Peer advisors provide academic and personal guidance to incoming first-year and transfer students. Each spring quarter, a competitive selection process is held to identify eight students who will work closely with the assistant dean and Student Affairs staff to orient our new students. Over the summer, this cadré of student leaders contacts our incoming first-year and transfer students to prepare them for arrival on campus. During Northwestern's Wildcat Welcome, each peer advisor mentors a small group of new students and provides guidance during the week. This relationship extends throughout the students' first year, especially the fall term.
Become a Peer Advisor!
The Wildcat Welcome peer advisor position is an entry-level leadership role that enhances the new student orientation week in numerous of ways. Peer Advisors act as liaisons between Northwestern and new students. Each peer advisor is assigned a group of new students and is responsible for mentoring them in all of their new student needs. During NSW, peer advisors are responsible for helping to make their group's experience an enjoyable, eventful and informative week by participating in NSW events and programs.
To be considered for the peer advisor position, a student must:
- Plan to be enrolled for the following year (or at least through winter quarter for seniors).
- Be available for a half-day SESP training in the spring and fall.
- Be available for training provided by the University in both the spring and fall.
- Meet all requirements set by the Office of Orientation and Parent Programs
- Be available to assist with admissions open houses and other recruitment programs.
Why Others Have Become Peer Advisors
"My biggest motivation for wanting to become a peer advisor is remembering how much my advisor helped my transition to NU. She was great over the summer, always ready to answer any questions or concerns of mine, and during New Student Week she truly made me feel welcome. I am excited about the opportunity to ease the transition for other incoming SESP freshmen as well."
"I have an absolutely incredible peer advisor without whom I would have never survived the transition to NU, and I want other students to have the same support I’ve gotten. I love meeting new people and I love SESP, and being a peer advisor means that I can welcome new student into my SESP community and show them how to take advantage of the opportunities they have available to them. am also involved in a variety of activities on campus and could help connect new students with their interests".
"I really enjoy being able to help the new freshmen with all of their questions, calm their worries, and most importantly, welcome them to the best school at NU. I like being able to share my knowledge and passion for SESP. I have had such a great experience in the school and I’m so happy to be able to tell the new students all the great parts about being in SESP."
"I'm enthusiastic about SESP and my experiences at this university and I want to help welcome the new class!"
2009-2010 Peer Advisors (Update in Progress..)
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Christopher Brown Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2010 |
 christopherbrown2007@u.northwestern.edu Hi! I am a sophomore LOC major with a minor in Business Institutions. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and investing. On campus, I am active in Minorities in Business as well as my fraternity. Attending Northwestern University has been one of the best decisions of my life. It's my hope for each and every one of you to make your freshman year as great as mine was. If you ever have any questions concerning SESP, the school in general or questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask! I am originally from Northern Kentucky about 15 minutes from Cincinnati, Ohio, so Chicago was a big adjustment. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you in the fall! |
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Megan Green Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2012 |
MeganGreen2012@u.northwestern.edu Hey, guys! My name is Megan Green, and I'm going into my sophomore year here at Northwestern. I'm a Learning and Organizational Change and Economics double major, and I'm working on an Integrated Marketing Communications certificate from Medill. I'm from Los Angeles, California (insert incredulous "are you insane??" look here), and I can honestly say I love Northwestern enough to make up for the weather shock. I am an active and enthusiastic member of my sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, and I can say without a doubt it's my favorite part of Northwestern. As I tend to be a bit of an extracurricular fiend, I also participated in Dance Marathon and Associated Student Government (ASG) committees this past year. Between my sorority events, committee meetings and schoolwork, I manage to stay pretty busy, but my amazing friends make every day so much fun. I can't wait to meet you guys and answer any questions you may have, and do my best to help you navigate this crazy world they call college. My freshman year was life-changing, and I can't wait to give some of my Northwestern love to you guys! So have an amazing summer, enjoy the nice weather while you can — and get ready to have an incredible time! |
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Deanna Becker Social Policy, Class of 2012 |
deannabecker2012@u.northwestern.edu Welcome to SESP! My name is Deanna Becker, and I am an incoming sophomore Social Policy and Economics double major from Orland Park, Illinois. On campus, I put a lot of time into my sorority; am a counselor and coordinator for Camp Kesem, which is a free summer camp for children whose parents have or had cancer; and serve as a sexual health and assault peer educator. My job as your peer adviser is essentially to make your first year (and beyond!) as kink-free and enjoyable as possible. I'm here to answer all your questions and give advice on most any subject, so please never hesitate to ask. I am thrilled that you all made the decision to join the Northwestern community and can't wait to meet you! I can honestly say that my freshman year here at Northwestern has been the most amazing experience of my life, and I will do all that I can to make sure you have that same awesome experience. Enjoy your summer, and be ready for all of the great opportunities that lie ahead for you at Northwestern! |
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Kayleigh Wettstein, Human Development and Psychological Services, Class of 2010 | kayleighwettstein2010@u.northwestern.edu Gchat: kayleigh.wettstein Hey, welcome to Northwestern! My name is Kayleigh Wettstein, and I'm majoring in Human Development and Psychological Services, entering my senior year in SESP. I am so excited that you have chosen Northwestern (I might be a bit biased, but I think you made an awesome choice!). For the next year, I hope to be a great resource to you and help you understand the ins and outs of NU and make your experience here the best it can be. I am originally from New Jersey, right outside NYC, and I am the oldest of my large family, with four brothers and two sisters. On campus, I am really involved with the Special Olympics and the Undergraduate Leadership Program and serve as a supervisor at the Phonathon. I love Northwestern and hope that you will have a similar experience. If you have questions about classes, getting involved in clubs, social life and cool places to visit downtown, feel free to ask! Have a wonderful summer and get ready to feel some purple pride! |
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Amit Bhatt Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2011 |
amitbhatt2007@u.northwestern.edu Hey, everyone! My name is Amit Bhatt and I am a sophomore Learning and Organizational Change and Economics double major, with a minor in Business Institutions Program. First off, I’d like to congratulate you on being accepted to Northwestern and also welcome you to campus. My experience at Northwestern so far has been incredible, and I can’t wait for the good times to come. To give you a little background on myself, I am from Palatine, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. I am an avid Chicago sports fan, especially of the Bears, Bulls and Cubs, and love the city of Chicago. On campus I am involved in the Greek system, Northwestern Business Review and Institute for Student Business Education (ISBE). I will do everything I can to serve as a valuable resource to all of you and to ensure you have a great experience at Northwestern. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you have about anything from classes to social life or general questions about life at NU. |
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Corey Winchester, Secondary Education, Class of 2010 |
corey-winchester@northwestern.edu What's good, everybody?!? Congrats on choosing the best school on Northwestern's campus, SESP! It is truly Northwestern's hidden gem. I'm Corey Winchester, a rising senior majoring in Secondary Education with a concentration in History and minoring in Legal Studies. I hail from the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, home of the 2008 World Champion Phillies, cheesesteaks and other greats like Will Smith. On NU's campus, I am an active participant in many activities including membership in the "Illustrious" Iota Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., member at large of Promote 360, treasurer of the Men's Club Volleyball team, treasurer of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and an IM official. My job this year as your peer adviser is to help you all become acclimated to Northwestern's campus and answer any questions you may have regarding academics, social life, campus involvement, volunteering opportunities or whatever you'd like to know about Northwestern. I am at your disposal to make your transition from high school to college as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Looking forward to meeting you all in September. Be prepared! |
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| COMING SOON! | Jennifer Lien Learning and Organizational Change, Class of 2011 |
jennifer.lien@u.northwestern.edu AIM: jgotsmiles YAY for new SESP students!! My name is Jennifer Lien (Jenn with two n's), and I'm a sophomore in Learning and Organizational Change with a minor in Global Health :). I'm so excited to welcome you to the happy SESP family. College might seem a bit scary and overwhelming, but I'm here to help you make the absolute BEST of your years as a Northwestern Wildcat. I hail from the great land of Cincinnati, Ohio. The best thing about Northwestern is that you can get involved with so many things that are each unique and fun — I'm on the Northwestern crew team, I'm working on a documentary called The Throwaway War, I help plan a 5K in Chicago for Footsteps in Hope, and I'm one of the social chairs of my dorm. If you have any questions about classes, majors, the coooold winters in Chicago, clubs or anything, let me know! I can't wait to meet the future of SESP :)!! |
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Holly Bleck, Human Development and Psychological Services, Class of 2012 |
hollybleck2012@u.northwestern.edu AIM: hollister767 Hey guys! I’m Holly Bleck, and I’m majoring in Human Development and Psychological Services and working towards both an Art History minor and the undergraduate certificate in Integrated Marketing and Communications. I can’t say enough about how excited I am to help make your freshman year at Northwestern as great as possible. I’m going into my sophomore year in SESP, and I can assure you, you’ve made an excellent choice in choosing this school! I’m from the lovely town of Charlottesville, Virginia, where I grew up riding and competing horses; at Northwestern, I’m an active member of the Equestrian Team as well as being involved in my sorority and Greek Build, an organization that sponsors and builds a Habitat for Humanity house in a suburb near Evanston. My freshman year was even better than I could’ve hoped, and I look forward to ensuring that you have an equally amazing year. If you have any questions about life at Northwestern, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your summer, and I’ll see you in the fall! |
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Jack Chen, Social Policy, Class of 2012 |
jackchen2012@u.northwestern.edu Hi, my name is Jack Chen, and I am a Social Policy with a minor in Global Health going into my sophomore year in SESP. I'd like to welcome all of you to Northwestern University and let you know that I am here to help you make your freshman year as enjoyable as possible. To give you a little bit of background about myself, I am originally from Plano, Texas, and I am a huge Cowboys and Mavs fan. On campus, I am a part of the speech team, do research in intellectual property with Professor Qiang of the Kellogg Finance Department and mentor a local Evanston student through Project SOAR and the YMCA. I had a phenomenal freshman year and will do whatever I can to make sure that you get the most out of your first year. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about social life, classes, things to do on and off campus, how to survive the Chicago winter, etc. Have a great summer, and I can't wait to meet you in the fall! |
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Alexis Harrell, Human Development and Psychological Services, Class of |
Hey, y'all! My name is Alexis Harrell, and I'm a SESP student with a Human Development and Psychological Services major and a second major in Psychology. I'll be going into my sophomore year. I'm so glad that you decided to come to Northwestern for your undergraduate education, and I know that you're going to enjoy it! As for me, I'm from the place where everything is BIGGER AND BETTER, aka Texas — Dallas, to be specific. However, here in Chicago I like to be involved and help out around campus and Evanston. I'm a member of SHAPE (Sexual Health and Assault Peer Education) and Peer Health Exchange. I also volunteer at a few locations in the area through NCDC (one of Northwestern's community service organizations). My freshman year was a whirlwind filled with lots of new experiences and new people. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I want you all to know that I'm here to help you get as much as you can from your time here at Northwestern. I have dabbled in lots of different things on campus, so if you have any questions about anything at all, from multicultural Greek life to the best place for pizza, please don't hesitate to ask. I hope you all are having an awesome summer! See y'all in the fall!!! | ||||||
| Taylor Hartstein, Social Policy, Class of 2012 |
TaylorHartstein2012@u.northwestern.edu I am a Social Policy major and will most likely be adding a Spanish double major next year. I'm glad that you all have chosen to attend the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern. I look forward to returning to NU from my hometown of Medfield, Massachusetts, and starting a fresh academic year. This summer I have been interning with Senator Robert Hedlund in the Massachusetts State Senate. On campus, I am involved in Greek life, American sign language club, and Alianza (the Hispanic/Latino student alliance). I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Northwestern so far and am can't wait to continuing that experience in the fall. I will do my utmost to ensure you all a comfortable transition to life at NU. Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding new student week, student life, what to bring, or anything else that's on your minds. Enjoy your summers. I'm excited to meet you all in the fall. |
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Chris Nho, Secondary Education, Class of 2012 |
cnho@u.northwestern.edu Hi, future SESPians, I'm Chris Nho, a secondary education major moving on to my sophomore year. I hail from San Diego, where it never dips below 45, but Chicago's occasional -20 days are nice too. On campus, I volunteer a lot at local schools, breakdance with NU's own hiphop crew, serve with a Christian fellowship, and try to create unique food combinations in the dining halls (ask me for some great recipes). If I were to describe myself, I am an ambitious learner who is trying to really take advantage of all Northwestern has to offer, specifically through SESP and its partnerships with Chicago. I'll also be a counselor on the Freshman Urban Program (FUP), a pre-Wildcat Welcome program, so I hope to see some of you there. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your summers. I'm looking forward to meeting you all, and although my words will probably fall through, don't worry! |
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