When Sam Santoro asked to become a cub scout at Primrose Hill School back in 2003, his parents never could have envisioned the path that the decision would lead him on.  

Fast forward from that first meeting 15 years ago, and Sam has an impressive record of accomplishment. He finished cub scouts, soared through boy scouts, achieved Eagle Scout, graduated with honors from Mass Maritime, and, most recently, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.  

How did scouting set Sam on the military trajectory?  

“I learned a lot of practical skills like map reading, camping and thriving outdoors as a Boy Scout in Troop 2.  Most importantly, however, being a scout meant building my character,” said Sam. "I learned leadership skills and how to work independently at a very young age.”

Sam took those leadership and survival skills with him to Mass Maritime. He worked hard during the school year and spent the last two summers at Quantico, preparing to become a Marine. Last month, he graduated cum laude with a double major in emergency management and Homeland Security and once he was conferred with a college degree, he got commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marines.

Second Lieutenant Santoro hopes “to be able to make a difference in the world and to do something about which I can be proud” by becoming an artillery officer, he said.  

Long-term, Sam hopes to have a career in the intelligence community. He will be headed to the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va. full time this fall.

Samuel Charles Santoro is the son of Margaret and Frank Santoro of Walnut Road.

Sam is an Eagle Scout from Troop 2 Barrington, the oldest troop in the Narragansett Council of Boy Scouts.  Numbering 50 scouts strong, this troop continues to make a positive difference in the community through leadership and action.