Featured Alumnus: Michael Lancaster ’74 | Avon Old Farms News | About Us | Avon Old Farms

Sam Rubenstein ’85 normally visits campus twice a year to meet with the rest of the Alumni Council to discuss ways to enhance the overall experience for alumni as well as current and prospective students, faculty, and staff. This year, he says he is excited to extend one of those visits to be able to attend his 40-year reunion. 

“There’s going to be a large number of my classmates attending that I’m looking forward to seeing. These are guys I spent four pivotal years with. It will be special.” Reunion this year will be held in the fall. 

For Sam, his four years began with an experience shared by many Avonians—an influential meeting with Frank Leavitt ’52 in an awe-inspiring setting. “I had toured other schools. My sister was at Loomis, but I knew right away Avon was the right choice for me. I fell in love with the school the second I walked on campus. Then after my admissions interview with Frank Leavitt I never looked back.”

Although he knew Avon was the right choice, a boarding school in New England was still a new world for the young teen from Louisiana, so there was understandably a bit of an adjustment period. “It was a little bit of a change, to say the least. I had never been to a hockey or lacrosse game before coming to Avon—I’m sure not many other students could say that. There was a culture change as well, coming from the deep south, 1500 miles away.” He credits the Brotherhood and members of the faculty for helping him adjust. 

One faculty member, in particular, who became a friend and mentor to Sam was Frank “Bud” Gouveia. Bud served as the athletic trainer in addition to his teaching duties, and Sam spent two years working alongside Bud as the student trainer. “It was great. I’d spend an afternoon taping up guys like Brian Leetch ’86 and Juan Nieves ’83, and I became close friends with Bud. I loved it. The camaraderie around the trainer’s room was great, you were in the middle of everything.” 

He was active outside of the trainer’s room as well. Sam was a four-year honor roll student, member of the yearbook staff and spirit club, and served as monitor of Diogenes dorm. After graduation, he matriculated to the University of Richmond where he earned a degree in accounting. 

From there, Sam would go on to become an expert in Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and internal control. He began his career at Ernst & Young, where he spent 19 years working as a financial statement and IT auditor. This role saw him live and work in several different cities across the country. He then moved on to General Motors, where he really began to carve out his niche as an expert auditor for distressed companies and working to improve their financial controls and overall control environment.

Sam’s next gig moved him to Las Vegas, where he worked out of Caesar’s Palace and built and ran Caesars Entertainment Corporation’s financial assurance/SOX team as well as their IT audit team. After a brief stint running his own practice, he took on a role at Darigold (the Northwest Dairy Association) where he still works as an on-demand employee, otherwise enjoying being semi-retired. 

With his career taking him all over the country, it’s lucky for Sam that his parents have lived in the same house for decades, but it’s not his only oasis. “Between my parent’s house and Avon, I always have something permanent.” 

He says that his time at Avon helped him in plenty of other ways as well. “It taught me discipline and focus. And being in the Brotherhood taught me how to work with others—teamwork, accepting differences, etc. The principles you learn at Avon serve you so well in the corporate world. Integrity especially, as an auditor, is huge to me.”

For these reasons, Sam says he will always be willing to offer his time and financial support to his alma mater. “Avon was pivotal in my life, so I want to give back to the institution that gave so much to me. I also believe in the mission of what Avon is trying to accomplish, turning boys into men of character.” This is likely why Sam encouraged his nephew Ryan Wunsch ’21 to attend as well. 

With other career and personal milestones continuing including Charlene and he welcoming their first grandchild last year, he is looking forward to returning this fall to Avon, a place of permanence for him and all Avonians alike. 

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