Alumni
Arielle Samet
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Beginning with her first semester at Vanderbilt, Arielle immersed herself in STAND- an anti-genocide coalition that focuses on human rights internationally and refugees within Nashville. Over her first two years, she served as co-vice president and small events coordinator, organizing trips to tutor and mentor elementary aged refugee boys and girls with Catholic Charities. She also assisted with citizenship classes at the Somali Community Center and college prep courses at the Kurdish Community Center. In Spring 2009, Arielle volunteered with Manna Project in the Dominican Republic to build a women’s center, which would provide skills training and promote female independence in Hato Mayor.
During her college career, Arielle has integrated her interest in economics and community service by taking part in economic development and microfinance. Coming from the Northeast, she was exposed to Vanderbilt by reading Nobel Peace Prize winner and Vanderbilt graduate, Muhammad Yunus’ Banker to the Poor. During her sophomore year, she and her co-president developed the Vanderbilt Microfinance Club, a student organization that seeks to raise awareness of the tool of microfinance as well as provide microcredit loans to impoverished entrepreneurs in less developed countries. During the club’s first semester, they had three insightful lectures and assisted with 13 loans through their microcredit website at www.kiva/org/team/vanderbilt.
In the future, Arielle would like to pursue her interest in economic development and business by eventually creating a consulting company that would encourage and help corporations to use portions of their profits to promote sustainable development worldwide.