31 Dec 2024 Five-Oh-Ones to Watch 2025: Kid of the Month – Peter Samain
By Colleen Holt
When it comes to bringing about change, Peter Samain of North Little Rock has truly taken the reins at Oak Grove Elementary School. Peter, 10, is in fifth grade and serves as Student Council president. His platform was founded on making “real changes.”
“I decided to run for Student Council president because I want to help make Oak Grove Elementary a better place for everyone,” he said. “I saw this position as a chance to make real changes, like improving our playground equipment, which is very old and outdated. It’s exciting to be in this role because I get to work with our amazing principal and the supportive staff, who always encourage us to do our best.”
Peter has been involved in the past with the food drive at school and would love to start an annual school clean-up day and help beautify the school. When considering the viability of updating the playground equipment, he took the needs of his fellow students into account.
“I think having better equipment will make recess more fun and encourage everyone to play outside and stay active,” he said. “I am currently working on setting up a suggestion box, so students feel more connected to each other and our school community. It is really important to me to get everyone’s input on how we can improve our school.”
Known as an encourager, Peter is full of ideas for positive results. “I love encouraging others because I know how great it feels when someone believes in you. It makes me happy to see others succeed and feel confident,” he said. “I think I’ve always been an encourager because my family has taught me to lift others up. I believe that when we support each other, we can all do amazing things.”
His principal, Staisey Hodge, said she sees Peter’s encouraging spirit in a myriad of ways.
“I’ve seen him talking to younger students to encourage them to make good choices so that one day they can run for Student Council,” she said. “He gave a fantastic speech to encourage younger students in his election campaign and is all-around a fantastic Hornet here at Oak Grove.”
Peter said his family members are his biggest supporters. “My parents, Yousef and Jacqueline Samain, encourage me to dream big and shoot for the stars. My grandparents, Jorge and Margarita Nuno, are also a big part of my life even though they live in California. They always remind me to work hard for what I want and never give up,” he said.
Peter has two sisters, Isabella, 14, and Joycelyn, 22, and a brother, Jacob, 18. “I also have a 2-year-old nephew named Raphael, who always makes me smile,” he added.
When he’s not in school, Peter loves playing Fortnite and chess, and hopes to be able to start his own YouTube account and become a content creator. At Oak Grove, he is in the Alpha gifted and talented program.
He wants to take on more leadership roles in school and beyond. “I enjoy helping others and making a difference, so I hope to continue doing that as I grow up,” Peter said. “Right now, I’m thinking about becoming a brain surgeon because I want to help people in a really big way. My parents and grandparents always tell me to work hard and dream big, so I believe I can achieve this goal if I put my mind to it.”
