Samuel Assantha ’26
Licensed Nursing Assistant
Elliot Hospital
OPENING DOORS
Samuel Assantha ’26 was nine years old when his family immigrated to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Soccer offered a way to make friends and experience American culture. “Soccer was everything to me and opened up a lot of doors,” he says.
One of those doors led him to play soccer for Saint Anselm College. Athletics was also partly responsible for Assantha’s decision to pursue a nursing career. “As an athlete, I’m very interested in anatomy and physiology and how the body repairs itself from injuries,” he says, adding that one of his uncles, who earned a doctorate in nursing, also influenced him.
“Whenever we had family functions, he’d talk to me about how important it is to care for people in your community, especially those who have little access to healthcare.”
In addition to playing soccer, Assantha is a member of Men of Color, a club that is part of the College’s Network for Racial Justice and works as a Licensed Nursing Assistant at Elliot Hospital. He hopes to earn additional clinical experience this year at Concord Hospital.
“I used to think nursing was all about taking care of people and giving medication, but it’s a lot harder and more complicated than that,” he says. “Nursing is about making connections with patients, advocating for them and yourself, and having a broad perspective so you can work successfully with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.”