Q&A With June’s Featured Editor: Samantha Flener
Samantha Flener is a Law Clerk in Goodwin’s New York office.
BMW: If you could have dinner with any prominent figure (world leaders, celebrities, dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Samantha: Either Jane Fonda, Serena Williams, or Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks). I see Jane as someone who has a ton of courage and the capacity for dramatic internal growth. She’s smart and scrappy. She’s lived so many different lives. Serena is, in my opinion, the greatest athlete of all time. I like her competitive spirit, her tenacity, and her dedication. It would also be fun to eat dinner with her because we share the same love of tacos. Natalie is someone I always admired growing up – she doesn’t really seem to be afraid of anything, and I see her as someone who lives her life with a lot of integrity.
BMW: Where would we find you on a Saturday afternoon?
Samantha: During the winter, you’d find me watching Kentucky basketball. During the summer, you’d find me playing volleyball with my husband at Pier 25.
BMW: What spurred your interest in life sciences?
Samantha: Self-preservation and Kentucky teachers. I was born and raised in a small suburban town in Kentucky. Public high schools in my area did not have the resources to support rigorous academic programs, and I didn’t know how on earth I was going to pay for college. My teachers encouraged me to apply to a then-recently opened public high school for Kentucky students interested in studying STEM subjects. Students who were accepted to the program got shipped off to a college campus to take college courses for the last two years of high school. The program was completely free (room and board included), and if you finished successfully, you could stay at the college on a full scholarship to complete your degree. Of course, I applied, was accepted, and discovered that I not only liked science and math but also excelled in those subjects. Law school and life sciences were a natural progression from there. I am so grateful for that program – I wouldn’t be in this field without it.
To learn more about Samantha Flener, click here to view her full biography.