This month’s interview was slightly different than the rest. Instead of sitting down somewhere at home, Samantha Bascom entered the call while driving around in her car. Samantha is seventeen years old and in 11th grade. She has been with TPS for 2 years and is currently taking Spanish 1 Honors, Chemistry, Chemistry Problem Solving, and Government. Other than English, she knows enough of American Sign Language (ASL) to translate everyday situations. She has 3 siblings, the worst gift she has received is a fanny pack, and she is willing to try any weird food combinations if they are not spicy.
I start the interview with, “Do you have any hobbies?”
“I play violin, guitar, and piano, and I sing. I compete in public speaking and debate. I bake. Let’s see, what else do I do? I also do CrossFit.”
“I like how different they are. Why did you join TPS?”
“I used to go to a homeschool co-op, but the homeschool moms were not able to provide me with the education I needed. So, we found TPS!” she explains.
“Cool! May I know your favorite Bible verse?”
“Psalm 51:10 which reads, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me’ (ESV).”
“And your favorite subject in school?”
“Social sciences.”
“Favorite sport?”
“I’d have to go with Track and Field, although soccer is definitely up there.”
“Favorite board game?”
“Ticket to Ride.”
“Oh my word, that’s such a great game!” I immediately get excited over my own favorite board game. “Favorite movie?”
“While You Were Sleeping.”
“Now for a slightly harder one: favorite childhood memory?”
“I actually had to think about this one recently for a speech tournament, because it was one of the prompts for an impromptu round. I’d say probably the moment when I got to walk into the hospital room where my little sister was born, and I got to hold her for the first time.”
“That is a great memory! Where do you live, and what do you like best about where you live?”
“I live in a small town in Virginia. One of the greatest parts about it is that it forces you to get outside in nature. We’ve got hiking, and you can go down to the river. I live on a dirt road, so sometimes my friends and I will go four-wheeling during the summer, or camping is another great way to spend my time. Lots of ways to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors that God has given us,” she shares about her hometown.
“Hmm, that’s really good. What is something you’d want to change about your life?”
“I grew up with a really difficult childhood. I have an older sister with a lot of special needs and mental illnesses.” She pauses before continuing her heartfelt thoughts, “I’m not saying that I would want to change her situation, but rather how I handled it, because I held a lot of resentment and bitterness towards her. I guess maybe just learning to forgive people more easily.”
“What is a phrase or expression that you say too much?”
“I have this response that I give when I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say about the appearance of someone or something they have just done. I’ll say, ‘That’s hot.’”
We both chuckle at this amusing reply.
“What is something that you cannot live without?”
“Other than God, coffee.”
“Understandable. What are a few fun facts about yourself that the majority of the TPS community do not know about?”
“I am terrified of drowning. I can rap. Oh, I have the biggest collection of scrunchies you will ever find. I think I have over 300 scrunchies in several mason jars in my bedroom.”
I furiously blink a few times and laugh. “Here comes the follow-up question. What do you like so much about scrunchies that you have so many?”
“I used to have hair that came down past my waist, and I would always end up breaking regular hair ties. So, people would buy me scrunchies. Then, in the fall of 2020, I chopped off all my hair after going through a breakup. I decided that I would use scrunchies as an accessory in other ways, so people still continued to give me scrunchies.”
“Hmm, okay, that is still a lot of scrunchies you have. You mentioned that you enjoy public speaking and debate, what makes you interested in it?”
“There is something powerful about giving speeches not just to win, but to give a message that you feel fairly confident that God is going to use to change the life of another individual. Being able to share what God does daily to individuals is just very rewarding,” she effortlessly states.
“We’re going to end with this very last question. What reminders would you give to anyone?”
“A majority of us in TPS claim to be believers, and I just want to give a reminder that if we claim to be Christians, then there should be nothing in our lives that should cause people to question if we’re believers. Meaning, when we go through difficult situations, we must continue to have faith and trust God through the promises that He gives us. We should live as Romans 12 says to live: peaceably with everyone. Not that everyone is going to be satisfied with what we do, but that we should never intentionally be causing people to question where the source of our hope and comfort comes from.”
“Yes, this is such an amazing reminder and encouragement. Thank you for agreeing to this interview!”