Isaac Elzinga: What are a few items you would want to have if you were an island?

Samantha Cary: I am obsessed with Marvel movies, so I go to every midnight premiere of every Marvel movie or every opening day premiere. So, I got to have a stack of Marvel movies, especially the “Infinity” saga. I love a good rom-com. Any book, movie – anything that’s like past time and terrible reality TV shows. I’m addicted to “Dance Moms.”

Elzinga: What do you do in your alone time when you’re not playing or studying?

Cary: I think my biggest thing that people don’t know about me is I love to cook. I’m always trying new things in the kitchen, making recipes, cooking dinner. Over the summer, we had seven freshmen living in my house, and I cooked them family dinners every night just because I love cooking. That’s definitely a love language of mine, acts of service. Hosting meals and hosting dinner parties is one of my favorite things to do.

Elzinga: What’s your favorite thing that you’ve cooked?

Cary: Oh, that’s hard. If I were to list a couple, I make mean enchiladas. Classic steak and potatoes or a loaded sweet potato with an avocado crema.

Elzinga: What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken at Iowa?

Cary: So I was a public health major, and being a public health major is a bit unique. It’s a really small major. I think one of my favorite classes has been “Finding Patient Zero,” which is all about epidemiology and the transmission of disease. Taking that in the height of COVID-19 was so interesting and really a passion of mine.

Elzinga: What would be the first thing you do if you won the lottery?

Cary: I would give some money back to my parents. They’ve supported me in every single way. Club soccer is not cheap, and for so many years they supported me and this crazy dream of mine to play Division I soccer. My mom drives to every single soccer game and she’s racking up her mileage big time. So I think I’d buy my mom a nice car for travel.

Elzinga: What was your favorite book growing up?

Cary: “The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss.

Elzinga: If someone were to play you in a movie, who would you pick?

Cary: Could I be honored to say Reese Witherspoon? I like to call myself a soccer version of Elle Woods sometimes. I feel like I’m a little young, but Reese Witherspoon.

Elzinga: Who is your celebrity crush?

Cary: Blake Lively – how could I not? If I’m picking a soccer player, Crystal Dunn all day.

Elzinga: What sort of music interests you?

Cary: That’s such a hard question because I have such weird music. They don’t let me on aux on the team because my pregame playlist ranges from everything like EDM to country to Broadway music.
So I’ve got way too big of a spectrum there.