Sydney Samples
Simpson College
Sydney Samples, a sophomore student and Culver Fellow at Simpson College, is an accomplished leader on environmental and sustainability issues. She has helped to plan major campus programs on energy use and environmental concerns. As president of the Simpson Sustainability Club, she has brought more students from a broader range of disciplines into this important student organization and led them in implementing several projects that are enhancing our institution's commitment to environmentally-sustainable policies and practices. She led a successful initiative to create a prairie restoration project on college property that required support from college administration, community leaders, and the local city council. During the fall 2016 semester, she ran a successful campaign to become the first sophomore ever elected as student body president. She is using her leadership platform to enhance student and community awareness of sustainability issues.
Personal Statement
At a young age I began volunteering with my family and learned that I had a passion for helping others. Through my studies I came to learn about environmental injustice and became determined to work towards addressing issues of environmental injustice and inequality world-wide. On campus, I am student body president and advocate and plan projects to make our campus more sustainable to reduce our impact on the world around us. I also lead a sustainability club that designs projects both on and off campus, like our prairie restoration project, that not only leave green footprints but provides an opportunity to educate the public on environmental injustices and inequalities. Through hands on projects and education we can begin to address the root causes of these issues.
