Sam Morris is the director of military student success. He is originally from Richmond, Va., and settled in La Crosse after his wife, Jennifer Schmaltz, retired from the U.S. Army in 2018. She currently is an assistant professor in Viterbo’s School of Nursing, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1994.

Morris also is an Army veteran, retiring from the military in 2010. Upon his military retirement, he attended California University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in sports management, with a concentration in exercise science.

Soon after moving to La Crosse, Morris earned his MBA in healthcare leadership from Viterbo while working as a program manager at Logistics Health.

In his current role as the director of military student success at Viterbo, Morris has two primary responsibilities: military aligned student recruitment and providing student support services to military aligned students during their education at Viterbo.

Morris oversees the Military Student Success Center operations, provides Green Zone training to university staff, faculty, and students, and serves as an advocate for military students who are currently serving in the military in an active duty, reserve, and national guard capacity.

In addition to his work at Viterbo, Morris is a member of the La Crosse chapter of the VFW, supporting veterans within the La Crosse community. He also maintains his certifications as a strength and conditioning specialist through the NSCA and provides strength and conditioning coaching for scholastic and military athletes within the La Crosse community.

Sam is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit due to his contributions to military medicine while serving in the military and is a published researcher with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

How (and/or why) did you come to be at Viterbo?

I sought out an opportunity after my experience as a student at Viterbo. During my time as a student, I enjoyed the culture of and the environment of the university. With the Viterbo culture, there are a lot of similarities of the values of the university with the values that I obtained while serving in the military.

The values of integrity, service, and stewardship were consistently displayed by the university faculty which gave me a feeling of belonging which was needed soon after my transition to La Crosse.

With regard to the environment, the university campus provides multiple spaces to reflect and to mentally reset which enabled me to perform at my absolute best as a student. After experiencing all of this, I very much wanted to work at Viterbo, and to be a part of the amazing culture here.

What do you love most about working at Viterbo?

Seeing military students accomplish their educational goals and transition into the workforce after graduation. I love supporting our military student population and providing guidance and resources that ensure their educational success.

What inspires you?

My story as service member, and military spouse. When engaging with my students, I consistently reflect on my experience as an enlisted service member and as military spouse.

As a service member, I felt that I did not have the abilities to be a successful post-secondary student, and I felt that I was not good enough to attend college. After obtaining my undergraduate degree with honors, I knew I was good enough to be a college student, and I use these experiences to coach and mentor our military students through their adversities while at Viterbo.

I use my experiences as military spouse to counsel our military spouse students on how to develop a balance between maintaining home life and being a successful student.

What advice would you give to students regarding heading out into “the real world”?

I have two primary pieces of advice when counseling students. The first is to listen. By pausing and listening, you will learn how an organization conducts business, how relationships are developing, and organization dynamics.

My second piece of advice is to be ambitious. After learning the organization’s dynamics, use this information to fuel your ambitions and goals, Organizations are consistently looking for leaders, and two key components of being a good leader is listening and goal accomplishment.

Do you have a little-known fun fact about yourself that would surprise students and co-workers?

Prior to joining the military, I was an aspiring art student at Virginia Commonwealth University. I had a deep passion for art and design. However, I did not have the maturity to match that passion, which ultimately resulted in me joining the military. Today, I paint and draw with family and friends in my down time.

What do others say about you?

“You have a remarkable gift for being fully present in the moment. You give your undivided attention to the person you are with, and they can feel it. This is unfortunately such a rare quality! This gives you tremendous influence as a leader. Attracting followers is so much more powerful than using power or other tactics to get people to follow you.”

“You're always the smartest, most prepared, and passionate person in the room. Do not let that passion be a detriment to your health, family, and life.”

“I could always count on you. You showed up no matter what. It is truly a great quality in a co-worker.”

“Your limitless willpower and determination, coupled with your remarkable ability to remain approachable, is how you add value in any capacity of an organization. You display a level of tenacity to complete any goal that is only matched by your humbled demeanor and wisdom to discover the right answer no matter the situation. It was truly an honor to have worked with you!”