Peer Mentor 2021 Profiles

First year Plan II students, sign up for a peer mentor group! Submit a survey response by Tuesday, January 26^th!

Katie Lee
Senior, Plan II and Government

Hey there! My name is Katie, and I am a senior Plan II and Government major. I am also minoring in Philosophy and Arabic, and I am a member of the Arabic Flagship Program. Although I’m from Houston, I plan to stay in Austin after graduation because I can’t get enough of the nature, weather and public policy here!

When not doing homework, I enjoy watching horror movies, learning about sustainability, cooking new vegetarian dishes with my friends, listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast, and finding the best cheap bottle of wine at Trader Joe’s. My favorite TV shows are currently Killing Eve and Fleabag, and my idol is Lady Gaga. I am also keen on cycling and taking my dog on long walks in Pease Park (interesting fact: after the Civil War, General Custer and his soldiers camped in Pease Park; however, many men became ill with cholera, were hospitalized at the Neill-Cochran House in Wampus, and tragically died…I recently discovered this bit of history on my latest walk). Anyways, my dog’s name is Loopie, and she is a six month old lab/hound mutt that I adopted over the summer from APA!. She loves cheese, licking banana peels (?), and taking up all the room on my sofa.

I am thrilled to be one of your Plan II Peer Mentors this semester, and I can’t wait to get to know y’all! I am pretty much down to talk about anything, and I look forward to hearing about how your year is going. I know it’s been tough, but I am optimistic that this semester will be great. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have and/or send me your favorite meme/piece of art/song/book at katieclee@utexas.edu

Katie's Spring 2021 Peer Group: Climate Change - A Hot Topic

FORMAT: IN PERSON (OUTDOORS)

MEETS WEDNESDAYS 4-5PM

This group will come together to build community and share conversation, as well as our collective anxiety & hot takes, about climate change. We will discuss our hopes, fears, and the challenges we face as young people who care about our planet (for example, the difficulties of interacting with climate change deniers...you know, like when your eighty-year-old grandpa forwards crazy pseudoscience articles he finds on the internet that denounce climate change as a hoax because the Earth's orbit is "just changing" & he says you have to forward it on to 20 more people or you'll have bad luck for a year...) Anyways! This pod will meet outside when the weather permits, and we will go on optional group hikes/nature walks around Austin to practice mindfulness and gratitude for the environment around us. Depending on the interest level of group members, I am also happy to chat about including climate change related movies/documentaries/artwork/books in our discussions.

Praveena Javvardi
Senior, Plan II and Government

Hello! My name is Praveena! I am a senior and my other major is Government, but I am also really interested in Psychology, Anthropology, and Urban Planning! Some fun facts about me are that I am very cool and extremely interesting, not to mention humble. I love watching movies, in a hopefully unpretentious way, and vibing. This winter break I read the Percy Jackson series and I am currently trying to find the motivation to read the Lost Olympus novels even though I miss Percy and Annabeth with all my heart.

I am excited to get to know all of you and be a resource for you this semester! If you find me on LinkedIn and think, "wow she is soooo cool I have to talk to her", or you want hot takes on the best Boba in Austin: you can email me here: prvnjavvadi@utexas.edu.

Praveena's Spring 2021 Peer Group: Dazed and Confused

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS MONDAY OR WEDNESDAY 3-4PM DEPENDING ON MENTEE AVAILABILITY

This group will act as a support system as we all try to navigate our way through college. For people who feel like they are perpetually stuck in a coming of age film, this group will offer a community that will support each other as we all try and figure out how our identities shape us, what we want to do with/out of our life, and some other less intense things, like what our favorite movies are! Ultimately, this group will take on the very intense transition to college life, and figure out how we can understand ourselves better through the process while having some fun.

Alex Allen

Junior, Plan II and Communication & Leadership

Hi everyone! My name’s Alex and I’m a third-year Plan II and Communication & Leadership student with a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas. I’m really interested in education policy, community storytelling, legal advocacy, and recently, building cardboard castles for my pet bunny. On campus, I’m involved in Communication Council as the External Director in charge of community relations, the Plan II/ KIPP Partnership as a youth mentor, and the McCombs LIFT program as a student consultant for local nonprofits. I also volunteer with the SAFE Alliance in my free time as an advocate for domestic violence survivors and give tours to prospective students with Texas Tour Guides. In the future, I’m planning to attend law school and use the judicial system to promote equity in our public schools. I also hope to one day learn how to rollerskate backward without falling down. I am so excited to be a peer mentor this semester and to get to know as many of y’all as possible! Please reach out to me at aqallen2@gmail.com if you want to chat, have any questions, or if you can give me some rollerskating tips.

Alex's Spring 2021 Peer Group: What Do I Care About?

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS WEDNESDAY 1-2PM OR 2-3PM DEPENDING ON MENTEE AVAILABILITY

This pod will help us explore our individual values, passions, and how to translate them into our personal and professional lives. It can be easy for students to lose sight of what they care about as we transition from high school to college to the workforce, so the function of this pod is to allow us all to take a step back and determine what we’re actually interested in. The meetings will be a mix of strengths surveys, discussions of current topics in the media, and conversations about why we care about what we do. Hopefully, along the way we'll learn more about what we each care about and how we can keep those things present in our adult lives.

Reilly Gsanger
Junior, Plan II and Philosphy

My name is Reilly and I am a senior this year! I am studying Philosophy alongside Plan II and have minors in Philosophy of Law and Business. I'm from Corpus Christi and love hanging out at the beach on Padre Island when I'm not at school. In Austin, I'm always taking care of my jungle of houseplants, hanging out with friends, or cooking something new.

On campus, I serve as the President of the Plan II Pre-Law society and am the Internal Director of Communications for BreadwinnHER, an organization I helped found which brings women to campus to speak to small groups. This summer, I will be a legal assistant for a law firm in Austin specializing in civil rights violations, as well as studying for the LSAT to eventually go to law school myself.

I am super excited to be a peer mentor for the second time this year! I'm always open to answer any question at all (school, registration, housing, just to chat, etc.) so feel free to email me at reillygsanger@utexas.edu

Reilly's Spring 2021 Peer Group: Making the Most of the 40 Acres

FORMAT: ONLINE OR IN PERSON DEPENDING ON MENTEE PREFERENCES

MEETS TUESDAYS 6-7PM

This group will be focused on making sure that there is no opportunity missed at UT, as we will discuss how to get internships, land positions in the organizations they want, and make sure that they are setting themselves up to leave a great impact on the school over the next 4 years. The group will also focus on making the most of their classes and making sure that everyone is learning the best strategies for success.

Hailey Hollowell
Junior, Plan II and International Relations & Global Studies

hailey

My name is Hailey and I am a third year student, pursuing a B.A. in International Relations and Global Studies on the Culture, Media, and the Arts track and Plan II with a French Minor and a certificate in Human Rights and Social Justice. I realize what a mouthful that all is, but it’s a Plan II bonding moment to list all your majors and minors and have no one understand what you’re actually studying. I’m from the Dallas suburbs so you can find me there with my mom and Pomeranian mix during breaks (and quarantines!), or in Cedar Park with my dad and other pups. I love being with people, and in my free time I'm usually watching and critiquing movies with friends, baking French pastries and then asking my French professor for extra credit, reading for fun, or thinking about some creative writing project that I will probably never start. When I’m not doing any of the above, I'm busy with several student orgs and jobs. I have served as the Co-Chair of the College Ambassadors committee of Liberal Arts Council, and I currently work as a Government Department research assistant studying exclusionary citizenship law. I also serve as a co-Policy Director for a student-run think tank called UThink which will be compiling information on DEI efforts at UT this spring semester.

UT has a wealth of opportunities to explore, and through a mix of internships, study abroad, orgs, and coursework I have learned more about myself and my goals than ever before. I enjoy studying cultural imperialism and its roots in Western colonialism, as well as how these issues impact refugees and stateless people today. Plan II has been a motivating community, giving me the confidence to explore opportunities outside of my traditional field, as well as the source of my closest friendships! I served as a Peer Mentor last year as well, and can’t wait to come back to the program to meet you all in person. If you want to ask about anything in my bio, resume, or life in Austin, please send me a message at hollowellhailey@utexas.edu.

Hailey's Spring 2021 Peer Group: LGB-TV!

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS WEDNESDAY 4-5PM OR 5-6PM DEPENDING ON MENTEE AVAILABILITY

This pod will be a relaxed space where watch and critique our favorite LGBTQ+ representation in TV, movies, books, and more! Not all press is good press, and we're going to unpack messy characters and storylines and talk about what we'd like to see done differently. Of course, we'll also discuss our favorite characters and stories and how they relate to our lives and experiences. Our meetings will mostly be just casual chats with each other about these pieces of media, and we will have optional movie/ TV episode screenings for anyone interested. Overall, this pod aims to build community for LGBTQ+ Plan II kids and provide a break from life as we look for ourselves on the big screen.

Luna Malloy
Junior, Plan II and Psychology

My name is Luna, and I'm a third-year student pursuing majors in psychology (BA) and Plan II Honors. I'm also minoring in primatology because I love orangutans! I've been spending way too much of my free time playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but when I'm not doing that, I love to cook and bake new recipes, tend to my plant collection, and destroy my sleep schedule with poorly-timed naps.

At school, I serve as the Internal Director on the Liberal Arts Council's executive board. I also work as a research assistant in two psychology labs: the Austin Thought Lab, which studies cognitive development in children, and the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders, which studies exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. I hope to study anxiety disorders and trauma for my senior thesis, although I also want to continue my education on criminal justice reform, environmental justice, and of course...orangutan conservation.

Please don't hesitate to email me at lunamalloy@utexas.edu if you have any questions about your UT experience or want to visit my island in Animal Crossing. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can!

Luna's Spring 2021 Peer Group: Plan II Imposters

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS WEDNESDAYS 3-4PM or FRIDAYS 2-3PM DEPENDING ON MENTEE AVAILABILITY

This pod will provide a laid-back space to discuss that feeling looming especially large over our freshman experience: Imposter Syndrome. Together, we will discuss and explore our experiences as "imposters" in academia, our jobs, and the UT social scene. Whether you want to learn more about the origins of Imposter Syndrome, find ways to ease your own imposter feelings, or share tips and resources that helped you feel like you belong, there will be a spot for you in this group! The structure and pacing of our meetings will be up to you: movie night recommendations, guest invitations, or any other activity ideas are welcome. If we have to feel like imposters, why not do it together?

Nicole Roy
Senior, Plan II and Chemistry

Hi! My name is Nicole Roy, and I am a senior studying Chemistry and Plan II Honors with minors in History and Communication Studies. I am an organic chemistry research assistant, and I work on new synthesis pathways, present lectures about organic chemistry, and critique research journal articles with my group. I love chemistry, and I love telling people all about it! Plan II has helped me to do just that. I was a Plan II Skaaren Climate Change Scholar, and I wrote an op-ed about how Louisiana organic chemists and chemical engineers are using alligator fat for biodiesel fuel.

I’m from New Iberia, Louisiana, and I’m a die-hard New Orleans Saints and Louisiana Tigers fan. I love cooking and eating signature Louisiana dishes with my family. When I’m not in the lab or in the Plan II office, I’m usually drinking lattes at local cafes with my bank account’s permission. I also enjoy reading Caribbean literature, scrolling through Pinterest, and practicing new yoga poses. Email me at niroy@utexas.edu if you want to chat!

Nicole's Spring 2021 Peer Group: A Lagniappe Pod

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS THURSDAYS 4-5PM

"Lagniappe" is a Cajun French word that means "a lil' something extra." In Louisiana, lagniappe is typically expressed with food, like an extra shrimp served with your poboy or a surprise donut hole tucked into your box of donuts. Our pod will be that lil' somehing extra that we didn't really request in college. Together, we will discuss and grapple with a myriad of topics, such as current events, college tips, careers, self-growth, and other things suggested by the pod members. This pod will continue fostering a Plan II community of support and hope. Everybody could use a lil' something extra, especially right now:)

Dayton Thompson
Junior, Plan II and Mechanical Engineering

Hey y’all! My name is Dayton, and I am a junior studying Mechanical Engineering and Plan II, alongside a minor in English. I hail from Fairview Texas, which is one of those little places north of Dallas yet south of Oklahoma. Outside of the 40 acres, you might find me performing as a musician/songwriter, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or tinkering with my latest project.

Back on campus, I stay involved as a competitor for the University of Texas Weightlifting Team, member of the Plan II Director’s Student Advisory Council, and as a social officer for the Tejas Club, a spirit organization here at UT. I will also serve as TA for Professor Lee Walker’s Plan II Pathways to Civic Engagement course this Spring!

I’m passionate about community, expression, and ideas, and I am excited to meet all of y’all! If you have any questions about life at UT, feel free to email me at dayton.thompson@utexas.edu.

Dayton's Spring 2021 Peer Group: Coronavirus and Human Connection: The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between!

FORMAT: ONLINE

MEETS THURSDAYS 4-5PM

This group will act as an introduction to developing, understanding, and reflecting on relationships—on the forty acres and beyond! In doing so, we will examine our own identities and desires to guide our pursuits and the types of relationships, whether professional or personal, we wish to cultivate. Besides these moments for deep thought, we will also develop action steps we can take to put our own realizations into action, whether that means something as common as joining an org or figuring out the next playlist we should dive into. To offer support for your experience, this group will also feature guests from other people on/nearby campus, introducing you to what is out there and places which might offer the community you desire.

Remember to sign up for a peer mentor group! Submit a survey response by Tuesday, January 26^th!

Peer Mentor 2021 Profiles

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