Samoana Matagi

Samoana Matagi, who often goes by Sam, is a burn survivor of 14 years. Before his burn accident, he studied broadcast journalism at Utah State University where he graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Portuguese. He was nominated outstanding senior in his major. The year 2007 brought a change in career as he began the Mountain States Line Construction Apprenticeship Training program. Three years later, Sam suffered fourth-degree burns from 14,400 volts of electricity which eventually led to the loss of his hands. After that traumatic injury, he reinvented himself yet again. He became a YouTuber sharing his techniques for using his prosthetic hands as well as adding public speaker to his resume. His story is one of resilience and the ability to adapt to change.