Samantha Eisert

Sam Eisert (she/her), is a second-year MSW student at UCLA Luskin School of Social Welfare. Sam received her BA in psychology at UCLA and is a proud first-generation student and double Bruin. As an undergraduate, Sam worked as a research assistant in two psychology labs where her research interests broadly focused on the intersection of social status, race, and stigma. She additionally gained clinical experience as a Certified Coach in CBT as part of UCLA’s Depression Grand Challenge. 

After graduating, Sam worked as a staff research associate for DMH+UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership collaborating with DMH stakeholders to enhance Full Service Partnership programs throughout Los Angeles County. Sam’s first-year MSW placement was at the pro-bono law firm, Public Counsel. As a social work intern, she worked in civil rights impact litigation. These cases worked to change policies and demand reparations for egregious violations in education equity, immigrants’ rights, economic rights, child welfare, criminalization in poverty, and housing rights around the country. At Public Counsel, she supported both the plaintiffs and attorneys involved in these highly publicized cases. Sam is passionate about the intersection between micro and macro social work and looks forward to gaining clinical experience working directly with individuals and families impacted by neurodevelopmental disabilities.