Pharmaceutical sales professional expands horizons with nursing program

Annmarie Hight is no stranger to change. At 55, she’s already on her third career.

“If I could live another 30 years, I have like three more things I want to do,” Hight said.

Her latest pursuit: the nursing program at PBSC. Hight began the program in January 2022 and has thrived ever since, finding both personal fulfillment and academic success along the way.

However, Hight’s first career was in law enforcement. After college, she went through the police academy and became a road deputy in Maryland, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant—the first woman to hold that position at the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office. She later earned a Master’s in Education, planning to teach at the police academy. But when her lieutenant suggested she consider a sales job, it sparked the start of her next chapter.

Hight spent the next 20 years in pharmaceutical sales, working for major companies like Novo Nordisk, Biogen and Novartis. Over the years, she built a successful career and developed strong relationships with healthcare providers. But shortly after relocating to Florida, she was laid off, a turning point that prompted her to reconsider what she wanted for the next phase of her life.

“When I got laid off, I realized, you know what? I can't just look at LinkedIn for eight hours a day. Why don't I start taking classes?” she said.

Hight had always wanted to strengthen her science background and was curious about nursing, so while applying for jobs, she started taking health science courses at PBSC. She eventually landed a new position, but as her interest in the coursework grew, she began seriously considering a career change. After doing some research, Hight came across PBSC’s part-time nursing program.

“For me, it was the perfect situation because I could continue to work, I could continue to live, and I could also do this part time. It took a little bit longer, but it was definitely worth it,” she said.

Hight enrolled in the program knowing it would be challenging but confident she would succeed. She recently completed her Associate in Science in Nursing and was pinned during PBSC’s Registered Nurse Pinning Ceremony on August 29.

Her favorite experience in the program was her preceptorship in the emergency room at HCA Florida JFK North Hospital. She enjoyed the fast-paced environment, the sense of community in the ER and witnessing how deeply the doctors and nurses cared for their patients. She also felt a strong sense of connection with her fellow classmates. Most were non-traditional students like herself—balancing families, work and evening and weekend classes.

“If someone was down or frustrated, there was somebody else that could always lift that person up. Because you start together, you're holding each other up and helping each other,” Hight said.

Hight is especially grateful for her professors’ understanding and flexibility, which allowed her to balance her job and family life, including being a mother to seven children, six of whom were in college while she was in the nursing program. She credits PBSC for providing the support she needed and opening the door to new opportunities.

Hight currently works as a territory business manager at Apellis Pharmaceuticals. Her experience in the nursing program has given her a fresh perspective on healthcare and helped her build new skills that have opened up additional career paths, including a part-time role in patient consulting. In the next few years, she hopes to become a registered nurse and put her PBSC training into practice. She encourages anyone considering a career change to explore what PBSC has to offer.

“You just need to do it,” she said. “PBSC provides the tools and the structure you need to complete your program. The professors are also very helpful, so when it comes down to it, anybody that's considering it, I think absolutely should just do it.”