Working Mom Among First Accepted into Piedmont’s Forensic Science Graduate Program
Getting from high school into college is a narrow, simple path for many students. For students like Samantha “Sam” Williams, the route is more like a river, with bends and curves.
Williams is the oldest of six siblings and the first in her family to achieve a four-year degree. She fit in higher education classes between full-time work, getting married, and having and raising two children who are now 5 and 9 years old and homeschooled.
The busy mom took classes when and where she could, beginning with criminal justice courses after graduating high school in 2009 in the Atlanta suburb of East Point. For a time, Williams and her now-estranged husband lived in California, where she took nurse aide courses. Back in Georgia, she signed up for Practical Nursing courses (her grandmother was an LPN). Next came online behavioral health classes through Penn State. She also studied to become a paralegal.
“I just kept my head up and worked as hard as I could. I didn’t let anything — or anyone — stop me from finally reaching my goal. I had come too far to let it all go,” Williams said. “I just want to push myself to go as far as I can, to prove not only to myself, but to my kids that you really can do whatever you set your mind to, as long as you have the patience and determination.”
By August 2022, Williams had earned an associate’s degree in crime scene investigation technology. She began attending Piedmont soon after, taking three courses at a time.
“The teachers I encountered while here are passionate about what they do, they are more than willing to help you in and out of the classroom, and you’re more than just another face or number,” Williams said. “The professors know you on a first-name basis, and want you to succeed. The connections you make here are priceless.”
With the help of her mother and grandmother, Williams completed requirements for a four-year degree. She earned enough credits to achieve a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and graduated in May.
Some of the courses Williams took were part of Piedmont’s forensics program, one she said “absolutely exceeded” her expectations. The in-depth curriculum and hands-on learning have bolstered her confidence as she takes the next step in her educational journey. This fall, Williams will enter the university’s new forensic science master’s program. She said it is an honor to be among the first to apply and be accepted.
“I genuinely get choked up just thinking about it all,” Williams said. “I came from a low-income family and neighborhood, and what once seemed like only a dream is actually coming true.”
For more information about Piedmont University’s graduate forensic science program, visit piedmont.edu/forensic-science-ms/.
