Samara was born and raised in Philadelphia. She attended Jefferson University (formerly known as Philadelphia Textile and Science and Philadelphia University). Samara chose to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology as a result of her passion for helping others. Her focus on supporting residents of the inner city to find access to effective mental health care continues to this day. Her interests also led her to obtain a Master’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University in Education, to further assist with improving educational opportunities and to explore the connection between teaching and social needs. Samara currently serves as New Vitae Wellness and Recovery’s Director of Operations for our Philadelphia sites; her enthusiasm and dedication resulted in Samara winning a 2020 Employee of the Year Award!
In her spare time, Samara plays basketball recreationally. After playing basketball at the college level, she was inducted into the Philadelphia University Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 – an amazing honor for this very talented player. She also enjoys collecting sneakers and has over 100 pairs.
Samara looks forward to continuing to develop connections and relationships that help to support and influence others. She enjoys working with and teaching people and hopes to continue in that path for years to come.