2011–12 Peer Advisers
Alexis Harrell
Human Development and Psychological Services, Class of 2012
Hey, y'all! My name is Alexis Harrell, and I'm a human development and psychological services (HDPS) student with a double major in psychology. I'll be a senior in the fall, and I'm so glad that y'all decided to come to Northwestern! Choosing SESP was a great decision!As a peer adviser, I want to make your freshman year run as smoothly as can be. So that you can get to know a bit more about me, I hail from Texas, where things really are BIGGER and BETTER. Some people call me "Alexis from Texas," so feel free to call me that as well.
Here at Northwestern, I'm a small group leader for LaFe, which is one of the fellowships that we have on campus. I am also a student intern for the Reunions department and a member of the Hispanic/Latino student alliance, Alianza. My freshman year was more than I could have ever hoped for, and I want to make sure that yours is the same. This is going to be my third year as a peer adviser, so if there's anything that you may want to ask, don't hesitate.
I've learned a lot in my past three years here like the best place to order late-night food or the best place to watch the sunrise after a late study session and even how to deal (or try to) with the Chicago weather. I hope y'all have an awesome summer, and I can't wait to see you in September!
Anneke Hoekstra
Secondary Teaching, Class of 2013
Hey everyone, my name is Anneke Hoekstra. Welcome to SESP! I am so excited to meet you in the fall.I am currently a sophomore studying secondary education with a concentration in English. I also am working toward a French minor. I am from New York, New York -- sort of. I've also lived in Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey and Switzerland. Now I'm back here in Illinois and I love Northwestern. It is a great place to be; you all made a fantastic choice in coming here.
On campus, I'm involved in a capella, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and other fun things like intramural sports. I really am looking forward to meeting all of you!
Jack Chen
Social Policy, Class of 2012
Hi! My name is Jack Chen and I am a junior in SESP, pursuing a double major in social policy and psychology. I would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to Northwestern, and I am here to help make your freshman year as enjoyable as possible. I am originally from Plano, Texas.On campus I compete for the speech team, do research with a professor in Kellogg, am a tour guide and am in a fraternity. My freshman year was phenomenal and I will do all I can to make sure you have a similar experience. If you need any advice on classes, the social scene, on and off campus activities, or just want to talk, let me know! Oh, and if you need any tips for surviving the Chicago winter,
I will be happy to share my survival guide with you. Have an awesome summer, and I look forward to meeting all of you in the fall!
Katherine Mattax
Social Policy, Class of 2013
Hey, all! My name is Kate Mattax and I'm a social policy major with a Spanish double major in Weinberg. I am going into my junior year in SESP. You've all made a great decision choosing Northwestern and I'm excited to be here to help make your freshman year as fun and easy-going as possible. To give you all a little background on myself, I am from the most beautiful part of the country: the Ozarks (shameless love of home) -- from Springfield, Missouri.On campus I am very involved in my sorority, where I serve as the vice president of education. I am also involved in an organization called Peer Health Exchange, and I spend much of my time in the Spanish in Portuguese department where -- though I myself am not a native Portuguese or Spanish speaker -- I am a proud member of the Luso-Brazilian student group and an enthusiastic language learner.
I had a wonderful freshman year and will do whatever I can so you can have the same great experience. If you need any advice on classes, social life, things to do on and off campus, or most importantly how to survive the Chicago winter if you come from a state with normal weather, I am here to help. Have a fantastic summer!
Nadia Ahmed
Social Policy, Class of 2012
Class of 2014 -- hey, hey! My name is Nadia Ahmed, and I'm a SESP senior with a major in social policy and a minor in global health. I'm from Bridgeview, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago and home to the Chicago Fire soccer team!Northwestern is definitely the best choice I've ever made, and I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure you start your freshman year in the best possible way as well.
On campus, I am a tour guide, and am involved in the Muslim-cultural Student Association (McSA), the Northwestern Community Development Corps (NCDC), Coalition of Colors, and Living Wage Campaign, all of which you'll definitely hear about at some point.
I can't wait to meet you all and help make your experience at Northwestern absolutely amazing. If you have questions about anything -- social life, classes, extracurricular activities, and better yet, what to do in Chicago -- hit me up! Get ready for the best four years of your life -- GO, CATS!
Janet Brown
Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2014
Hi, everyone! I'm Janet Brown, and I am a learning and organizational change major with a second major in economics and will be a sophomore in the fall. I am from La Grange, Illinois, which is about 45 minutes away from campus. Other than being a peer adviser, I am involved in Dance Marathon as well as Greek life on campus.Congratulations on choosing SESP! I'm so excited to meet all of you, and will always be available if you have questions or concerns about campus, how to get involved, where to live, classes or anything else at all. You are all going to have a fantastic freshman year, and my goal is to make sure you get the most out of it as possible. I hope you enjoy your summer and are looking forward to the start of the best four years of your life!
Krysta Smith
Human Development and Psychological Services, Class of 2014
Hey, everyone! My name is Krysta Smith, and I'm a human development and psychological services major in SESP, with a double major in religious studies. I'm going into my sophomore year here at Northwestern and am looking forward to helping make sure you have an awesome freshman year like I did!I'm from the Chicagoland area, a little suburb named Elmwood Park, and know all the fun places that you have to visit when you arrive in the fall!
On campus I'm involved with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and an organization that focuses on promoting school spirit called Wildside. I'm also active in hall government and play different intramural sports in every season. This year, I learned that I can put my stellar dance moves to good use for 30 hours during Northwestern's Dance Marathon, an annual philanthropic event, and am looking forward as I get to help coordinate next year's DM! I'm looking forward to meeting you all when you arrive on campus in the fall and am here to answer any questions you may have. Have an awesome summer!
Alexander Tomiak
Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2014
Hello, fellow Wildcats! I'm A.J. Tomiak and I'm a learning and organizational change major going into my sophomore year. Though I originally started as a communication studies major, the magic of SESP couldn't help but lure me in.Just a little background on me: I am from all over the place. I was born in Toronto, Canada, moved to just outside Philadelphia, and now currently reside in the painfully hot Tucson, Arizona (let's just say winter here was more than a little rough). I'm involved in a lot of things on campus, including Associated Student Government, A&O Productions and my fraternity.
So far, my time at Northwestern has been the time of my life, and I'm so excited for each and every one of you to come here and realize this yourself. I'm quite literally obsessed with this school, and am ruthless in the spreading my love. If you have absolutely ANY questions at all, PLEASE feel free to reach out to me. I am more than willing to answer any questions or to just talk about my Northwestern experience. Have a wonderful summer and start learning that fight song!
Jamie Valente
Secondary Education, Class of 2014
Hey, Class of 2015! My name is Jamie Valente, and I am a rising sophomore in SESP. I am majoring in secondary teaching – mathematics and minoring in Spanish. I am so excited to be a peer adviser this year! I am here to help make your transition to Northwestern as smooth as possible, and I cannot wait to meet all of you amazing new students who will bring so much to this already amazing place.To give you a little background on myself, I am from Des Plaines, Illinois, a suburb 40 minutes straight west of NU. I love sports and play all the intramurals I can here, and I also play the violin. I am in a sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, with which I get the opportunity to be involved in some really great philanthropic work and bond with the other girls while doing it.
My freshman year has been incredible and I am so happy to have the chance to help you make yours as great as possible! If you have questions about academics, campus life in general, specific activities, even the weather (yay Chicago winters!) or literally anything else that pops into your head, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am beyond happy to do anything I can to ease your mind by answering questions about whatever may concern you about coming here in the fall. Get ready for an unforgettable freshman experience and enjoy your summer!