Graduate Returns to Serve Christmas Dinner
Sam Wooden, a 2007 Buena Vista University graduate, is a member of the BVU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Sam Wooden, a 2007 Buena Vista University graduate and member of the BVU Alumni Association Board of Directors, visited campus on Dec. 6 to volunteer his services at the 36th Annual Christmas Dinner.
Following that evening dinner, Wooden visited his former advisor, Dr. Bradley Best, BVU Professor of Political Science, and then spent a class period talking with students about law school and some cases he’s helped handle since becoming a lawyer 12 years ago.
“Christmas Dinner was a tradition I really enjoyed as a student. I think I had even more fun coming back to help serve our current students.”
Sam Wooden, BVU 2007 graduate
Wooden earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. He serves in private practice in Dubuque, where he resides with his wife, Dr. Sarah Cassella, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Loras College; and their 1-year-old son, Jasper. The couple expects their second child in February.
“I can’t tell you how much fun I had serving Christmas Dinner,” says Wooden, who majored in political science and public administration as an undergraduate. “Christmas Dinner was a tradition I really enjoyed as a student. I think I had even more fun coming back to help serve our current students.”
And while the dinnertime arrangement of some tables and the choir had changed since Wooden’s time as a student, there were the constants of camaraderie, excellent food, and, of course, Sodexo General Manager Ken Allen, who oversees the event. This is Allen’s 21st year in food service at BVU.
“Ken Allen was awesome when I was a student, and he still is,” Wooden says.
Wooden, who served as Student Senate President as a senior, complemented his academic work at BVU by serving as an intern in the Jo Daviess County (Ill.) State Attorney’s Office. He worked as a manager for the volleyball team and traveled with the team to Italy as a sophomore. As a senior, he joined students and faculty on an experiential learning opportunity in South America.
Following the 2022 Christmas Dinner, he and Best shared with students some details about law school and the profession.
“My message was for students to remain persistent. Stick it out,” Wooden says.
After passing the bar exam, Wooden practiced law in Nashville, Tenn. Following five years in Nashville, he returned to Iowa to practice law full-time. This fall, he ran unsuccessfully to serve as the Dubuque County Attorney.
“It was a blast serving Christmas Dinner and then spending some time with Dr. Best and his students,” Wooden says. “Of course, I love BVU. Being on the Alumni Board has given me a chance to volunteer on campus a couple of times per year. I’ve helped with move-in day, Buenafication Day, and the Senior send off. It was great to return to experience our Christmas Dinner once again.”