Alumni
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Sammy Cousino
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Growing up in the city of Chicago, Sammy witnessed inequality firsthand. She saw the disparity among different neighborhoods of her hometown and the schools within them. The injustices Sammy saw within the bounds of the third largest city in the United States prompted her to study various social justice issues and act on them.
Now at Vanderbilt, Sammy is involved in several service organizations that address a wide range of needs in the Nashville community. One of Sammy's favorite service activities is through Vanderbilt's chapter of Glamour Gals. Glamour Gals is a national organization that travels to retirement homes and gives manicures to the elderly residents there. Sammy is on the board for Glamour Gals for the 2018-2019 school year, serving as VP of Internal Outreach. Sammy is thrilled to further her leadership with such a fun and rewarding service organization. During her senior year, Sammy is also serving as Vanderbilt Student Government’s Director of Active Citizenship and Service. She is honored to take on this role for the Vanderbilt student body.
Outside of Vanderbilt's campus, Sammy has interned with both the League of Women Voters of Nashville (LWVN) and the ACLU of Tennessee. The summer after her freshman year, Sammy (with fellow Ingram Scholar Sophie Goddyn) completed her 8-week summer project with the LWVN. She and Sophie developed a website, along with several videos, that centralize and simplify election/voting information for young people looking to vote for the first time in the state of Tennessee (myfirstvotetn.org). Throughout the spring semester of her sophomore year, Sammy worked for the ACLU of TN, tracking legislation and drafting a white paper on bail reform in Tennessee.
The summer after her sophomore year, Sammy completed an internship with both Manna Project International and Mikva Challenge. Manna Project International is a non-profit Sammy was first introduced to during a spring break trip to Nicaragua. Sammy made the choice to return to Nicaragua for a month this summer and further serve alongside the people of Managua, aiding in English, creative arts, and lacrosse. She spent the rest of summer back in Chicago working for the non-profit Mikva Challenge, which aims to increase civic engagement among young people. A Mikva alum herself, Sammy was excited to come back to the organization as a college intern. For two months she helped supervise a group of 62 young Chicagoans who had internships at the offices of elected officials across the city.
During the spring semester of her junior year, Sammy studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland through the School of International Training’s International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy program. Sammy appreciated the opportunity to learn from top leaders in international relations and attend lectures at organizations like the Red Cross, UNESCO, and the WTO. At the end of her semester, Sammy completed an independent study examining civic education across Germany, Switzerland, and France. After her semester completed, Sammy stayed in Geneva to intern for the NGO International Bridges to Justice (IBJ). IBJ works in developing countries to improve access to justice for all. At the IBJ headquarters, Sammy drafted grant proposals, aided in the development of concept notes, and created content for external communications. Sammy will continue to work with IBJ throughout the school year, leading the initiative to bring IBJ chapters to American universities.
Sammy is incredibly honored to be a part of the Ingram Scholarship Program. She is excited to continue her passions and civic engagement throughout her final year at Vanderbilt.