About Sam Traut

Sam, originally from Sartell, MN, attended NDSU from 2009 to 2013. He became active at St. Paul’s Newman Center when he joined a bible study and started volunteering in ministry and at events. Eventually Sam led his own bible study and became extremely active in the NDSU campus community with outreach, evangelization; he cultivated many friendships.  After graduation, Sam began working full time for Stantec as a Field Inspector and Engineer in Training, the same company he had been interning with as a student. He continued his involvement at the Newman Center as a Knight of Columbus, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Religious Education Catechist, along with being an active volunteer with events. Sam also hosted a bible study at his house for men that he worked with and knew in college who were also graduated.  Sam was a role model for everyone with his heroic witness of his deep faith and his desire to do the Will of God.

Ryan LaPlante, a friend and NDSU alumni said of Sam, “He worked hard in college. He worked hard at his job. He was a man you could depend on.  For him, there was no separation between his life of faith and his temporal duties.”   The impact that Sam had on the people at the Newman Center, his peers and the students at NDSU, was genuine and lasting.

Sam was well known for his great smile, genuine, fun-loving character, prank playing, swing dancing, mechanical skills and eagerness to help others. He was selfless, patient, loving, gentle, joyful, down-to-earth and deeply in love with God.

We are extremely grateful for the blessing of his presence at the Newman Center while we had him – because of his example of holiness, kindness and self-giving, he was truly inspiring. Sam was a member of the bisonCatholic Alumni Board and helped out at many fundraising functions. He was also a generous steward of the bisonCatholic campus ministry program.