Senior Sam Marthens does it all and does it wholeheartedly. With determination and a presence that empowers others, Sam loves what he does. As it is passed down in the Marthens family, Sam was bound to pursue music.

“I’m big on music,” Sam said. “I play the guitar, ukulele, and tuba, and I’m trying to learn trombone and piano. My family is big on music, so I just kind of got into it myself.”

Although Sam loves to listen and play all genres and types of music, the guitar has always held a special place in his heart. This year, Sam and a few friends decided to combine their talents and passions and make something out of it. Together, they created a small band called Before Paradise, for which Sam is the guitarist.

“[I play] mainly acoustic, so I can play along and sing,” Sam said. “I enjoy doing that more, and I’m just not very good at lead guitar on electric.”

While music has been a part of Sam’s life for a long time, football has not. It wasn’t until freshman year that he tried out for the team.

It wasn’t until his later years of high school that Sam began to love football. Starting out from the bottom freshman year was a challenge, but it was a challenge that Sam could adjust to.

“I started freshman year because everyone had been telling me for years that I should play because I’m big,” Sam said. “I started freshman year and hated it because I didn’t know what I was doing. I then progressively learned and enjoyed it more and more, especially this senior year. It was awesome.”

With a smile a mile wide, Sam has the ability to shine through all he does. His friends have shown support while cheering him on in his last season of football. In his final season, the team went farther than any FHC varsity football team has gone in over fifty years.

In the fall, Sam plans to put his talents to test at GRCC, and from there he hopes to then transfer to a state university. The whereabouts and specific details of his future are yet to be determined.

As Sam grows in all areas of life after graduating high school in May, though, he knows that he will always have music to turn to. It is something that makes him feel whole, and he cannot imagine life without it. In terms of the future, music will remain more of a hobby rather than a career that he plans to make a living from. Even though Sam does not plan to make a career out of music, he wholeheartedly desires to grow and keep it as a hobby in later years.

“I’ll definitely continue with [music],” Sam said. “I don’t think I will go into a profession with it; it’s more for fun.”