For 2019 graduate Andrea Lindsey Hampton, earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Health at South University, Columbia helped her gain both the skills and the confidence to pursue her professional goals.
“South University provided me with a community of professionals who provided guidance and patience when I started as an older student who lacked confidence,” she shares. After other students recommended South University to her, Andrea was drawn to the school’s sense of community and its reputation for supporting students and nurturing their drive to succeed.
“South University has impacted my life and the life of my family in a great way. They provided support to a single mother of two children when I really needed it,” she says. “From day one of entering South University as a low esteem single mother, I experienced the support and no judgment zone of the staff.”
Throughout her life, Andrea has always been drawn to caring for others and an interest in the science of healthcare as well as the way it affects communities. Today, Andrea is founder and owner of the South Carolina-based nurse staffing firm PMO Careers LLC (Preparation Meets Opportunity LLC). The company is a certified minority and woman-owned business. “I take my position as a minority leader very seriously,” she says. “PMO Careers LLC is a future driven company and is looking forward to providing great service to the community.”
Andrea came up with the idea for her business while working in healthcare and witnessing her employer’s staffing shortages. As a result, she saw an opportunity to help companies fill these important healthcare roles, ultimately reducing the load on current staff and ensuring more people were able to get the care they needed.
“Earning my bachelor’s degree was a huge part of my success in having my own business. The degree provides not only knowledge of what our community needs as far as healthcare but it also provides credibility when I'm doing business,” she says. “Having my degree provides confidence and capability that I otherwise would have never had.”
Andrea is also active in the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, including on the healthcare committee and education workforce development committee. There, she helps inform decisions around laws for workforce education and healthcare maintenance organizations and communicates on behalf of the employees and individuals affected by the proposed bills.
For others considering going back to school or currently pursuing their education, Andrea encourages them to stick to it. “My advice,” she offers, “is to take the step to greatness no matter how scared you are. Take advantage of the knowledge of others and forge through.”
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