Photography by Steve Buchanan
Two-sport Easton High standout Samantha “Sam” Mason had passionately wanted to play sports in college. Mason is certainly good enough at volleyball and softball to merit a serious look by any number of college programs. However, she’s decided to focus on preparing for a career as a film producer. And next fall, she’ll major in film production—another passion of hers—at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
For years, Mason assumed she would be playing volleyball in college. She was accepted to New York’s Division II Pace University, where she would have played volleyball had she picked the college. Mason developed into one of the better players on the Eastern Shore, earning Bayside Conference Co-Volleyball Player of the Year honors last fall as a senior.
Even so, it wasn’t an easy decision when she elected not to pursue college volleyball in January. “A (Pace) coach had a personal connection to one of our assistant volleyball coaches (Janes Foo),” Mason explains. “I love sports, but I don’t want to make it a career. I would have probably been overwhelmed. I wouldn’t have been able to focus on academics.”
Mason hopes to produce feature films as a profession. To prepare for this type of job, she’s getting certified at Easton High in Adobe Video Editing.
“I love the way films are put together,” Mason says. “It’s like a big puzzle. I would have a foot in the piece of the puzzle. I love thinking about camera angles. But I also love seeing what the actors do to make it work. With producing, I would have a taste of everything.”
Mason is most impressed with the chances she will have with hands-on experience in film at college. “Savannah has a lot of intern opportunities,” Mason says.
This spring. Mason eschewed softball to focus on academics and acting in school productions for the second straight year. This year, she’ll have a lead role in the play Chicago. Last year, she had a supporting role in Legally Blonde.
Easton Volleyball and Softball Coach Jen Powell admires Mason for her work ethic and time-management skills. Powell says Mason had all the skills needed to play college softball.
“Any coach would like to have an athlete like her whether it’s her performance on or off the field, or court,” Powell says. “She is always giving 110 percent and is there for her teammates. She is also very focused on her grades. A 4.1 grade-point average is tremendous for a two-sport athlete.”
Mason took six advanced placement classes at Easton and spent three to four hours daily at theater rehearsals every week. The hard work led to her recent induction in the National Honor Society.
“Academics has always been first for me,” Mason says. “I would miss a practice or be late to practice if I had to study for something. Or if not, I would be up to 2 a.m. studying for a test.”
The 5-foot-3 Mason, a libero, put in a lot of hours developing her volleyball skills. She started at the YMCA in Easton in eighth grade, then played club for four years and a couple more at Easton. She started three years for her high school team. The 17-year-old led the team with 132 digs in 2022.
On the softball field, Mason started for three years at Easton, playing catcher, shortstop, first base, and in the outfield. She hit .375 as a junior and had a .450 on-base percentage.
“I will be disappointed I won’t get to see her at the next level because I knew for sure she could play at the next level,” Powell says. “She is just an all-around athlete.” And certainly an exceptional student.
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