CGS Peer Mentor Program

The CGS Peer Mentor Program is an integral part of the first-year student experience at the College of General Studies. Peer Mentors serve to support and encourage first-year student success and work closely with the CGS advisors and faculty to provide mentorship on both academic and student life matters. Through one-on-one and group activities, Peer Mentors will support first-year students as they transition to campus, CGS, and the Boston University community.

If you are interested in becoming a CGS Peer Mentor or learning more about the program, please email Heidi Chase at hchase@bu.edu

Meet Our Peer Mentors

Connect with a Peer Mentor today! Our CGS Peer Mentors are upperclassmen with lots of experience navigating campus and the city of Boston. They are excited to meet you and welcome you to Boston University. Contact a Peer Mentor if you have questions about campus life, classes, extracurricular advice, need a referral to a specific resource on campus, or just want to say “Hi!”

Peer Mentor Gilbane Office Hours: Each week CGS Peer Mentors will offer a Gilbane Office Hour to first-year students. The Gilbane Study Lounge is located in Room 130, 1^st Floor at the College of General Studies (871 Commonwealth Ave).

Peer Mentor Contact Information and Gilbane Office Hours can be found below in each Peer Mentor Bio.

2022-2023 Peer Mentors

Michelle Baranovski
Team D
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Springfield, MA
BU Major: SAR Human Physiology
Hobbies/Interests: Sports (playing and watching), doodling/therapeutic arts and crafts, listening to music, and watching movies!

Gilbane Office Hour: Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m.

Email: mbaranov@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: CGS Dean’s Host, Dean’s Student Advisory Board, Intramural volleyball

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Specialized Academic Advisors

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Just don’t worry. Take a deep breath and take everything one step at a time.

Tanisha Bhat
Team C
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: South Brunswick, New Jersey
BU Major: Dual Degree at COM Journalism and CAS Political Science, Minor in Spanish
Hobbies/Interests: I love to go on walks, read books and explore Boston!

Gilbane Office Hour: Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m.
Email: tanishab@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: The Daily Free Press, BU International Affairs Association and BU Chankaar
Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Academic Advisor

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
I would advise freshmen to join as many organizations as possible during their first semester. Clubs are a great way to make friends and discover your passions both in school and outside of school.

Kirsten Brighton
Team D
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
BU Major: SAR Human Physiology

Hobbies/Interests: Jogging, Volleyball, Painting, and Listening to Jazz

Gilbane Office Hour: Thursdays, 2-3 p.m.
Email: kbright@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: BU Medical Center Research Assistant, CGS Dean’s Host, CGS Dean’s Student Advisory Board, Intramural Volleyball

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Chemia, an undergraduate chemistry student organization at Boston University that provides free tutoring for General and Organic Chemistry

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.

Amanda Brown
Team B
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
BU Major: COM Advertising
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, cooking, watching hockey, and getting outside!

Gilbane Office Hour: Thursdays, 3-4 p.m.
Email: amabrown@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: BU Women’s Rugby, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pride in Business, CGS Dean’s Host
Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Center for Career Development

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Join organizations you are interested in, and don’t feel you have to wait until you are a sophomore! So many clubs and teams are more than happy to take new students in the spring, and it is a great way to make BU start to feel like home.

Caroline Cain
Team H
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
BU Major: QST Dual Concentration in Information Systems and Strategy
Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, Yoga (currently getting my 200 hour teaching certification), and botany!

Gilbane Office Hour: Tuesdays, 11-12 a.m.
Email: cvvcain@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Boston University Consulting Group, HER Network BU, CGS Deans Host, Boston University Finance and Investment Club, Girls Who Code Boston University Chapter

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Handshake

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Trust the process, you will end up where you’re supposed to and it all works out in the end!

Sunyyah Fenelon-Foristall
Team A
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
BU Major: CAS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pre-Med
TrackHobbies/Interests: Playing guitar, biking and swimming!

Gilbane Office Hour: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11-12 a.m.
Email: sunyyah@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Mental Health Committee, Omega Phi Alpha Sorority, ASBMB

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: The ERC Tutoring Center

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Plan a schedule realistic to who you are and how you function. Don’t make a schedule that is too unrealistic to meet or would be mentally and physically straining.

Sukhmani Kalia
Team E
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Norwalk, CT
BU Major: QST Finance
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, dance, Mehndi (Henna), and travel!

Gilbane Office Hour: Mondays, 5-6 p.m.
Email: skkalia@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Vice President of Sikh Association At BU, previous a CGS Dean’s Host, member of Finance & Investment Club

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Questrom Undergraduate Academic & Career Development Center

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
You will find your place on campus! You may feel like an imposter in the first few weeks and it may be hard to stop comparing yourself to others, but just remember it will get better! Reaching out to people in your classes, making friends on your floor, and joining organizations on campus will help you feel like you belong.

Remi Pappas
Team I
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
BU Major: COM Advertising
Hobbies/Interests: Reading & writing, dancing, traveling, movies, exercise, trying new Restaurants!

Gilbane Office Hour: Mondays, 10-11 a.m.
Email: remipap@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Kesem, BUTV10’s COED, AdLab, University Title IX, Kappa Delta Sorority

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Handshake and COM Career Resources

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?

I would tell myself to trust the CGS process and have faith that everything will work out, no matter how confusing and overwhelming it seemed! And to reach out to friends and faculty when I feel like I need support.

Ariel Shao
Team H
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Qingdao, China  Westchester, NY
BU Major: QST Finance & Information Systems
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, binging shows, plants, gym, and exploring new restaurants (brunch)/stores/places in general with friends!

Gilbane Office Hour: Mondays, 12-1 p.m.
Email: ashao24@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Questrom Honors Program, Charcoal Magazine, Financial Modeling Club, Guerilla Marketing Society, Fencing Club

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Questrom UDC, CGS advisors

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?

Don’t be afraid to ask any kind of questions! No questions are stupid questions, except the ones that are unasked and therefore unanswered.

Marcus Wachira
Team F
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
BU Major: ENG Mechanical Engineering
Hobbies/Interests: Creative Writing, Drawing and Photoshop, listening to Heavy Metal and Punk Rock, and watching Eagles Football!

Gilbane Office Hour: Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m.
Email: mwachira@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: BU Baja SAE and Delightfully, X

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Howard Thurman Center

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Without a doubt, I would tell my first-semester-self to schedule an office hour meeting with each of your professors within the first couple weeks of classes. I wouldn’t recommend just discussing the class curriculum — though there’s nothing wrong with that — but I’d recommend starting a conversation about your interests and passions. It opens so many doors and opportunities you couldn’t imagine (events on campus, directed studies and research, places to go in the city and more! It’s insane!). The earlier you can have these meetings the better.

Katarina Weinzierl
Team G
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: London, UK
BU Major: International Relations (major), Public Health (minor)
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, travelling, listening & dancing to music!

Gilbane Office Hour: Thursdays, 3-4 p.m.
Email: kcw725@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: Aural Fixation (Acapella Group), Senior Student Admissions Representative, BU Admissions Ambassador, BUFSA

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Education Resource Center

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
For an incoming student I would say to put yourself out there on campus, especially outside of your academic realm, whether that be attending SPLASH at the beginning of the semester and joining different clubs/organizations or going to the socials and events hosted by the colleges/organizations to get to know your peers and the city of Boston. Do not be afraid to explore different opportunities that might be out of your comfort zone as it’s a great way to discover new interests and find your community here on campus.

Shiying Wu
Team C
Class of 2024, CGS ‘22
Hometown: Qingdao, China
BU Major: CAS Statistics, Minor in Computer Science
Hobbies/Interests: Games, Snowboarding, and Reading!

Gilbane Office Hour: Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m.
Email: wangel@bu.edu

BU Clubs/Organizations: INC, BU Mathematical Association of America Chapter

Favorite Academic Resource on Campus: Writing Center, BU library, Center of Career Development

What piece of advice would you give yourself at the start of your first semester on campus?
Never be afraid to talk to people. The professors and staff are all super nice. Also, starting a conversation is a good way to make new friends.

2022-2023 Peer Mentor Executive Board

Peer Mentor e-board members are Boston University seniors who have previously held the position of CGS Peer Mentor during their junior year. E-board members serve as a part of the Peer Mentor Leadership Team to support the training and development efforts of the CGS Peer Mentor Program. They also can be a great resource on campus! Feel free to reach out and connect to an e-board member today.

Jasmine Alqassar (CGS ‘21, CAS ’23)

BU Major: CAS BA/MS Biology with a specialization Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

BU Clubs/Organizations: President of BU Knitting Club and Research Assistant on campus in the Mullen Evolutionary Genomics Lab

Email: jasalq@bu.edu

Grace Chen (CGS ‘21, COM ’23)

BU Major: COM Film & Television

BU Clubs/Organizations: Chordially Yours, Gamma Phi Beta

Email: grachen@bu.edu

Megan Lau (CGS ‘21, QST ’23)

BU Major: QST Business Administration (concentrations: Finance, Marketing)

BU Clubs/Organizations: BU Student Government, Boston Intercollegiate Government, Delta Phi Epsilon, Admissions Ambassador, HerCampus BU, Student Facilitator, CGS Dean’s Host Executive Board

Email: meganlau@bu.edu

Isabella C. Moros Camargo (CGS ‘21, CAS ’23)

BU Major: CAS Psychology

BU Clubs/Organizations: Community Outreach Director for Alianza Latina

Email: icmorosc@bu.edu

Paul Ovadek (CGS ‘21, CAS ’23)

BU Major: CAS International Relations, IR Tracks: Latin America & International Systems and World Order

BU Clubs/Organizations: CGS Dean’s Host, CAS Pardee Dean’s Ambassador, Student Facilitator for Orientation; Peer Mentor for FY 101; and Barista @ GSU Starbucks.

Email: povadek@bu.edu

Karel Tinkler (CGS ‘21, COM ’23)

BU Major: COM Public Relations

BU Clubs/Organizations: BU Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Alternative Service Break, Community Service Center, CGS Dean’s Hosts, Research/Social Media Assistant for SAFEBUDS (Staff and Faculty Extend Boston University Disability Support)

Email: ktinkler@bu.edu