Jayden Ambe
Art History and Studio Art Peer Advisor
sapeerstu01@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 -7 p.m.
I am Jayden Ambe! I am a sophomore majoring in Fine Arts and minoring in entrepreneurship. I am from Newport Beach, California. I am passionate about painting, drawing, fashion, cooking, dancing, and I love to laugh. I plan to incorporate all of these hobbies into my life as I move forward and into my future career!
Bernadine Cortina
Generalist for all majors and minors within Wilkinson
wilkstu07@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Thursdays, 9 a.m. -12 pm.
Bernadine assists with general information for majors or minors for which no peer advisor exists and is available to conduct peer advising for Wilkinson’s Interdisciplinary Programs. She is a junior, majoring in English with minors in Africana Studies and Ethnic Studies. She is from two places: Manila, Philippines, where she was born and raised and Hayward, California, where she immigrated. Recognizing Filipina/x/o literature’s emergence from the makings of migration and globalization that have also shaped her lived experience, she is interested in literature as a space for community, healing, witnessing, and radical futurities. She hopes to pursue a career that is abundant in opportunities to write as well as serve migrant communities and communities based in the Philippines.
Sophie Manis
Graphic Design Peer Advisor
gdpeerstu01@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 - 3 p.m.
Sophie is available to help with information for students within the Graphic Design Department. She is a Sophomore Graphic Design major with an Entrepreneurship minor. Sophie is originally from California but has lived in Memphis, Tennessee for 9 years. She is passionate about sustainability in fashion and language inclusivity and hopes to incorporate these passions into her Graphic Design career in the future.
Jade Mcdonald
English Department, Creative Writing Program Advisor
peerstu11@chapman.edu
Office hours by appointment
Jade is available to help students within or interested in the Creative Writing major or minor. They are a senior Creative Writing major with minors in LGBTQ+ Studies and Religious Studies. Jade is from Orange County and loves all sorts of topics and hobbies. They edit for Chapman's Ouroboros and enjoy being in community with other writers.
Calissa McNutt
World Languages Peer Advisor
wilkstu17@chapman.edu
Spring 2024: Studying Abroad
Calissa assists with information for interested students in the major, minor, or emphasis program in World Languages and Cultures, whether it is French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian, or Japanese. She is a junior majoring in creative writing and French. Calissa is from Boulder, Colorado, and loves to read, write, knit, and crochet. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a fantasy author for young adults.
Ashely Medina
World Languages Peer Advisor
langstu02@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Monday 1-2pm, Wednesday 12-2 pm, zoom on Fridays from 3-5 pm
Ashley is available to help all major and minor students in the Department or World Languages and Cultures. She is a Junior, working on a double major in Business Administration and Sociology, and a minor in Spanish. She is from Orange County and is passionate about helping others. Ashley is currently active in the Latinx club and serves as the Vice President of Community Relations for Tri Delta on our campus.
Amala Rajagopal
History Peer Advisor
histpeerstu01@chapman.edu
By Appointment (via Calendly)
Amala is available to assist with the majors and minors within the History Department. She is a junior from Portland, Oregon, double majoring in History and Philosophy with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Her interests include learning about activist and civil rights movements, South Asian history, and cultural communities worldwide. In the future, she hopes to research and pursue a career in academia.
Aliyah Ramirez
Political Science Peer Advisor
poscpeeradvisor@chapman.edu
Office Hours: M/W 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Aliyah is available to help all Political Science majors and minors, and anyone interested in the department! She is a junior double major in Political Science and History native to Portland, Oregon. She hopes her areas of study as well as her passion for social justice will serve her well as she pursues her legal aspirations.
Natasha Ryan
Sociology Peer Advisor
socstu08@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours by appointment (via Calendly)
Natasha is available to help with information for majors and minors within the Sociology Department. Natasha is a Sociology major with an emphasis on Media, Culture, and Society. She grew up in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, but attended schools in Maine and Philadelphia and truly enjoys being bi-coastal. Outside of Chapman, Natasha develops and leads civics programming for the YMCA’s Youth and Government program for high school students in California. She spends her free time going to concerts and hanging out with her dogs, Aimee and Fizzy, and her Tennessee Walking Horse, Odie. Natasha hopes to go on to pursue a graduate degree in Secondary Education, and teach in independent and alternative schools.
Alissa Sakamoto
CCI Peer Advisor
ccistu01@chapman.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-1pm and Friday 9-10am.
Alissa is available to help with information for students within the Creative and Cultural Industries department. She is a Senior Business Administration major and a CCI minor. Alissa is originally from the Bay Area, where she based her research on cultural memory in order to present at Chapman's scholar symposium last year. She is passionate about sustainability and the practice of preservation within the creative and cultural industries and businesses.
Erika Taylor
Journalism Peer Advisor
eritaylor@chapman.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. , Wednesday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Erika is available to help students with needs relating to the journalism field, such as writing, research, photography, AP style, communication techniques and more. She is senior marketing major and visual journalism minor. Erika has worked with the Voice of OC as a student photojournalist since August 2022, and continues to publish photo essays for their “Local Lens” series, which showcases arts and culture around Orange County. After graduation, she hopes to continue working in journalism and documenting culture throughout her home: Orange County. Connect with her on Instagram @camerakeepsrolling, where she is always available by direct message.
Samantha Thompson
Peace Studies Peer Advisor
Office Hours: MW 9 am - 12 p.m. ( & by appointment)
Sam is available to help with information for students within the Peace Studies Department. She is a Junior Peace Studies major with a Law and the Liberal Arts minor. Sam is originally from Seattle, WA and loves the outdoors. She is passionate about the Peace Studies field and is excited to see where it takes her during her career.
Rhyan Warmerdam
English Peer Advisor
peerstu13@chapman.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Rhyan Warmerdam assists English majors in the Literature, Rhetoric, and Cultural Studies emphasis. Rhyan is a junior English major from Sacramento, California, with minors in Psychology and Secondary Education. Rhyan is currently interested in research related to queer theory, modernist literature, and memoir, and is pursuing a graduate degree for a career in professional writing or higher education.
Interested in becoming a Wilkinson Peer Advisor
Department-level peer advisors should ideally be a major or minor in the program for at least one year. A generalist peer advisor will be available in the Dean’s Office to help students in majors or minors for which no peer advisor exists or is available and to conduct peer advising for Interdisciplinary Programs.
All peer advisor training will be conducted jointly by Academic Advising, Dean’s Office, and departments. This training is compulsory and must be completed before a peer advisor can begin working with students. A student peer advisor must attend the pre-semester training sessions, be available to attend major meetings during fall and spring orientation and hold at least four office hours weekly during the fall and spring academic semesters. In addition, peer advisors may be asked to hold office hours during interterm and the summer, attend peer advisor meetings or additional training, or other advising or recruitment events throughout the academic year.
Peer advisors will work directly with a faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisors must be available via text/phone/email/in-person during ALL student-peer advisor consults in case questions arise. Staff are NOT allowed to substitute for faculty supervisors. If a faculty supervisor is unavailable, the peer advising session cannot be run. This is to ensure no misadvising occurs.
For more information, please contact your department Administrative Assistant or the Director of Administrative Operations Sarah Gordon sargordon@chapman.edu.
Wilkinson College of Art, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department Peer Advisors are a valuable academic resource who help students select classes that meet their interests and program requirements; provide information on academic programs, policies and procedures; and make appropriate referrals to campus resources. They also provide advice based on their experiences as students at CU. Peer advisors hold drop-in and appointment hours; they also respond to email requests for information or guidance. Their services will be advertised on college websites, social media, and newsletters.