Class of 2024: For Jennifer Cousins, VCU is a family affair in the spirit of care

By Haley Tenore

Jennifer Cousins relished her first dream job. She will soon start her second, with a new degree in hand from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Cousins spent 15 years as an elementary school teacher, and the mother of two taught in Chesterfield County while raising her children. With them now in college - at VCU, no less - Cousins decided to take the plunge into nursing.
"I've always had a strong desire to be a teacher or a nurse, so I'm fulfilling both of my dreams," Cousins said.

While she was pursuing her degree in the VCU School of Nursing, her son, Jack, has been working toward his master's degree in the College of Engineering. Her daughter, Reagan, followed her mom's footsteps into the School of Nursing and is set to graduate in 2026.

Cousins, who previously received her bachelor's degree in psychology from VCU's College of Humanities and Sciences, emphasized the family-affair benefit of her pivot into nursing: "I would not be able to do this without the support of my family, my spouse and my two children cheerleading me on and supporting me along the way."

Reagan has been more than a great study partner - she was one of the reasons why Cousins decided to study nursing in the first place. Reagan has a chronic health condition, and the medical workers who cared for Reagan inspired mother and daughter.

"Watching the care that she's received over the years from different institutions really helped to solidify that I knew that I wanted to be a nurse," Cousins said. "I'm very lucky. I can't say that enough, how lucky I am to be able to do this."

Cousins is also thankful for the support of VCU faculty, who in turn were impressed by their student. Barney Tormey, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, said Cousins "works like a trojan" and regularly sat at the front of the class, taking notes.

"If she had a grade that she wasn't satisfied with, she would like to track me down and get all of the correct answers, so she knew what she was doing," Tormey said. "That is the epitome of a great student."

Cousins was able to attend the School of Nursing thanks to the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship, established in 2022 through a record gift from the philanthropists. Cousins said she appreciated the diversity of VCU and its degree programs - and how its "Uncommon" theme resonated with her as someone who returned to school later in life.

"There's really something for everybody," she said. "So, I just love the university."

After graduating in December, Cousins plans to work at the University of Virginia, where Reagan has been a patient since age 4. She wants to work as an operating room nurse, commuting between Richmond and Charlottesville.