PEOPLE
CLAIRE THOMAS
PRESIDENT
Ezra Stiles, 2019
Anthropology, Russian & Eastern European Studies
Originally from Kansas, Claire has three siblings, two adorable nieces, a cat, and a succulent named Sasha. Outside of the LDSSA, she tutors at New Haven Reads and participates in Danceworks. Claire’s major was inspired by her mission to Samara, Russia. In her free time, Claire enjoys drawing, climbing on roofs, drinking smoothies, and winning card games.
HUNTER MASON
TREASURER
Morse, 2020
Political Science
Hunter is from Mystic, Connecticut and served his mission in Salt Lake City, Spanish-speaking, before coming to Yale. There he met Catherine, his closest friend and now his wife. Hunter lives off campus and is in the leadership of a local Spanish congregation. He loves to write in a variety of forms and hopes to create a work of lasting impression at some point in his career.
ANELISA FERGUS
Davenport, 2019
Linguistics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Anelisa is from many places, but currently lives in Philadelphia, PA. She is mainly involved in theater and a cappella at Yale where she sings in The New Blue. Next year she will be singing with the all-senior a cappella group Whim ‘n Rhythm as the pitch. Anelisa also enjoys working in both a neurology and a linguistics lab.
HUNTER CRAFT
Branford, 2020
Anthropology
Hunter grew up in Orange County, California before coming to Yale. After his first year, Hunter served a mission in Helsinki, Finland. Now back from the Arctic, Hunter works for the Yale Chaplain's Office and as a linguistics and anthropology research assistant. Besides his academics and work, Hunter likes eating, netflix, the occasional dance party, and bird-watching.
MIKAYLA OLIVER
Saybrook, 2021
Undeclared
Mikayla is from Antioch, California, a large suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area. She spends her spare time hiking, going on roadtrips, exploring New Haven or whichever city she finds herself in, cooking, going out to dance with friends, and planning activities in the New Haven YSA branch. Her favorite conversation topics are ghosts, sharks, rap music, and cop shows - she might actually just be the Yalie version of Ice-T.
JAMES LARSON
Branford, 2021
Undeclared
James Larson is the most fantastic member of the LDSSA! From Las Vegas, Nevada, James brings the chill west coast attitude to the frigid northeast. He works as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and as Branford’s Intramural Sport secretary. James also works on a radio show called The Moon! James' hobbies include swimming, photography, and never cutting his beautiful, blonde hair.
ALUMNI
SAM SOUTH
Pauli Murray, 2018
Global Affairs
Spending his childhood in Utah, Connecticut, and the Middle East, Sam served his mission in Korea and has studied abroad in China. A true globe-trotter, Sam is also a big fan of Ed Sheeran, k-pop, protein, and mixing tuna salad into all of his entrees. He is on Yale's fencing team and is a member of THiNK, and can usually be found outdoors or at the gym.
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LUKE SANFORD
Trumbull, 2018
Mechanical Engineering
Luke was born and raised in Henderson, NV just outside of Las Vegas. He served a mission in Taiwan and married his wife, Ashley after returning home. They currently have an adorable 3-month-old daughter named Natalie! Their family loves playing sports, hanging out with friends, and taking part in outdoor adventures. Here at Yale, Luke is involved in the Air Force ROTC program.