Sam grew up in Northeast Montana, where she was raised by her mom and grandma. As an only child and only grandchild, she developed an especially strong relationship with her grandma who was Turtle Mountain Chippewa. She spent her summers at Fort Peck Lake and her winters playing board games and cards. Sam became interested in healthcare at a young age while working at a nursing home for five years, beginning when she was just 14. As a first-gen student, she later earned her Associate’s in Dental Hygiene in Idaho while simultaneously completing her Bachelor’s in Political Science from Boise State University. She recently completed her Master of Public Health from OHSU/PSU.

Sam has always been passionate about working for community health or Tribal health clinics, after using these services for most of her life. She spent four years on the central coast of California working with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians as both a dental hygienist and a youth tutor.  She then moved to the Portland area and worked for NARA and NAYA and did her preceptorship with NPAIHB. Most recently she has been a dental hygiene instructor working with adult learners. Her core passions center around Indigenous health and wellness, education, patient health literacy, and dentistry.

In her free time, she plays board games with her husband, Rob, and two teenage sons, Donovan and Clinton. Sam has two adorable dogs, Coco and Kermit and enjoys collecting hobbies and listening to podcasts and audiobooks.