Sam Gerlach is a first-year in Gallatin. He identifies as a black heterosexual cisgender man. He also identifies as mixed race. He is unsure what socioeconomic status to identify as but notes that him being at NYU says something. Gerlach is not religious, but if he had to identify himself, he would say that he is Christian; he also grew up in a Quaker environment because he went to a Quaker middle school. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gerlach describes himself to have been in primarily white institutions. He notes that his adoptive parents, who are both white, did a good job surrounding him with black and brown people. Gerlach is the Head Youth Organizer at the Philadelphia-based Black Lives Matter organization which his mom started. He is the Diversity Liaison for Gallatin Student Council, an Alternate Senator for students of color in Student Government and a member of Black Student Union and Students Success Committee — which deals with issues surrounding the retention of students of color and of international students. He won the Class of 2021 Leadership Award for Gallatin.