You’ve probably seen senior Sam O’Connell on the Hardwood stage during assemblies or the varsity softball field. Sam is planning to take the next one or two years off. She will be working with kids this summer at the Waterbury rec program.

O’Connell said, “My goal is to find a job working with kids, because that’s one of my interests. I like working with kids between the ages of four and six or seven, but my favorite                                                                                                                                                                                                                       group is five and six year olds because they’re so cute.” Sam plans to go to college at some point and study early childhood development and maybe become a Kindergarten teacher.

Some of Sam’s other interests are softball and hands-on art. Sam has been part of the softball team for the past four years. O’Connell said that she loves playing because she can forget about everything that’s going on while she’s on the field. Sam is also interested in hands on art such as jewelry and clay. She wants to continue with these arts in the future.

Art teacher Wendy Peterson described Sam: as, “She loves spending time in the clay studio, it’s hard to get her to leave(jokingly). She’s a kind and sweet person, but she’s also humble and doesn’t give herself enough credit. I envision her being a teacher and working with kids and will be a great role model for them.”

If Sam could give the underclassmen any advice it would be to attend early college. “Everyone I’ve talked to said early college is the best thing that they’ve done,” O’Connell said. She recommends that you take the opportunity and attend early college, “even if it’s not for your major just go for the core classes, so you are able to go right into your major afterwards.”