UNH Today

Samantha Howard ’16 is dedicated to service. It’s a passion that guided her during her years at UNH, and now, it’s setting the course for her future.

Last month, Howard moved to Washington, D.C., for a year-long stint with City Year, an AmeriCorps program that brings young adults to cities across the country to work with at-risk students. And once a month, Howard will trade in the distinctive red City Year jackets for Army fatigues. A member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard’s 237th Military Police Company, Howard plans to continue her military career as well.

Service, she says, "is why I’m here."

It’s a path Howard has been following since she transferred to UNH from Stetson University in Florida as a sophomore. She majored in sociology and justice studies and was a student advisor and worked in the Office of Conduct and Mediation.

“I’m really interested in restorative justice,” she says. It’s a concept that asks, “What can we do to help a person get back into the community versus taking them out of the community and putting them in jail?”

The skills she learned at UNH and in the National Guard have complemented each other: how to be a leader, how to build and take part in a community and how to keep calm in tense times. They’re abilities that will serve her well on her next adventure after City Year: law school and, eventually, a career as a mediator.

“Conflict resolution is my passion,” she says. “That’s why I want to go to law school.”

Her advice to incoming freshmen?

"Don’t be afraid to get wet. Try everything. Show up everywhere without reservations."

Students interested in joining the National Guard, the U.S. Army Reserve or ROTC should try it out, she adds.

"Talk with other students. I can’t express how much I’ve taken away. It’s an incredible community to be a part of, to have people who are as dedicated to you as you’re dedicated to them."