Samantha Cruzado

When you’re not working you’re…?

You can almost always find me with my nose in a book when I’m not working. It’s also been fun exploring my new town of Southern Pines on my mission to find the best local coffee shop. I look forward to eventually learning how to golf.

What’s the best career advice you ever got?

“Just say YES!”. You can miss out on so many great opportunities and relationships if you allow fear of uncertainty to steer your decision making. Although not advice I received directly, I like to keep in mind a similar quote: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

I’m from Jasper, Georgia (population 4,000). My partner and I have relocated to North Carolina to be closer to family. It was by chance (or fate) that we ended up in Southern Pines. With a population of 16,000, it doesn’t feel like a small town to me, but I love the sense of community here.

What’s a destination in the world that you aspire to visit?

I’m from a military family so we lived all over while I was growing up. We were stationed in Sicily at one point, which is where my family emigrated from four generations ago. Now that I am an adult, I think it would be exciting to go back and truly appreciate the culture…and I am always ready to eat some pasta.