Samantha Beasley was born in Oklahoma City, but raised here in Athens. She graduated from Athens Academy and earned a degree in Psychology from Piedmont College. She worked at Brightpaths Athens, a nonprofit that works to prevent child abuse, before becoming the Team Lead for the Rapid Re-housing Program at Advantage Behavioral Health Sytems. Samantha played basketball in high school and coached little league basketball for the first time this year. She lives close to downtown with her daughter, Samara who is 7.

 

 

 

What is your favorite part of your job?

 

My favorite part of my job is seeing when clients actually get housed, getting to tell them that they finally have a place. You can just see how excited they are about it and it is really the end of their struggle. They don’t have to stay outside anymore. They don’t have to go from place to place. They have security. It’s so nice being able to provide somebody with security.

 

When you are not working, what do you like to do in or around Athens?

 

Currently, my whole life has just revolved around my daughter so in the afternoons we just do track. She does track for a team that practices at Clarke Central. This is her first year and she enjoys it so far. We do homework in the afternoon, we read a little in the afternoon. Really, after I leave work it is just family time. We go to the park sometimes. She likes going to Bear Hollow, so that is fun. When it is summertime, she likes to go swimming at the pool there.

 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

 

Right now, it would be to any beach. I don’t care where. Any place that has sand, sun and water.

 

If you could see any band or musician, dead or alive, who would you see and where?

 

Right now, my favorite artist is Rod Wave. I would say that is somebody I would definitely go see. I don’t care where.

 

What advice would you give your younger self?

 

I would tell myself don’t be so hard on yourself because the amount of stress that I think I put on myself was really unnecessary. Because everything just comes together in time. I just needed to be more patient and wait for it to unfold.

 

Do you have a favorite book or a book you find yourself referencing a lot?

 

I do have a favorite book, it is called Someone Knows My Name. That is the only book I think I read more than once. They turned it into a movie, but I really did not like the movie very much. It took away from the book. But, I would say that it is my favorite book.

 

Do you have a favorite movie?

 

I do have a favorite movie. I have several favorite movies. As far as Disney goes, as of right now would be Encanto. Growing up, I would say it was Love and Basketball because I played basketball. I always thought I was going to marry someone that played basketball too. But, I never found anyone that liked basketball as much as I do so that was a big no, but I still love that movie.

 

If you could put any message on a billboard, what would you put?

 

I would put Go For It because a lot of times people don’t go for the things that they want.

 

If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and where?

 

I would say my grandma. It would have to be my Nana. A lot of the things she taught me growing up, I really stay true to that because she was my rock. She was my best friend. I would definitely say her. One of her favorite places was Rafferty’s so we’d go there. That is where I told her she was going to have her first great-grandchild, which made her so happy. That is actually one of my fondest memories as of right now. That was one of the best gifts I could have given her.

 

What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word “home?”

 

Peace, love and generosity.