5 Questions with Samuel Young II

In this new role, he manages program activities, oversees recruitment and admissions,and coordinates services and opportunities. Sam also conducts research to generate reports, forecasts, and analyses; develops select educational programs; and connects students with necessary interventions, resources, and services to support their success.

Since 1968, the Groups Scholars Program has supported more than 13,000 first-generation, underrepresented students to Indiana University. From the time new Groups Scholars arrive, the program connects them with a robust academic, financial, and social support network that includes academic advising, tutoring, enrollment in specialized courses, and activities designed to foster academic success and degree completion. 

Sam earned a bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Indiana Tech. 

Q: What led you to IU, and what did you study as an undergrad? 

A:  My brother, Larry Young, was a Groups Scholar in 1984. He suggested I look at IU and the Groups Program. I discussed this with my high school counselor and started my path to IU. I planned to major in criminal justice but switched to a general studies degree focusing on criminal justice and sociology. 

Q: What was your experience like as an IU student? What kinds of things do you wish you’d known, or what resources do you wish you’d had that you now try to provide to Groups Scholars? 

A: I was very involved as a student. My first job was working in McNutt as the weight room manager. Denise Gowin allowed me to improve the environment and be active in the residence hall, which led me in the following years to become a member of the judicial board and then an RA in Briscoe. I pledged to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Eta Chapter, in the spring of 1989. I sang in the African American Choral Ensemble. In addition, I was involved in reactivating the NAACP chapter, and I can’t forget my involvement with Groups for four impactful summers. Today, we try to encourage our students to find their home at IU but focus on their academic goals. We provide engagement through our student organizations. 

Q: What’s something you want people to know about the Groups Scholars Program that they might not know? 

A: Staff members are involved with our students until they graduate. There have been many changes for the better to increase retention and graduation rates. What we provide  to each student is critical, and we want them to know “success is their reality!” 

Q: What are some of the success tips you offer new Groups Scholars — and their parents? 

A: We are a family. We want to know their accomplishments and help them solve challenges. The students have the grit to overcome. If they stay involved with the program throughout their time as an undergraduate, they will have the support needed to reach their goal of receiving a baccalaureate degree in a timely manner. 

Q: The Groups Summer Experience Program brings incoming students to campus during the second summer session, well before their first semester as college students, to bond as a cohort, learn their way around campus and town, and take IU classes. Why is this so important? 

A: Creating this cohort model allows our students to find resources they may not have known before their college experience. Many first-generation students need more resources to enter this new opportunity. We want them to have this comfort level to utilize all the resources and connect to the program and Indiana University.