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Former farmhand Sams now proud leader
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Written by Fatoumatta Saine, Staff Writer
Newton High Principal Dr. Roderick Sams grew up in a farm with a lot of memories working in the fields with cousins and siblings and remembers the good old days feeding animals.
Graduating from high school at 17, and from college at 22, the Georgia native and former farmhand decided to stay in-state to continue his academics, attending Morehouse College and later, transferring to Georgia Southern University.
“I began studying pre-law in the beginning but changed it to early childhood education,” Sams said. “At first, I wanted to be a lawyer, then I wanted to be a teacher and a basketball coach, but as you can see, that dream didn’t come true.”
He was an assistant principal for a year when he decided to become a principal, first at Blakeney Elementary School, then Sardis‐Girard‐Alexander Elementary and prior to Newton, Burke County High School.
He said the biggest challenge he faces being principal here is to continue to motivate children and adults to understand to live for tomorrow and not just today.
“I love being the principal of NHS,” Sams said. “I love the school, students, teachers and I think we’re heading down the right path.”
However, the thing he said he would improve for the school would be to increase school spirit. According to Sams, there are too many students who “do not know what being a ram means.”
“[Also], I would like to see more students concentrating more on their academics than sports, so they will know what they want to achieve later in life,” he said.
In his down time, Sams said that he spends a lot of his free time reading, exercising, watching sports — in person or on television, and spending time with wife Deena Sams and daughter Logan.
Even though he often has to schedule this free time with family, he said he has to find time no matter how busy he is. He schedules a daddy-daughter date once a month for just he and Logan; they go swimming a lot because she loves to swim.
He and Deena spend time together on the weekends, watching movies, going out to dinner, plays, concerts, or attending church as a trio at Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers.
He said he looks up to his mother and wife, because his mother raised him and taught him a lot of things about being a man and adult; while his wife supports him through everything he does and is his “number one cheerleader.”
“My life in and out of school is very similar; actually while at work, I read and walk down the hallways to work out,” Sams said, “I love collaborating with students and love to spend time with my personal family and my Newton family.”
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