Creating Scholars: Sam Ward ‘97
FOR RELEASE: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Drama, drama, drama. That was Sam Ward in college, but now, he's all about the music.
It started in middle and high school when Ward fell in love with theater. He came to Huntington to pursue those dreams, and in 1997, he graduated with a double degree in theater and English, his second passion. After graduation, he set out as a young 20-something with plans to act on the big stage. Little did he know that God was preparing him for something much larger.
"It wasn't my plan. I can say that right from the beginning," Ward said about his new-found passion.
Ward works as the director of creative worship at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Each week, he oversees the creation of the church service as well as the crafting of the worship music. For 10 years, he has held this position and not once has he questioned the road that brought him there.
"Looking back, I am able to see how the pieces came together," he said. "It was the tools that I gained at Huntington in theater and English to get me to become a worship leader."
But Ward says that it wasn't just his majors that shaped his path. He participated in the Joyful Noise musical group and served as a resident assistant, as well. He also wrote for the on-campus literary magazine Ictus and worked at the radio station.
"All those things have prepared me for what I do now," he said.
Even today, Ward said that he is thankful for the choices he has made.
"I'm sure there are other things in my life that I would change but that was not one of them," he said about his choice of college degrees. "What the liberal arts does is it help you understand the 'Why?' in 'Why do we do this?' It gives you depth and breadth to life."
