Sam McCarthy joined CAASE in October 2022 as a Prevention Intern and transitioned into a full-time Prevention Educator role in February 2023. Sam completed her undergraduate degree at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where she majored in sociology and minored in community action. She was involved in reproductive justice efforts in Hartford and worked to launch Trinity’s new interpersonal violence prevention strategy. Led by her interests in sexual violence prevention and sex education, Sam went on to earn a Master’s in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration from the University of Chicago.

As a prevention educator, Sam works with the prevention department to innovate and deliver CAASE’s curriculum to high school students in the Chicago area. With her background in sociology and social work, Sam is passionate about having thoughtful conversations that empower young people to understand and address harm at individual, community, and systems levels.