A Biological Sketch of Alicia Sampson, New Vista at CS&CE

Hello USM! My name is Alicia Ines Sampson and I joined the office of Community Service and Civic Engagement this July! I intend to use this first blog to introduce myself to the USM Community!

Since my junior year of high school I have been working in environments, which foster creativity and independence in kids. I have worked as junior and senior counselor at summer camps for four years. Last year while attending a graduate program in Cultural Anthropology at SUNY University at Buffalo, I worked as an after school counselor with ages K-6 at the JCC of Greater Buffalo.

At an early age I came to love soccer. Soccer became an extremely important part of my life. From age 6 to 18 I was dedicated to the sport and to my teammates. For seven years I played soccer at a highly competitive level (college, national and international). Through soccer I learned how to communicate, cooperate and lead.

During my undergraduate years I explored my passion for art by enrolling in painting and drawing courses at the Art Students League in New York City and the Newark Museum in New Jersey.

Midway through my sophomore year at Montclair State University (New Jersey) I went to Costa Rica and volunteered with the organization i-to-i. Here I learned about the environment while working for two months in four ecologically diverse national parks. At Volcan Tennorio, near the boarder of Nicaragua, I tracked animals in the rainforest. On the Nicoya Pennisula at playa Cocolito I worked hard for several weeks maintaining the pristine beaches, walking up and down the coast picking up trash that washed ashore, and encouraging visitors to only leave their foot prints in the sand. In another project at a sea turtle station I tended to the nests, helped develop local involvement and patrolled the beaches to protect the nests from poachers, . Later during my stay I worked at an orphanage near the capital city of San Jose. I was responsible for helping the children with homework, organizing soccer tournaments, and nurturing their artistic abilities.

As a junior my fascination for Latin American cultures along with a desire to explore my ancestral roots led me to set out to Buenos Aires, Argentina to complete my minor in Latin American/Latino Studies at Universidad Belgrano.

At the American Museum of Natural History in New York City I was a volunteer docent. I gave talks to elementary school children on the Eastern woodland Indians. Several months later I worked as an intern in the Division of Anthropology on a project with Meso-American pottery, where I became familiar with their intricate designs and formal qualities.

More recently I have formed an arts, music, and film enterprise called Otter Productions with 12 of my closest friends. In June of 2007 we presented our skecth comedy show Dr. Anonymous to an audience of 200 people in Greenwich CT, we’ve been awarded special mention by the National Film challenge in 2005 for our short film The Government Man, we also have recorded five albums of original music and hope to produce our sixth later this August. I am currently living at the height of the arts district in Portland’s West End neighborhood where I continue to nurture the relationship between community and the arts! One project I am involved in is the Tower of Song a monthly (first Friday of the month) live performance from the Top Floor of the old Congress Square Hotel. Local musicians are invited to play a 3-5 song live set that will be projected to the masses below- creating an impromptu soundtrack for the streets of Portland.

As an undergraduate Cultural Anthropology Major, I was enrolled in the service-learning course Contemporary and Practical Anthropology. This course required me to actively participate in community-based project that addressed community identified needs. I selected to volunteer at the Montclair Inn, an assisted living residence. At the Montclair Inn, I was an Activities Coordinator. My duties involved organizing event such as poetry readings, current event discussion groups, art projects and gardening. Most importantly, I became a friend to several of the residents. My willingness to listen to their stories or concerns was genuinely valued. Hearing about the difficulties that these elderly residents faced fostered a newfound sense of citizenship within me. This course not only connected my coursework to real world issues but also deepened my understanding of the importance of political involvement, civic responsibility and activism.

As an anthropologist I recognize the uniqueness and validity of every cultural group. By increasing cultural awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity, anthropology teaches people to recognize that regardless of differences we share the same basic humanity. It is my hope that culturally relevant education can promote the value of other worldviews and other ways of living. I am eager to work with USM students interested in community service, develop community service events, as well as work with multicultural communities both on and off campus!

Please feel free to contact me to express interest in the programming offered by our office and/or to discuss new project ideas!

Cheers!

Alicia Ines Sampson
AmeriCorps VISTA
Office of Community Service & Civic Engagement
228-8092
asampson@usm.maine.edu