Pause for Coz Profile – Sam Seter ’24
“I chose Finance because it was the best way for me to learn business in the broadest sense,” says Finance and Real Estate major Sam Seter. ’24 “and I can see myself applying these skills directly once I launch my career.” For the Nashville native, coming to Santa Clara was an easy choice, given that the campus and weather are “beyond beautiful.” But the strength and reputation of the Leavey School of Business made SCU really stand out.
“My favorite class is also the most difficult I’ve ever taken--Real Estate Finance 128,” Sam explains. “Professor Fermand, who is very witty, structures the class in a way that helps students stay engaged despite pretty complex material.”
Sam is also a member of SCU’s Division I Men’s Rowing program, which has “meant everything to me during my college experience—it’s a big part of my identity.” Receiving the Father Coz Scholarship has opened many doors for Sam who is keen to take it all in before graduation.
Among his friends and mentors, Father Mariani holds a special place for Sam, who was inspired by his unwavering faith in him. “He is wholehearted, and you can tell he wants everyone to succeed,” Sam says. “There were moments when he could tell that I was tired and couldn’t focus and, instead of giving me a hard time or giving up on me, he would try and understand and push me in a different way.”
Sam’s journey to SCU hasn’t always been easy—as one of three sons in his family currently attending college, the financial support was critical. After moving around and changing jobs to help pay for it all, the Seter family was also dealt a major blow when Sam’s father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As his father regains his health, the Coz Scholarship will “allow me to graduate from SCU while lifting a burden off me and my family.”