The congratulations to Sam Wilbur can’t be shouted loud enough. The 2023 South O’Brien graduate has participated in 4H and FFA throughout her school years. She has grown learning both the art and science of photography with her mother, Michelle Sohn of Jons Gallery in Primghar. She is a skilled young lady, and her success shows that.
In 2021 Wilbur was the first ever FFA Iowa State Fair participant to earn Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion in the same year. She did this with her photographs “Milky Way” and “Snowy Barn” respectively.
Wilbur spent part of her summer on a vacation in Yellowstone and a stone’s throw away, the Grand Tetons during the July 4 holiday. She took hundreds of pictures. Most won’t be seen by the public.
So for the first time ever, Wilbur repeated her first time ever achievement – a FFA Grand Champion and Reserve Champion for her photographs from the United States west. Her 2023 Grand Champion photograph is Elk at Yellowstone. The Reserve Champion is Sunrise of Grand Tetons. That is an image of a Mormon barn. In addition to the top spots, Wilbur submitted a black and white of a buffalo, which took 2nd overall and beaten by only her Elk picture. Her photo of a sunset over a lake at the Grand Tetons earned a blue, but no place. Four pictures is the maximum entry for FFA competitions at the Iowa State Fair.
Wallace’s Farmer is a 2-year sponsor for the event. This is their first year. Instead of the $10 and $12 prize money, Wallace’s Farmer paid out $50 for the Reserve Champion and $75 for the Grand Champion. While it is arguable that Wilbur earned the extraordinary payouts, the earnings are in a 2-year evaluation period.
Making history is not the only thing Wilbur is doing at the 2023 Iowa State Fair. She is also serving as a State 4H reporter. She is spending this second week of the fair doing interviews including an Extension assigned interview with Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst. She is the first to be a 4H reporter at the Iowa State Fair from O’Brien County.
After the fair, Wilbur will have not time except to unpack and repack. She starts her freshman year at Dordt College part of Dordt’s largest freshman class. She plans a degree in Physical Therapy with a minor in Communications. While there she will be part of the school’s media network doing live stream and commentary on Dordt Sports.
Some of Wilbur’s award-winning photographs are not finished yet. She has submitted 3 into a Dordt competition to be displayed in the college’s art gallery. She expects to know soon if that will happen. “They have a good decision process,” said Wilbur.
Entering Profession Photographers of Iowa (PPI) in the special student class at this fall or winter convention is also something she is considering. But that, along with the possible development of a website for her photography work are both just maybes.
Whatever new experiences Sam Wilbur undergoes, she must be getting pretty used to being a history maker.