Student Profile: Samantha Kerr

Mississippi State University senior Samantha Kerr is already using her undergraduate knowledge and coursework to impact the world around her.

The social work major in the Department of Sociology within MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences helped create and implement a hands-on activity during her Field Practicum course for the Transition Program, a course that gives students tools and experiences to help them prepare for the real world.

Following the devastation and destruction of Hurricane Dorian in August, Kerr read an article published in the Nassau Guardian newspaper about Adrian Farrington, a father who witnessed losing his 5 year-old son to the storm. Farrington floated with his son atop storm debris until the surge of the storm took his son under. The Nassau Guardian reported Farrington  immediately dove through the waters in search of his son -- even with a fractured leg.  Farrington never found his son.

Kerr encouraged and worked with the participants of the Transition Program to create “thinking of you” cards for hurricane victims like the Farrington family in the Bahamas. She hopes to remind others that regardless of their troubles, someone else is always facing greater challenges. Through the activity, Kerr also hopes to show compassion and reach out to those in need, letting them know that they are not alone.