For junior Sam Kese, the best days are the ones spent outside. Whether she is at home in Goode, Virginia, hunting and fishing, or in Farmville biking the High Bridge Trail, Kese stays true to her farm girl roots as much as possible. Kese grew up on a 100-acre cattle farm in a rural area between Lynchburg and Roanoke, which she described as “the epitome of country.”
In addition to her psychology major and outdoor education minor,Kese is also president of She’s the First, an organization which works to educate girls in third world countries, former Philanthropy Chair of Delta Zeta and the sweetheart of Phi Kappa Tau, a position she holds close to her heart.
She describes it as being “basically like their big sister…their number one fan. I support them at all their brotherhood and philanthropy events…I’m basically one of the brothers.”
She commented that the brothers are her best friends and she knows she can count on every single one of them.
However, nothing compares to how she feels about the time she caught a bull shark this past summer, 20 miles off the coast of Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. While on a guided fishing tour, Kese’s reel started spinning quickly and “it took an hour to reel it in.” Never fret; she tossed the shark back in the water after catching it.
When not slaying ocean beasts, Kese studies psychology at Longwood, where she appreciates the size and quality of the department. She became intrigued with the major during a high school psychology class and how in depth it went about the brain, as well as how broad a topic psychology is when it comes to careers.
Nothing inspires her more, though, than an autistic friend in high school, whom she reminisced as “just the sweetest thing,” and the experience of her brother, John, being diagnosed with a brain malformation two years ago, which required nine brain surgeries and two spinal surgeries to remedy. What ultimately cured him though, was his outdoor rehabilitation, playing outside and doing the things he used to love to do.
After graduation, Kese hopes to work in child psychology, possibly as a special education teacher. At Longwood, Kese’s favorite place to be is the Longwood Ropes Course, about a mile away from main campus, near the Longwood Golf Course. Her favorite challenge at the ropes course is the ”Wall.“
“It’s…my favorite team building activity, you have to get everyone up over this huge ten foot wall…it’s a really fun experience,” she said.
It’s hard to imagine she has any free time, but when she does, she loves to run, bike and walk High Bridge Trail, saying, “There’s such a beautiful view out there.”
On the off chance that she has to stay inside, Kese says, “I love to read and I would pick reading over Netflix any day.”
is a junior at Longwood and The Rotunda has decided to highlight her story this week (Feb. 10).
is a junior at Longwood and The Rotunda has decided to highlight her story this week (Feb. 10).
