Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Samuelson ’19 and Emily (Sass) Samuelson ’21 ’22 MSW

In a special Valentine’s Day edition of the Alumni Spotlight we caught up with one of our favorite alumni couples. They shared their story, including a wedding day surprise from Clarke.  

We met through some friends while hanging out at the Catherine Dunn apartments. There was a “soccer girls” apartment and a “baseball guys” apartment that were next door to each other, and we would all hang out together. Neither of us lived in either apartment, but we both spent a lot of time there! We would go to sporting events together and hang out with friends together which have continued to be a huge part of our lives today.  

Since college, we have moved to Moorhead, MN. We have two cats, bought a house, and got married on October 11, 2025. We both had multiple friends from Clarke in our wedding party and at our wedding, and we are forever grateful for the people we met during our time there! 

We even had a surprise visit from the Clarke mascot, Cuttie, compliments of Athletics Office Manager Tonya (McNamara) Howe. 

Professionally, we both are employed at jobs we enjoy. Emily has become an LMSW in Iowa and North Dakota and works as a Foster Care Placement Coordinator in Fargo, ND. Andrew is a sales professional for BSN sports, being able to apply skills that he learned from the Sports Management and Business programs at Clarke. Looking ahead, we want to travel and explore before starting a family. We both love to travel and go to new places! 

We have both stayed connected to Clarke through the friendships we made while there.