2011-2012 Mentors

All incoming students are assigned a Mentor: enthusiastic sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have experienced Pitzer and all it has to offer, and want to help ease the transition to college life. First-year students live on the same floor as the other students in their mentor group along with their mentor. Mentors plan substance-free first-year programs, help their mentees pick their classes, deal with the college academic load, navigate the social scene, and make healthy choices in their lives.

Kayla Friedman-Barb
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major(s) and Minor(s): Art/Media Studies double major
Extra-curricular activities I do: Pitzer newspaper, LOVE 4 FREE, adult literacy program
What I love about Pitzer: The creativity and art that lives on it.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Creativity is encouraged.

Chris Leon
Hometown: Anaheim, CA
Major: Undeclared
Extracurricular Activities: Play/teach guitar, learn German, bike!
What I love about Pitzer: That you have great control over many areas of your life.
Why I'm a mentor: Relating with people is what I live for.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: You have great control over your experience.

 

Vanessa Tam
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Major: Undeclared (possible choices: Chinese and Business)
Extracurricular Activities: PP Women's Varsity Basketball, APAC
Why I'm a mentor: I want every new student to have a great and memorable experience in their 1st year of college. I want them to be able to call Pitzer their 2nd home. Finally, I want them to know that there will always be someone to support and encourage them.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: The address: 1050 N. Mills Ave. Claremont, CA 9171. The Grove House has BOMB, good, delicious cookies!

Aidan Lukomnik
Hometown: New York, NY
Major: Undeclared
Extracurricular Activities:I work at the Green Bike program, the Pomona Theatre and the ACLU-CC. I also take photographs and make visual art works.
What I love about Pitzer: There are so many nice, kind, and caring people here.
Why I'm a mentor: I want to help new students integrate into Pitzer and have as good a time at Pitzer as I have had.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Atherton is only 5 feet away from North Sanborn.

Elissa Rowe
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Major(s) and Minor(s): Media Studies and Dance
Extra-curricular activities: Dance, Theatre What I love about Pitzer: The people, the environment, the mood- everything!!
Why I'm a mentor: I want the new students to love Pitzer as much as I do and for them to have an easy transition into college.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Always expect a smile or a friendly face no matter where you are on campus.

Jose Cortez
Hometown: Chino, CA
Major: Neuroscience major; Spanish minor
Extracurricular Activities: Volunteer (hospital), sing, Medical Brigades
What I love about Pitzer: The individuality of every Pitzer student
Why I'm a mentor: Growing up I always wish I had a mentor to guide me, so now I'm hoping I can make a difference.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Move-in day is HOT!

Ruth Samson
Hometown: San Diego/ Poway, California
Major(s) and Minor(s): Undecided
Extra-curricular activities: Femco, Jumpstart
What I love about Pitzer: The general enthusiasm of the students.
Why I'm a mentor: To evoke the same enthusiasm amongst the freshman class.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Take advantage of your professors!!! They are awesome.

Isabelle Le (a.k.a. Izzy) Panda; be creative!
Hometown: Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
Major(s) and Minor(s): Psychology, Computer Science, Russian minor.
Extra-curricular activities: Tutoring, farming, APAC
What I love about Pitzer: People and the Grove house chickens.
Why I'm a mentor: To try to make your transition a bit easier and to be a friend to whomever needs one.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: if you need help, you can always find it, and Grove House cookies are the best!

Emma Tolkin
Hometown: Los Angles, California
Major(s) and Minor(s): History
Extra-curricular activities: Play ukulele, write songs.
What I love about Pitzer: Resources of the FIVE Colleges at my fingertips!
Why I'm a mentor: I love making friends and helping people feel comfortable in new environments.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Everyone is willing to help!

Gabriel (Gabe) Leggott
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Major(s) and Minor(s): Undeclared, but probably Political Studies and Environmental Analysis, Spanish minor
Extra-curricular activities: Pomona-Pitzer Swim and Dive, Senate (diversity committee)
What I love about Pitzer: Is the passionate and cultured professors.
Why I'm a mentor: Because I want to help integrate the freshman into the Pitzer community and for them to have someone to talk to along the way.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: You can go to Mt. Baldy to ski/snow board and to the beach in the same day!

Christopher "Kip" White
Hometown: Winnetka, Illinois
Major(s) and Minor(s): Undeclared, considering Religious Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and Arabic.
Extra-curricular activities: Play music, dance, volunteer, tutor, and climb.
What I love about Pitzer: The people! The weather's not bad either!
Why I'm a mentor: I loved my freshman year at Pitzer and I want to make sure yours is just as great.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Smile! You'll be surprised at how friendly strangers here can be.

Megan Hazen, a.k.a. Megs
Hometown: Kula, Hawaii
Major(s) and Minor(s): Sociology and Spanish (majors), dance minor
Extra-curricular activities: Dance, work at the Shakedown
What I love about Pitzer: The people are so friendly and interesting
Why I'm a mentor: I like meeting new people and sharing knowledge.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: It's an amazing, welcoming, diverse community.

Anneke Brown; Annie, Annie B.
Hometown: Antwerp, Belgium
Major(s) and Minor(s): Undecided
Extra-curricular activites: Working at the costume shop in Pomona, PAS Hall Council, eat all the bagels at Starbucks…
What I love about Pitzer: Social consciousness, access to all 5C's, the weather!
Why I'm a mentor: I would be honored to introduce the freshman to this great campus!
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: Fresh squeezed orange juice in your homemade branch smoothie makes a delicious difference.

Catelyn Gumaer
Hometown: Downey, CA
Major & Minor: Psychology major and Spanish minor
Extra-curricular activities: IM Volleyball, Club Volleyball, Tutors for a Cause
What I love about Pitzer: The people and the laid-back atmosphere.
Why I'm a mentor: To help the freshmen to adjust to this experience, and to be there there as a friend.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer: California sun coupled with the pool makes for a really awesome homework spot.

Danny Feinberg
Hometown: Pacific Palisades, California
Major(s) and Minor(s): Psychology with a minor in Spanish
Extra-curricular activities: I am a research assistant in the Claremont Infant Study Center and I am currently working with a group of 5 other Pitzer students and 1 Pitzer alumna to create an undergraduate journal of psychology that will display excellent student work to the Claremont community.
What I love about Pitzer: There is so much! But one of the many things that I love is the culture at Pitzer. I have met some really special people here.
Why I'm a mentor: Pitzer is an amazing place because of all the wonderful people who participate in our community. Above all, I became a mentor because I wanted to get involved and help others do the same.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: That they are lucky to be a student here.

Jerzy Kaufmann
Hometown: Venice, California
Major(s) and Minor(s): Psychology Major, Philosophy Minor
Extra-curricular activities: Primarily, I spend my free time indulging in singing and songwriting, but for the past few years, I've also been involved in Pitzer's Student Senate.
What I love about Pitzer: The students, faculty, and staff! Access to engaging discourse (both with my peers and professors) and a general climate of goodwill is what initially brought me, and keeps me here. This is a place where I truly feel at home.
Why I'm a mentor: My goal is to facilitate and aid in the process of figuring out and adjusting to campus life, and to be a resource whenever I can be of help.
One thing every resident should know about Pitzer is: We adore people for their uniqueness! This place benefits from its students being who they are.

Miriam Stiefel
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Major(s) and Minor(s): Political Studies and Sociology
Extra-curricular activities: Active in the Claremont Hillel, Intramural Football and Soccer, and Teaching Hebrew.
What I love about Pitzer: I love the sense of community that I feel when I walk on Pitzer's campus. You cannot go anywhere on campus without running into someone you know and having a quick conversation about life.
Why I'm a mentor: I am a Mentor to help support and to pass on my Pitzer knowledge to the incoming freshmen class.
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: Don't jump into the pool naked at night... and the Grove House cookies really are the best!

Michael Hernandez-Henderson
Hometown: Altadena, California
Major(s) and Minor(s): Human Biology with cross cultural healing emphasis
Extra-curricular activities: Health Club, tennis
What I love about Pitzer: Amazing people.
Why I'm a mentor: I love sharing my experience at Pitzer and helping in any way I can.
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: The student body is super helpful, so don't be afraid to ask anyone about classes, clubs or any other experience!

Sarah Surrey
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Major(s) and Minor(s): Double major in English Literature and Spanish Literature
Extra-curricular activities: Ballroom Dance team, Kosher Chords a cappella, Hillel
What I love about Pitzer: EVERYTHING!!! That it lets you be whoever you want to be
Why I'm a mentor: Because I get to meet all the new students!
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: It's just like summer camp!

Danielle Alon
Hometown: Foster City, CA
Major(s) and Minor(s): Anthropology, Major; Economics, minor
Extra-curricular activities I do: Jumpstart, Hillel, Challah for Hunger
What I love about Pitzer: The small and friendly community
Why I'm a mentor: Because I want incoming students to get to know and love Pitzer as much as I do.
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: You can study anything you want, so take classes that sound interesting!

Leah Kahn
Hometown: Sebastopol,CA
Major(s) and Minor(s): Climate Toxicology
Extra-curricular activities: Dance, ballroom, sexual health education, student senate, horseback riding, rock climbing, surfing and snowboarding
What I love about Pitzer: It is an incredible place to receive an education while being surrounded by a community of your peers and professors.
Why I'm a mentor: I want to support the incoming class through their transitions into college and all the exciting and difficult adventures that come with it.
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: There is always someone to support you at Pitzer whether it is homesickness or a ride to Trader Joe's. You only have to ask!

Melissa Armstrong
Hometown: Centerville, Ohio
Major(s) and Minor(s): Organizational Studies
Extra-curricular activities: : Journalism, Choreography, Student Senate, and Circle K
What I love about Pitzer: I love that Pitzer isn't just a college I attend, but a second home.
Why I'm a mentor: I love getting to know all of the new students and know how big of an impact my mentor made in my transition to Pitzer.
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: The walls are thin….you can hear everything!

Hyemin Lee; HeyMeanie
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Major(s) and Minor(s): Psychology
Extra-curricular activities: swimming, hanging out with friends
What I love about Pitzer: There are always things to do and people to hang out with!
Why I'm a mentor: To help first year students get to know everything about Pitzer
One thing ever resident should know about Pitzer is: McConnell Dining hall has the best omelet for breakfast!