Step into the Willow Centre in Charlotte County, and you’ll find Sam Gullison at the heart of it all. She’s a steady presence with kind eyes and an attentive ear, the kind of person who leans in when you speak, whose quiet nod makes the air feel lighter, safer. As Program Director at the Willow Centre for Sexual Violence Support, Sam spends her days weaving that sanctuary of safety and trust into every corner, including direct support to clients, helping them navigate complex systems, and offering guidance. She also works to bring training to frontline workers, cultivating a trauma-informed network within organizations and services, creating spaces where survivors can rediscover trust in themselves and in others.
Sam’s journey to post-secondary education came in two chapters. Right after high school, she enrolled at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) in Saint John, but life’s circumstances pulled her away. Years later, determined to transform hardship into helping others, she found her way to NBCC and enrolled in the Human Services program in St. Andrews, NB. Returning to the classroom as a mature student with two young children and a wealth of lived experience was daunting, but the encouragement of supportive family and instructors turned self-doubt into excitement. “NBCC helped me build confidence in myself. I felt empowered and supported,” Sam shared. “I didn’t just leave with an education—I left feeling more than qualified to step out into the world and do the work I’m doing today.”
Since graduating in 2015, Sam has dedicated her career to serving vulnerable and marginalized populations. She has poured her energy into breaking down barriers that prevent people from accessing the help they need. With compassion at the core of her work, she has led the Willow Centre’s growth from a single office into a vital community hub, ensuring that anyone in crisis receives empathetic, effective, and ongoing support. She has built strong community partnerships, advocated for systemic change, and designed programs that promote both healing and empowerment. Workshops, training sessions, and educational initiatives bear her signature approach of putting empathy first, always.
Beyond her work at the Willow Centre, Sam has sparked community conversations about sexual violence, a topic too often left unspoken. Each May, the communities across Charlotte County bloom in teal during the sexual violence awareness campaign Sam spearheaded known as, Teal Day. “We wanted to raise awareness and provide education around local statistics, myths, stigma, and break some of those down,” Sam explains. Businesses, schools, and organizations find creative ways to contribute to the campaign; one storefront even dressed its mannequins in the Willow Centre’s teal shirts inked with the words “Let’s Teal with It. Listen. Believe. Support.” At the center of it all is Sam, sleeves rolled up, sharing stories, connecting with neighbours, showing up, again and again.
What began as one office is now a network of care, training, and awareness initiatives reshaping how Charlotte County responds to trauma and supports survivors. Sam’s leadership has led to a place where people can heal, find safety, and believe in possibility again. By naming Sam Gullison as one of the 2025 Alumni Recognition Award recipients, NBCC proudly honours a graduate whose leadership is rooted in empathy and has ignited a movement. Her journey is proof that one alumna with vision can grow a willow whose roots run deep, and branches lift others.
NBCC’s Robertson Institute for Community Leadership proudly supports our communities through the Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this initiative, a $250 donation has been made in Sam’s honour to a non-profit organization of her choice, Neighbourhood Works in St. Stephen, NB.
“Overcoming struggles. You can do hard things. There is an incredible amount of power in believing in yourself.” – Sam Gullison