Adebanjo Samson

Psychology major Adebanjo Samson was one of five Russell Sage College students who participated in the 2021 AmeriCorps VISTA summer program, which places service-minded individuals in summer positions that address community needs.

Adebanjo Samson was a summer associate at AVillage, an organization working to improve quality of life for residents of Albany’s South End. One of AVillage’s initiatives is the South End Night Market, a weekly street festival and vendor fair featuring products from local Black-owned businesses.

Adebanjo was a member of the marketing team for the South End Night Market.

“I am responsible for foot trafficking,” he said. “I try to find ways to attract customers to the market through advertising and social media.”

His responsibilities included creating a promotional budget and spreading the word about the market and its special events through a variety of channels, from chalkboard signs to Instagram.

Shortly after joining the marketing team, Adebanjo’s videos for the market’s Instagram page helped gain more than 30 new followers.

“The SouthEnd Night Market is a way of helping the community because it brings them together and helps entrepreneurs and farmers markets to make money,” said Adebanjo, who wants to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist. “I couldn’t think of a better way of spending my summer.”