Alumni news: All in the family
Published: September 09, 2021
Author: Sarah Thomack
When Samantha Siefken ’21 heard her name announced at Commencement as the recipient of the President’s Citation award, it represented a special moment with a lot of history.
Samantha’s dad Dr. Phil Siefken watched from the crowd, remembering when he received the same award as a Greenville graduate in 1986.
“Isn’t that fun?” Phil says about the pair receiving the same award, years apart. “It represents a lot of hard work. It’s a proud papa kind of moment with a little extra understanding about what goes into it.”
The Siefken name is linked to three generations at GU. Phil’s parents, Hugh ’62 and Marie (Gieseke '62) both served as faculty during the time he attended.
Then and now
While some differences exist between 1986 and 2021-like how Phil completed his senior research project on a typewriter and Samantha completed hers on a laptop-the award still serves as a recognition of a student’s hard work and character during their time at GU.
Samantha completed a double major in biology and chemistry while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, graduating magna cum laude, competing in GU tennis, and leading Vespers. She says she was surprised and humbled to receive the award and was grateful to be able to find an understanding ear with her dad.
“It’s cool to talk through that with him and his own process of how he felt when he received it,” Samantha says. She credits her dad for inspiring her undergraduate study path and her pursuit of medical school. "Growing up, I watched him be the doctor he is and I got to watch him care really well for his patients and his community. He’s my biggest role model and inspiration, and my goal is just to be half of that, because my dad is outstanding. It’s such an honor to follow in his footsteps even in [receiving the same award].
“My dad’s a rock star and the coolest person I know.”
After graduation, Sam spent part of her summer serving as assistant director at Durley Camp near Greenville, applying for medical school, and road tripping a few thousand miles to see family and friends before leaving the country. She currently serves in the Dominican Republic as an intern, working in rural health clinics, providing low-income healthcare for impoverished communities, and working with groups on short-term mission trips. Sam is looking forward to speaking a lot of Spanish and getting medical ministry experience before coming back to the states to attend medical school.
Sam’s tentative plans include pursuing a career in the field of pediatrics or primary care, but ultimately says she is open to “whatever God has planned.”
