How Jailynn Hubbard ’25 Balances Motherhood, Coursework, and a Thriving Career in Healthcare

When Jailynn Hubbard ’25 spotted a flyer for Valparaiso University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions in the break room at Northwest Health, she couldn’t have imagined how that moment would transform her life. Now, as she prepares to walk across the Commencement stage, Jailynn reflects on her remarkable journey as a healthcare leadership major – and how her Valpo “village” made it possible.

Jailynn’s path to Valpo has been anything but traditional. After initially pursuing biology at a college in Alabama in 2014, she joined the Army, serving as military police in Kentucky and Washington, D.C., until her contract ended in 2023. Today, she balances her studies with working 12-hour night shifts in telemetry at Northwest Health, monitoring patients’ heart rhythms, all while raising two children — her seven-year-old son, A.J., and three-year-old daughter, Ava Marie.

“It was an adjustment,” Jailynn says about returning to college as a non-traditional student. “I’ll never forget, I was in my microbiology class and some of my classmates were like, ‘Wow, we’re worried about where we’re going to eat for lunch and you have to go home and cook dinner and feed two kids.’ Sometimes I have to remember that we’re not the same age.”

Her first semester proved especially challenging as she acclimated studying into her already demanding schedule. “From Wednesdays through Saturdays, I work nights. So I am getting off at 7 a.m. and having 8:30 a.m. classes,” she explains.

Jailynn credits her success to the exceptional support from Valpo faculty. She graciously recalls three professors who made continuing her education possible: her FOCUS, new-student orientation, advisor, who encouraged her to take mental health days when needed; Professor Phrosini Samis-Smith M.S, ’06, D.H.Ed., MSSA, MSCEP, who understood when childcare challenges arose; and Professor Timothy Cavinder ’17, M.S., who creatively accommodated her parenting responsibilities by adjusting participation requirements and exam schedules.

In one instance, Jailynn says Professor Cavinder rescheduled an exam from a Thursday – a day when Jailynn was unavailable due to her children – to a Tuesday. When Jailynn asked if she could take the exam outside of class, he did not hesitate.

“So there I was, downstairs in the computer lab with my two children on their iPads. And he came downstairs and gave me the exam,” she recalls. Without such understanding from faculty, Jailynn says she would have had to delay her graduation until May 2026. Fellow students have been equally supportive. Classmates – some of whom work with her at the hospital – keep her updated on missed material, record class activities, and alert her to schedule changes. “If I have to get up and I leave class, they know it’s probably the kids’ school calling,” Jailynn says of her reliable network.

Finding balance didn’t happen overnight. “I don’t think I found my balance until my third year,” Jailynn admits. Given that, she has advice to other working mothers considering college: “It will be hard – an adjustment. But you have to learn how to find your balance. I don’t want them to come out here and say it’s a piece of cake. No, those first two semesters are hard.”

Jailynn also emphasizes the importance of patience and having faith in yourself. “Once you get back into that routine and find study time, kid time, and find that balance and time management, then everything will fall into place. And if it doesn’t happen the first year, that’s fine.”

Post-graduation, Jailynn plans to pursue healthcare quality improvement, preferably at Northwest Health or somewhere else in Northwest Indiana. Her internship (conveniently where she works) in quality improvement revealed how “everything plays a role in patient care,” broadening her understanding of healthcare systems.

Perhaps most meaningful is the lesson Jailynn hopes her Valpo journey teaches her children: “Delayed does not mean denied. I was supposed to graduate college in 2018. That’s what I want them to take from me.” As her seven-year-old son begins to understand the significance of her accomplishment — exclaiming “you look so beautiful” when seeing her in cap and gown — it’s clear that Jailynn’s perseverance is already inspiring the next generation.

If you are motivated by Jailynn’s story, know that Valpo can help you achieve your educational dreams, no matter your life experiences. For information on transferring existing college credits to Valpo, visit our transfer admission page. Considering that around 30 percent of Valpo students enter as transfers, you are sure to find a supportive community here!