Royalton High School is proud to announce that Samuel Zimmerman was selected as Student of the Month for November. Samuel is the son of Doug and Karen and comes from a large family, but says even though its large, it is very close knit, “Having nine siblings creates plenty of opportunities to learn lessons I never thought I would learn. For example, when we would have to cut down trees for firewood, I would always despise going out to do the work, but my brothers taught me that complaining only prolonged the work, and if you just get the work done, you can go home faster. I still apply this lesson in school and life in order to just get things done, or as I like to say “procrastinate procrastination”. My brothers and sisters have always encouraged my passion for music, drama, and art. They were always in the audience for my many concerts, shows, and programs.”

At Royalton High School, Sam is involved in many activities. He has been involved in Drama, Speech, Knowledge Bowl, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, One Act Play, FFA, Cross Country, Track & Field, Student Council, Choir, Minnesota Honor Society and directing the Junior High Drama . Sam says all of these activities has helped him learn so much about himself.

“Sam is a phenomenal musician, both vocally and instrumentally! He is extremely dedicated to whatever he puts his mind to, whether it's music, theatre, school work or anything else!” – Cheri Ploof Royalton Choir Director. “Not only is Sam an excellent student but he is known in school for his fun-loving attitude and willingness to help whenever needed.”- Social Studies teacher Brad Baumann.

When it comes to his classes Sam says his favorite class was Human Biology. “This class was the perfect mix between notes, projects, and experiments. This class sparked interest in a completely different field of study that I had never considered before. Ms. Gerads did a fantastic job of explaining what she was teaching and kept it fun! I enjoyed doing all of the projects and labs and this class made me want to learn. I highly recommend this class to anyone who has any interest in biology, or just wants to take a fun class.”

As for a favorite teacher in high school Sam says it’s impossible to pick just one, “I have built a fantastic relationship with each one of my teachers so it is not possible to pick a favorite. I have had positive experiences with every teacher whether or not I was enrolled in their class. Positive motivation and encouragement from all the school staff have pushed me to do my best in whatever I'm doing, whether it be the arts, academics, or athletics.”

Sam’s favorites memory in high school was being involved with the student conducted concert, “During the spring of 2020, the band was holding a student conducted concert and I chose to conduct the song Arabian Dances. The song was relatively difficult and I was definitely ready for the challenge. My favorite memory was the first day I stood on the podium and we ran the piece. It was intoxicating. I felt the music in a way I had never experienced before. I was handed this ability to control the song, to change the different instrumental sections to form this beautiful and electrifying piece and I never wanted to stop. This is my favorite memory because it clarified what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: I want to conduct; I want to teach music.”

Next year Sam plans to attend Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and is going to pursue a degree in Music Education in order to be a high school music teacher. In ten years, Sam hopes to be teaching high school students in music and would love to spread his joy and love for music to his students. Eventually he says he may want to teach at the college level.

Sam’s advice to high school freshmen is, “My biggest piece of advice is to build a positive relationship with your teachers. Teachers are people too and like the other people in your life, friends or family, a positive relationship will give you the best experience possible. Believe it or not, teachers want you to succeed, to learn, to do your best, and having a positive personal relationship will only make school quite a bit better. I don't know where I would be if I wouldn’t have become friends with the majority of my teachers.”