Samantha McDonald was 13 years old when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, forcing schools across the United States to pivot from in-person to virtual learning sessions. Then a seventh grader, Samantha suddenly discovered she had a lot of free time for the first time in her young life.
Most kids that age would use the time to sleep or play video games. Or they’d scroll social media or look for a show to stream.
Not Samantha.
An older friend wanted to take a class at Allan Hancock College, so Samantha asked her parents if she could too. After getting approval from them and Hancock administration, Samantha enrolled in Dance 101, even though her friend ended up not taking the class.
“I had so much fun,” she said. “I asked my mom if I could take another one, and then it just kept going from there.”
On May 20, Samantha turned 18. On June 12, she will graduate from Ernest Righetti High School at the top of her class with a 4.7 GPA. On May 23, she graduated from Hancock with associate degrees in math and science, arts and humanities, and behavioral sciences.
Dubbed “baby Sammy” by classmates at Hancock, Samantha is also involved in so many clubs, she said she sometimes has to write their names down just to remember them. Some of the organizations she’s involved with at Righetti include the California Scholarship Federation, National Honor Society, Early Academic Outreach Program, Key Club, and ASTRA—a community service organization.
This year, along with playing varsity tennis, working as a ranch hand, and riding horses competitively, Samantha is also an Elks Rodeo Queen candidate, fundraising for Children’s Resource and Referral of Santa Barbara County to provide basic needs for foster children from newborns to teenagers. This upcoming fall, Samantha will attend the University of San Francisco to study nursing, a calling she found while caring for her grandmother.
When she was 10, Samantha joined Vineyard 4-H, a youth development organization. She raised chickens and lambs as one of several projects for which she volunteered.
So when she got to Righetti and joined Future Farmers of America, Samantha was already prepared for the requirement to raise another lamb.
“Raising a lamb is a lot of fun,” she said. “You get to learn about time management, responsibility, and taking care of something other than yourself.”
She doesn’t just raise lambs. Since she was in eighth grade, Samantha has also been raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, another passion she developed during the pandemic.
“I get these puppies when they’re 8 weeks, and I have them until they’re about 16 months old—that’s when they go back to San Rafael for their formal guide work training,” Samantha said. “During the time I have them, it’s my job to make sure they have proper socialization, good house manners, and basic obedience skills.”
On May 4, Samantha’s fourth and most recent puppy, Etienne, returned to San Rafael for formal guide work training.
Holding back tears, Samantha’s mother, Mandy, said she was incredibly proud of her daughter for becoming a leader and role model at such a young age. She said Samantha’s 16-year-old brother and 15-year-old sister now both take college courses at Hancock, thanks to their big sister’s inspiration.
“I was nothing like that in high school,” Mandy said. “I don’t know what [my husband and I] did, but I’ll take it.”
On top of everything else, Samantha always ensures she devotes enough energy to her two special-needs cats, Malti and Rollo.
“I don’t know how I’ve gotten so lucky to be able to say she’s my daughter,” Mandy said. “From day one, she was just built differently.”
She added that she’s aware some adults will say that Samantha’s missed out on her youth.
“In Sam’s case, … I don’t feel like she’s missed out,” Mandy said, “and, more importantly, she doesn’t feel like she’s missed out.”
Highlight
• Hollister Ranch will hold a family beach day for Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center members on May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A free shuttle service will depart from the Dunes Center around 9 a.m. Bring the kids to enjoy an exciting day of fun in the sun. This private beach day is exclusively for Dunes Center members and their families. The center is located at 1065 Guadalupe St. Call (805) 343-2455 for more information. Learn more about the Hollister Ranch Preserve, located in Gaviota, at hollisterranch.org.
Staff Writer Reece Coren compiles Spotlight. Send tips to rcoren@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 8, 2025.
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