Sam Bello is passionate and committed to community-driven social change, youth-driven advocacy, and empowerment-based systems change. They graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, earning the “McGuinness Award” for outstanding achievement in and a commitment to excellence in the field of psychology or the social sciences at the B.A. level. Sam brings to Boston CASA their experiences and knowledge furthered through their work in two Boston Public Schools; as a Resource Advocate at a local emergency shelter; Program Coordinator for a community- and school-based youth arts, poetry, and education nonprofit; and, most recently, working on a clinical research trial at Boston University’s School or Social Work. In addition to Boston CASA, Sam is a local community organizer and activists with and for Latinx/e initiatives and movements as well as part of the core team of QueerCare NYC, a nonprofit providing free, post-operative supportive care to trans and gender non-conforming folks across the US. At the heart of it all, Sam is driven by a deep commitment to advancing and decolonizing the field of Complex and Intergenerational Trauma and empowering young people from mixed-status families, immigrant households, LGBTQ+ youth, and youth who have been trafficked, and believes in the power of narrative, spoken word, oral history, and testimonio. Sam is grateful and excited to be part of the CASA team!