Passionate. If I could use any word to describe our next Campus Cutie, Mr. Sam Bonnecroy, this adjective spills out of my mouth almost instantly. As a sophomore here at UNI our cutie is majoring in Music Technology and aspires to have his very own recording studio one day. Some may say he “dreams big”, but after just a single visit with Sam, I know he’ll go anywhere his heart tells him to.
When not at school, Sam resides in Orange City, IA with his family of four. His country living brought with it not only a good work ethic, but also a love for horses. In fact, many of his life stories involve him upon a horse. From his most embarrassing moment (being close-lined off a horse by a tree) to his favorite day (horseback riding with his father this summer and watching a storm roll in), Sam has always loved horses. If he could take a week off from all obligations, Sam would even choose to spend it along the beach riding horses.
Now ladies, I know the thought of a man riding horses along a beach has got you day dreaming again. But this guy’s romanticism doesn’t stop there. When I asked him his idea of the perfect first date, he included the words spoil, flowers, princess, chivalry, nice restaurant, and stargazing. I know what all of you are thinking: where can I find this guy?
Well, with how involved he is at UNI, it’d probably be easy to bump into him somewhere on campus. On any given Thursday, you can find him jamming it out upon whichever instrument tickles his fancy at BASIC and on Sundays, he plays the drums for Orchard Hill Church. If that’s not enough, on all of the remaining days, he serves UNI as a student ambassador.
Though UNI wasn’t Sam’s first choice, he says it was a “God thing” that led him here. After a football-related injury, Sam found himself needing to make new plans the second semester of his senior year. He was accepted by UNI and on a whim chose it as his school. I bet you he is glad he did (as are we).
UNI has not only led to great friendships and academic excellence for Sam, it has also brought him personal growth. In fact, when I asked Sam to describe a time in his life that has come to define him, he quickly referred back to his first semester here. Alike many of you reading, being here at UNI has enabled him to make big decisions—ones that will impact him the rest of his life.
According to Mr. Bonnecroy, his heart has always been leading him to the westward shores of California. There he hopes to live upon his very own vineyard—a trade that he himself has grown up with in his little town of Orange City, IA. With dreams as extensive as his, one would have to wonder who and where he came from.
This answer was quickly answered when I asked Sam to name the most influential person in his life. He was quick to anwer, “My Mom. She never lets anything hold her back. She sees something and she goes for it.” I found it coincidental that the trait he admires within his Mom, is the very trait that he permeates—the trait I sat in wonder of our entire interview. His personal philosophy even oozes of passion: “Never set limits”.
So what is it that makes him so passionate? Sam struggled to pinpoint just one thing that he was most passionate about, but he was able to narrow it down to just three: Relationship with God, people, and the outdoors. As he talked of each of his passions, his face lit up, his smile grew large, and his eyes sparkled. He left me in awe.
With an ardor as intense as his, it’s no surprise that his list of hobbies is never ending. Among other things, you can find Sam enjoying art, music, or longboarding. For most people, when I say they enjoy music, it means they listen to it loud in their car and have a select group of cliché bands they listen to, but not for Sam…No ladies, when I say that Sam enjoys music, I mean that he plays just about every imaginable instrument. His love for music stems from his parents. As a kid, Sam used to insist his parents sing him a song every night before bed. It came to be the only way he could get to sleep. He always loved to sing, but his infatuation for musicianship began officially in second grade when he took up piano lessons. Today, Sam can play a whole host of instruments, including the piano, cello, bass, percussion, drums, guitar, and most recently, the mandolin.
In just the mere thirty minutes it took me to interview Sam, I discovered he would never do anything half-heartedly. Everything he does involves intense passion and a lot of heart. It’s either go big or go home. I think we can all take a lesson from his zeal for life. Wherever it is that his life takes him, whether to the sandy beaches of California, or to some other distant land, I know that Sam is going to go wherever he is led. Some may dispute that he has his head in the clouds, but I say it’s probably a much better view up there anyway.