Rob's Essay About Laura

Just who is Laura Sams? The secret to fully understanding a person is to pinpoint the single most influential thing in that person's life . . . the one thing that has shaped the person's very being. At first I thought that "thing" might be the time Laura voluntarily ate birdseed in the 5th grade (long story). But no, that's not it. For Laura, that answer is simple. It is I, her brother. I taught her everything she knows.

Laura was first introduced to our parents, Ron and Diane Sams, in 1977. She was their first born child. As an infant and a toddler, she spent much of her time refining her gross motor skills and learning how to speak.

After that, she was introduced to a friend whose 88 keys would change her life. And though she would never reach the level of a concert pianist, she did develop the amazing ability to play one song upside-down on the piano. I think she believed this skill would take her far.

Our parents, unsure of the financial stability of a traveling upside-down piano player, who could really only play one song upside-down, encouraged Laura to make the most of her education. And so she did. She graduated valedictorian of her high school in Illinois. Her outstanding academic achievements led her to Michigan State University, where she again graduated at the top of her class with bachelor's degrees in 1) Zoology and 2) Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources. She then received her Master's degree in natural resources education.

Her studies in college opened the door for many new experiences across many different lands. She spent a summer in Kenya studying hyena behavior. She spent two months working in the education department at an aquarium in Mazatlán, Mexico. Her interest in scuba diving took her to the island of Anguilla, British West Indies, where she studied marine resources and tourism.

Though Laura's career as an upside-down piano player never really panned out, the experience taught her to look at life from a different perspective. This would prove instrumental on the road to becoming a filmmaker. Her first video, MSU Quactivities, took a look at Michigan State through the eyes of the ducks that populate much of the campus. Her next effort, Observation, taught kids how to properly observe nature and featured a soon-to-be-classic children's song, "Don't Forget Your Eyeballs ‘Cause We're Going Observing Today." Though these videos were quite rough, the ten people who actually watched them would probably agree they showed promise.

Now Laura owns Sisbro Studios with me, and don't tell her I said this, but she has become an amazing filmmaker. She has wonderful comedic timing, a great artistic eye and a passion for finding creative ways that help people discover the wonders of nature.

What's in store next for Laura Sams? I have no clue, but I'll leave you with a quote Laura tends to live by: "Well I've got a dream too. But it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with." - Kermit the Frog