Samuel Bowlby ’04, a former infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, addressed students on Sunday, Nov. 11 as the featured speaker for the sixth annual Josiah Bunting III Veterans Day Lecture, sponsored by the Alexander Hamilton Institute (AHI) Undergraduate Fellows. The lecture series began in 2013 and featured General Josiah Bunting III.
Bowlby’s speech, titled “Leaving Your Comfort Zone: The Ongoing Battle to Challenge Oneself and Maximize Potential,” focused on the importance of putting oneself in uncomfortable situations for personal betterment.
Bowlby was a government major at Hamilton and a three-sport athlete, but early on found out that he had an affinity for theater as well. He said the risks he took at Hamilton associated with the variety of activities he was involved in helped him in his career as a Marine.
Bowlby’s interest in joining the Marines was catalyzed by the 9/11 attacks. He said he still remembers walking back to his room after a morning class and watching the South Tower fall with his roommate. “At that moment, something changed within me,” he said.
Bowlby wanted to be an Infantry Officer, but he questioned if he was up to the job. “But I remembered that I played football in the NESCAC,” he said. “I can accomplish anything.”
He became an Infantry Officer and commanded a platoon of soldiers in Iraq. He admitted to being afraid as he faced his first deployment, wondering if he would ever see his family again. Still, he remembered thinking, “This is exactly where I wanted to be. This is where I’ve worked so hard to be.”
Serving in a war zone was discomforting enough, but as a leader Bowlby also focus on others and instill discipline in his platoon. One night, when his team was supposed to be on watch, he noticed one of his sergeants sleeping. He almost didn’t discipline the sergeant because the target never came and no harm was done, but he ended up following the correct protocol and confronting the soldier. “I was able to look at myself in the mirror, and more importantly the rest of the Marines took notice of what happened that morning. That interaction made up a stronger unit moving forward.”
Bowlby served two tours of duty in Iraq and was promoted to captain before leaving the Marines in 2008.
Bowlby next enrolled in business school at Babson College. During his first semester, his father passed away. He recalled struggling during this time and wanting to leave, but persevered and relied on help from others as he grappled with the loss. “I was amazed and still am about what people will do for you when you ask for help, you just have to ask.”
Bowlby earned his MBA at Babson and now works at the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates where he says he continues to try to push himself out of his comfort zone everyday.
