Sam was born and raised in the Longview area. He graduated from Kelso High School in 2013 and then attended LCC followed by Washington State University Vancouver, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with majors in accounting and finance. During his final year of college, he interned at a local accounting firm which affirmed to him that becoming a CPA was the right career path for him.

Driven to earn his CPA certification, he passed the financial accounting and reporting section of the exam while still in college.

While in high school, Sam volunteered for over 500 hours at St. John Medical Center in Longview. During summers between college semesters he worked at a local lumber mill. He learned the value of hard work and developed many useful skills — although he prefers working in Opsahl Dawson’s comfortable office!

Sam ran high school cross country and still runs and exercises regularly. When he isn’t working or studying, Sam enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. He has a collection of over 300 vintage MAD Magazines.