.
Sam has played soccer since she learned how to walk; athletics run deep in her family and her older sister, Sydney Gountounas ’17, also took to the pitch as a Valpo Beacon years ago. It only made sense that as Sam pursued her nursing degree, she continued to partake in a sport she has loved for so much of her life. “I knew I wanted to play [NCAA] Division I soccer, and Valpo was the perfect opportunity for me to fulfill that dream,” Sam says. She credits Valpo’s personalized approach to education for making it possible to be a star student-athlete and a successful nursing major. “A lot of schools force nursing students who play sports to switch their major because they can’t handle clinicals on top of being a student-athlete,” she explains. “Here, all of our professors and staff are super accommodating. It’s hard to balance sometimes, but it’s all doable here.”
Now, as she hangs up her cleats and shin guards, she looks back on the trials and triumphs of her final season with gratitude. “We put our all into this season. There’s a lot of work that goes into rebuilding a team, but we’re all here to keep working and giving it 100%,” she says. Next up: an even brighter future as a confident healthcare leader. “If you’re considering Valpo’s nursing program, go for it. It’s a very, very good program. The teachers are very accommodating; they actually hear you when you speak and have questions.”
For Sam, her college experience was about more than earning her degree. Valpo has been a place where she can explore all of her interests and a launchpad for a future filled with purpose. Whether that be in LeBien Hall or on Brown Field, Sam has shone brightly in every opportunity she’s come across — radiating leadership and compassion as a true Beacon.
Ready to explore your future as a Valpo student? Illuminate your bright pathway toward a meaningful, fulfilling healthcare profession and dive into Valpo Athletics to see how our Division I sports teams can shape your college journey.