Current SMP Student Staff

 

 

Andrea Quiroz Rivera

aquirozrivera@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 4th 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!

Jackie Marroquin

jacquelinemarroqui@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 3rd Year, Literatures in English

Career Aspiration: Unsure, but I hope to be a writer of some kind!

Mentoring Specialties: Mental health, time management, getting involved on-campus, clubs, social support, campus resources

Identities: 1st Generation, Chinanx/Latinx, LGBTQ+

Interests and Favorite Things:  I love storytelling in all shapes and forms, whether through books, music, movies, or simply catching up with my friends! I especially like to read romance novels—bonus points if they make me cry like my favorite, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera—but enjoy trying new genres and am open to any type of media with compelling themes! In addition, I’m always slowly working on some kind of crochet project, typically either stuffed animal to add to my ever-growing collection or a tapestry of the things I enjoy! You can always find me with my emotional support fox plushie, Nugget, by my side :)

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.

Ana Leticia

Lrochagarcia@ucmerced.edu

 

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 5th Year Transfer Student, Mechanical Engineering 

Career Aspiration: My dream is to find employment with a water district, ideally in a role connected to water systems, aquatic and fish conservation, or nutria relocation. Most importantly, I want my career to emphasize practical mechanical-engineering applications in thermal, energy, water, or sustainability systems, while keeping the human consequences of engineering decisions in view. Ultimately, I aspire to become a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.)

Mentoring Specialties: Time management, campus resources, volunteer work, interviews and resume prep, job search experience, navigating financial aid and basic-needs resources, mental health

Identities: DACA/Undocumented, Transfer Student, First Generation, Chinanx/Latinx, Bilingual (English & Spanish), Former healthcare background

Interests and Favorite Things: I enjoy watching movies, sunsets, moonrises and moonsets, spontaneous dancing, being outdoors, and most importantly laughing.

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!

Kareena Brring

kbrring@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Human Biology Major & Public Health Minor

Career Aspiration: My goal is to become a physician and practice medicine in the Central Valley, where I hope to provide patient-centered care to individuals and families. I'm especially passionate about giving back to underserved communities and helping improve access to quality healthcare.

Mentoring Specialties: Time management, volunteer work, internships, interviews and resume prep, mental health, campus resources, job search experience

Identities: First Generation, Punjabi/Indian American

Interests and Favorite Things: I love going on walks and hikes in my free time, trying new restaurants, traveling, visiting coffee shops, and spending time with friends and family. :) I also enjoy listening to music, painting, and watching movies. I'm always up for trying new things and just exploring new places!

Javier Miramontes

jmiramontes9@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th-year, Civil Engineering and Physics Major: emphasis in engineering and applied Physics | Minor: Philosophy

Career Aspiration: My plan after graduation is to do a PhD in architectural engineering and renewable systems. Then, I plan to get a Master's in Physics and Engineering. From there, I plan to go into the industry, working as a licensed architectural and renewable engineer. Later in my professional career, I intend to work for a firm in real estate, construction, and portfolio management.

Mentoring Specialties: Time management, volunteer work, interviews and resume prep, job search experience, internships, campus resources, Greek life, mental health

Identities: First Generation, Disabled

Interests and Favorite Things: My interests are in agriculture, history, philosophy, cognitive science, engineering, physics, and finance. My favorite things I like to do in my spare time are design 2D and 3D architecture, work on my professional development, read non-fiction books, and do coding and quant projects. I also like to work on Geospatial analysis and data work as well.

Solana Morgan

solanamorgan@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Bioengineering

Career Aspiration: I plan to attend graduate school and eventually pursue a career in biotechnology or biomedical device development.

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

Identities: First Generation, Transfer Student, Black or African American, Chicanx/Latinx

Interests and Favorite Things: I enjoy hiking, photography, movies, music, trying new acai spots, and spending time with friends.

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!

W. David Amaya

williamamaya@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor 

Year and Major: 4th Year, Human Biology

Career Aspiration: After graduation, I hope to pursue my PhD with the ultimate goal of working in biotech. I want to work for Gilead Sciences or Arcturus Therapeutics.

Mentoring Specialties: Campus Resources, Volunteer Work, Time Management, Internships, Interviews and Resume Prep 

Identities: First Generation, Zapotec, Chinanx/Latinx, LGBTQ+

Interests and Favorite Things: In my free time, I enjoy reading manga and poetry, watching anime, sci-fi movies, and documentaries, and learning about Renaissance and Baroque art. I also like taking scenery photos and spending time in prayer.

Ohanah Buquing

obuquing@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

Year and Major: 4th Year, Political Science major, Writing Studies minor

Career Aspiration: Plans to pursue a Master's either in Public Administration or Public Policy. Hopes to complete traveling to all National Parks one day!

Mentoring Specialties: Time Management, Interviews and resume prep, volunteer work, graduate school applications, campus resources

Identities: AAPI, Bay Arean

Interests and Favorite Things: Loves playing TFT, doing Bible studies, eating In-N-Out, and cleaning out her emails

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.

Quetzalli Silva-Olivar

qsilva-olivar@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

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Chiamaka Elendu

celendu4@ucmerced.edu

Title: Peer Mentor

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