Skip to content

Current SMP Student Staff

 

 

Andrea Quiroz Rivera

aquirozrivera@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Student Assistant & Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 3rd Year Psychology

Career Aspiration: I hope to earn a Master's in Social Work and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Mentoring Specialties: 1st year navigation, mental health, time management, interviews and resume prep, job search experience, volunteer work, campus resources

Identities: First generation, Chicanx/Latinx

Interests and Favorite Things: One of my favorite things to do whenever I have an opportunity is to travel to national parks and go for hikes, runs, and overall just be out in nature! I always buy a sticker and a pressed penny from every new national park I visit. I also love the beach and anything ocean-themed! I absolutely love exploring small hidden gems and trying new foods from different cultures and restaurants! I also enjoy journaling, painting, making jewelry, cooking, reading, and shopping. My favorite movies are the Avatar franchise, and my favorite TV show is Modern Family!

Carolyn Soto

Csoto36@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Student Assistant and Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 4th Year, Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

Career Aspiration: I hope to earn my master's in social work and after that become a social worker where I will be able to make an impact on children.

Mentoring Specialties: Time management, volunteer work, campus resources, Greek life, mental health, MyDegreePathway

Identities: 1st Generation, Chinanx/Latinx

Interests and Favorite Things:  Some of the things I enjoy doing are puzzles, diamond paintings, watching sunsets, and going on spontaneous adventures. Also, I am an avid pink shopper and major foodie.

Christelle Baria

cbaria@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 3rd Year, Human Biology Major, Psychology Minor

Career Aspiration: MD/PhD

Mentoring Specialties: Campus resources, internships, volunteer work, time management, interviews and resume prep, mental health

Identities: 1st Generation

Interests and Favorite Things: I am a foodie (I love trying new foods), I love watching shows and movies (particularly, older rom-coms like Notting Hill), I am musically-inclined (I played the flute in high school, I play a little guitar), I love karaoke, I am a dog person, my favorite beverage is a Shark Attack Iced Rebel from Dutch Bros, I love Pop music especially Dua Lipa

Ashley Martinez-Silva

amartinez-silva@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th year, Psychology, Biology, and Sociology

Career Aspiration: After graduation, I hope to take a little vacation to Wyoming, to visit Yellowstone National Park, and to visit Oregon. After that, I hope to start a program that fall, to become a Physical Therapist Assistant, and try to work as a behavior technician on the side.

Mentoring Specialties: Time management, campus resources, volunteer work, job search experience, mental health

Identities: Chinanx/Lantinx

Interests and Favorite Things: Some of my favorite things I love to do include exploring new music, collecting vinyls and cds. I also love to travel, hike, and occasionally, I will travel out of town to do some runs outside of my hometown. I also enjoy working out, making bracelets, scrapbooking, and reading. I also really love to try new coffee shops around town. As well as binge-watching movies and anything Marvel-related.

Javon Hudgins

jhudgins2@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Computer Science & Engineering

Career Aspiration: After graduating, I plan to pursue a career in Software Engineering for Geographic Information Systems, specifically targeted towards Environmental Analysis.

Mentoring Specialties: Mental health, time management, clubs, social support, volunteer work, interviews and resume prep, campus resources

Identities: Black/African American

Interests and Favorite Things: I enjoy video games, going to the gym, photography, 3D graphic design, and watching movies. I'm also very passionate about wildlife and the environment!

Avinav Biswas

abiswas6@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 3rd Year, Human Biology Major, Psychology Minor

Career Aspiration: My goal is to become a physician, with a focus on providing care to vulnerable and overlooked communities.

Mentoring Specialties: Interviews and Resume prep, Time Management, Internships, Campus Resources, Volunteer Work, Job Search Experience, Graduate School Applications, Mental Health

Identities: Asian American

Interests and Favorite Things: I enjoy playing and watching soccer, going on hikes and runs, traveling to new places, and exploring different restaurants!

Alyssa Alvarez

aalvarez124@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Anthropology Major

Career Aspiration: After graduation, I hope to pursue grad school and be a part of a program where I can study to be a social worker or a school counselor. I aspire to make a difference in my community and guide new generations to pursue college education and other goals.

Mentoring Specialties: Campus Resources, Clubs/Orgs involvement, Social Support, Time Management, Job Search Experience, Mental Health, Interviews and Resume Prep

Identities: First Generation, Chinanx/Latinx, LGBTQ+

Interests and Favorite Things: I love listening to music, reading ethnography/history books about different parts of the world, drawing, and cooking. I also love going on coffee runs! I am passionate about staying informed about current events as well. :)

Saman Bajpai

sbajpai2@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Computer Science & Engineering

Career Aspiration: I expect to complete a Masters' in AI before leaping into the tech industry.

Mentoring Specialties: Campus resources, Internships, Volunteer work, Job search experience,  Time management, Interviews & Resume prep, Mental Health

Identities: Asian American

Interests and Favorite Things: Speedrunner, hiker, and talentless comedian. I spend my free time mocking my friends for enjoying popular music and movies. Taking research credits in place of regular CSE classes opened up a new passion for learning I never knew I had! President of UCM Model United Nations, as well as Equity & Inclusion officer of ASUCM.

Ke'mori Cosey

kcosey@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, English Major & Political Science Minor

Career Aspiration: Law school

Mentoring Specialties: Campus Resources, Volunteer work, Interviews & Resume Prep, Job search Experience, Time Management, Mental Health

Identities: Black or African American, First Generation, LGBTQ+

Interests and Favorite Things: My favorite things include engaging in ludicrous or real-world topics, reading a bunch of manga/manwha, and enjoying what nature has to offer. I also enjoy cooking and playing video games on my console.

Amaya Gomez

agomez317@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 3rd Year, Sociology and Management & Business Economics

Career Aspiration: Working as a Data Analyst for the Federal Gov't

Mentoring Specialties: Interviews & Resume Prep, Greek Life, Time Management, Mental Health, Job Search Experience

Identities: First Generation, Chicanx/Latinx

Interests and Favorite Things: I love nature and you can often find me taking walks/hikes to destress! I am a big lego fan and would love to build the titanic replica one day! I also can't start my day without a coffee or tea in the morning!

Sydney Fallejo

sfallejo2@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Public Health and Psychology

Career Aspiration: 

Mentoring Specialties: Time Management, Interviews and Resume Prep, Internships, Job Search Experience, Mental Health, Graduate School Applications, Volunteer Work, Campus Resources

Identities: AAPI

Interests and Favorite Things: I enjoy going for walks in nature, baking, trying new restaurants, watching movies, and shopping for clothes. I am obsessed with matcha and everything sweet!

Jessica (Jess) Alvarez McDaniels

jalvarezmcdaniels@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 4th Year Psychology

Career Aspiration: Clinical Therapist for Veteran Services

Mentoring Specialties: Time Management, Mental Health, Campus Resources

Identities: Black/African American, Chicanx/Latinx, LGBTQ+

Interests and Favorite Things: Hobbies: Video Games, Astrology, Journaling | Favorite Things: Tortas, Tamales, At Home Activities

Misha Gerami

mgerami@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 3rd Year Biological Sciences (Human Biology Emphasis) & Psychology Minor

Career Aspiration: I plan to pursue an MD/PhD program, with the goal of becoming a physician-scientist who integrates clinical practice with biomedical research.

Mentoring Specialties: Internships, Campus Resources, Volunteer work, Job search experience, Interviews & Resume prep

Identities: First Generation

Interests and Favorite Things: I love contemporary dance and swimming. I also enjoy going to the gym, walking outdoors, and watching movies. My favorite show is Gossip Girl. In my free time, I enjoy giving back to the community and taking on leadership roles, including leading Tiny Health Tales and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology clubs.

Alexis Esquivel

aesquivel37@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 

Career Aspiration: 

Mentoring Specialties: 

Identities: 

Interests and Favorite Things: 

Chiamaka Elendu

celendu4@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 

Career Aspiration: 

Mentoring Specialties: 

Identities: 

Interests and Favorite Things: