Meet an Ordinary Young Woman Doing Extraordinary Things.

We often recognize Horizon Westers who stand out as exceptional leaders; the people who are creating what we all want to be a part of. Now it’s time to proudly recognize an extraordinary young person who is creating what she wants to be a part of at Windermere High School and leading her fellow students in building a community all their own.

Sammie -as her friends call her -loves her school and loves her community! Samantha is just your average teenager in many ways; working weekends at the grocery store, playing sports and enjoying making memories with her friends. And then you begin to realize just how extraordinary Samantha really is. Not from her own mouth, but from the steady stream of admiration from her peers, her teachers, her mentors and her coaches. She is truly one of a kind.

Her official accolades are numerous, including Student Body President for the Class of 2021, former Student Body Vice President during her Junior year, Secretary her Sophomore Year and President of her Freshman class. She also served on the Homecoming Court and is an officer in the National Honor Society. Anyone who knows Samantha Lanbourne knows that she bleeds Navy and Lime for her Wolverines, which is exemplified in her numerous roles in school leadership.

Samantha is not one to rest on her laurels. She is tireless in her dedication to community enrichment and believes strongly that we are all better together. She created a leadership mentoring program for future Wolverines currently attending Horizon West Middle School and Bridgewater Middle School. The purpose is to teach the middle schoolers to run service projects and create leadership opportunities for them so when they go to high school they are better prepared to lead, serve and be actively engaged in their communities. This program started last year and is going strong in its second year. All the changes to the school year did not stop Samantha! She worked to help keep the program going virtually instead of face to face at the school.

Just as you begin to think, “How does she do it?!”, you find her advocating for others’ causes. Last year when the WHS Band was not able to attend Homecoming due to an annual competition, it meant 300 students would miss this beloved tradition, Samantha knew something had to be done. She proposed to the administration a Homecoming just for the band, which was accepted and executed perfectly, resulting in a memorable night for all.

Through her work in the National Honor Society, Samantha helped build a free tutoring program for other students who are struggling. She also partnered with the school Dance Marathon team through her role in Student Government to raise over $250,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network since her Freshman year.

Raised by a single mother, Samantha knows what it means to sacrifice and to work hard every day. She watched her mother learn a new language after immigrating from Brazil. Samantha speaks Portguese, Spanish and English fluently, knowing that the world is often bigger than it appears and diversity is what makes us who we are.

Samantha Lambourne isn’t just the girl with straight A’s and over a dozen AP classes under her belt. She’s the girl changing the world. She’s the girl cheering from the sidelines at sporting events for her fellow students. She’s the girl championing for causes that aren’t her own but mean the world to someone else. She’s the girl who shows up to help, to serve and to lead.

To Samantha we say how very grateful we are for your hard work, dedication to your community and heart for service. Horizon West is a better place because of you!