Enrichment Mentors

EXITO alums working with scholars

Courtney Ledford

Hello! My name is Courtney Ledford, and I am a recent BUILD EXITO Cohort 5 and PSU alumna. I started my academic career at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where I first joined the EXITO program. I transferred to PSU for the research opportunities provided through EXITO and began working in Dr. Angela Ozburn's lab, investigating the molecular mechanisms of addiction at OHSU. Currently, I am a Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience graduate student at OHSU. I enjoy being outdoors in my free time, whether for a walk or a swim. I am excited to join the EXITO program to support scholars along their academic and research journeys!

Clare Hansen

Greetings, everyone! My name is Clare Hansen (she/her). I am an EXITO Cohort 5 alumni and currently a senior at PSU, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology.

I transferred to PSU from Clackamas Community College and initially joined the Build EXITO team as a scholar in 2019. As a non-traditional and first-generation student, I found many aspects of my undergrad experience overwhelming and confusing. I felt self-conscious about being an older student and how little I knew about the system of higher education. I aim to normalize these challenges and minimize the barriers for undergraduate students pursuing a scientific pathway. I am passionate about meeting students where they are and encouraging and supporting students in breaking traditional boundaries to establish innovative solutions in academia. The support, guidance, and structure provided by the Build EXITO community helped to reassure me of my strengths and abilities while challenging me personally, academically, and professionally.

I was placed in Dr. Eric Mankowski’s GVIR (Gendered Violence Interventions Research team), where I worked on an independent research project focusing on gun violence, specifically regarding unintentional toddler shootings and racial disparity in health and legal outcomes. In addition, my research interests include examining the impacts of traditional power dynamics through the lenses of intersectionality, particularly as it relates to both gender and race, to therefore better investigate how different concepts (e.g., white privilege, white threat, masculinity threat) influence society on a social level.

Clare is interested in working with students from all backgrounds, particularly students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ students, first-generation students, transfer students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, students needing help navigating and applying for financial aid and scholarships, and those who are unsure of their career paths/ wanting support in finding a career path they feel passionate about.

Please follow the link to schedule a meeting with me. I look forward to meeting with you. YouCanBookMe

Shanthia Espinosa

Hafa Adai (hello) scholars! My name is Shanthia Espinosa, and I am from Saipan, a small island a part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). I am Chamorro (Pacific Islander) and Dominican - Haitian race. I was a previous scholar for BUILD EXITO Cohort 5 and transferred from the Northern Marianas College in Saipan in 2020.

As a transfer student during the start of the pandemic, it was definitely challenging but with the support of BUILD EXITO, EMPOWER, McNair, and the PSU resource center and SHAC, I was able to thrive with my peers, staff, friends, and family.

This spring, I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health: Community Health Promotion and a minor in Child, youth, and family studies. As a recent graduate, I am now working as a Research Assistant II at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health in Dr. Lisa Marriott's lab. I also serve as a Research and Program support/ mentor to Pacific Islander high school students at Roosevelt High School. I can't wait to meet you all and support you in any way that I can. Best of luck this school year!

If you would like to schedule a meeting with me: https://shanthiaespinosa.youcanbook.me/

Thandose Kalinda

I am Thandose Kalinda (She/Her). I really enjoy science! I mean what’s not to like? Like many of my cohort, I am a first-generation scholar! I did not know much about scientific research or data collection or know how studies were initiated prior to Build EXITO. Through this wonderful opportunity, I have definitely learned a lot and want to do more.

When I first decided to pursue a career in healthcare, my passion was and continues to be women’s health and emergency care. I love the fast pace of emergency medicine, the diverse patients as well as the dynamic healthcare clinicians who deliver care. I am extremely interested in serving my community and providing much-needed care in endocrinology and reproductive health from birth to menopause and beyond is important to me.

Brandy Lentz

My name is Brandy Lentz (she/her). I am one of the Graduate Research Assistants for BUILD EXITO- biomedical research training program. I am working on an MPH in Health Management and Policy. I am also currently working as a Research Assistant II in Dr. Lisa Marriott’s lab here at OHSU. I am passionate about increasing access to pediatric healthcare for parents with disabilities.

Ann Jeline Manabat

Hello everyone! I am a Graduate Research Assistant working with EXITO and am I'm also an EXITO alumni from Cohort 3. I graduated with my BS in Public Health Studies with a Pre-Clinical Health Science track in June of 2021. I’m currently in my second year obtaining my MPH in the Health Promotion track at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. I was born and raised in Saipan, CNMI and made the move to Portland in 2018 to pursue higher education. I have interests in learning about the transition to higher education for Asian/Pacific Islander folks, exploring multiple methods of research and evaluation that study how our health programs engage with the community, and working with data to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Ann Jeline is interested in working with first-generation students, transfer students from the Pacific islands, students from low socioeconomic or underrepresented backgrounds, students needing help navigating and applying for financial aid and scholarships, students who need support/finding resources in navigating higher education, and anyone needing guidance as they work towards their personal/educational goals. If you'd like to schedule a meeting with me, click here: https://amanabat.youcanbook.me

Angie (Gee) Setthavongsack

ສະບາຍດີ! (hello) My name is Angie Setthavongsack (He/She/They), also known as Gee, and I'm a first generation Laotian-American. I graduated with a BS in Psychology and Public Health Communications. During undergrad, I involved myself in leadership activities within PIAAA (Pacific Islander, Asian, Asian-American) such as being president for the Cambodian Student Association.

I started my BUILD EXITO journey back in 2019 as a sophomore with an interest to transgenerational trauma, the study of DNA methylation due to traumatic incidents. After witnessing countless of family members going through vast illnesses, I knew creating an environment where families would not need to worry about essentials, could then focus on education.

I'm currently working in Dr. Lisa Marriott's lab with a focus on inclusive demographics and cognitive function. I've been named as an alternative for the prestigious scholarship named Fulbright, and am currently reapplying to pursue mental health studies within microbiome at Mae Fah Luang University located in Thailand.

Past Enrichment Specialists (2020-2021)

Heather Hamilton

I am originally a scholar from BUILD EXITO's second cohort. I graduated from PSU in 2019 with my Bachelor's in general science/premed track. Currently, I work full-time as a lead clinical research coordinator for the OHSU Trauma Research Lab, working alongside the same trauma surgeons that saved my life 7 years ago when I was a patient in the very trauma ICU I now work in. As a cognitively disabled person, I have become well versed in advocacy and resources available to the disabled community. If anyone ever has any questions or is in need of assistance/resources pertaining to disabilities and accommodations, I am available to help. I am also applying to medical school this year and can help anyone out with the complex application process that this has proven to be.

This will be my second year working with current EXITO scholars as a mentor and look forward to continuing to work with my mentees from last year.

Heather is interested in working with students interested in medicine/clinical research, first generation college students, transfer students, students with disabilities or interested in disability research, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, students wanting advice on scholarships/financial aid process, students wanting LGBTQIA+ support, students wanting advice on finding shadowing opportunities/internships.

Manaz Rezayee

I initially joined the BUILD EXITO team in 2016 as a Cohort 2 scholar. I graduated in 2019 with a BS in Biology. As a first-generation student and a PSU, BUILD EXITO, and Honors College Alumni, I aim to minimize research barriers for students pursuing a scientific pathway. I am very passionate about encouraging and supporting students in breaking traditional boundaries to establish innovative solutions in academia. Initially, I researched in the Neurology Department at OHSU and focused on a rare life-threatening condition of healthy patients suffering from new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE). Currently, I am researching at Providence Cancer Institute to evaluate the safety, efficacy, feasibility, and patient experience of manual scalp-cooling in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia in early-stage breast cancer. In my free time, I love reading non-fiction books, taking long road trips, spending quality time with family, and searching for meaningful ways to help the community.

Medina Lamkin

Hello! My name is Medina and I am a cohort 3 BUILD EXITO alum and a recent graduate from PSU with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Minor in Mathematics. As an EXITO scholar, I worked in Dr. Teuscher’s lab comparing the performance of different machine learning models used to detect lung nodules in chest scans. This experience allowed me to explore my interest in machine learning, but it also sparked my interest in other fields of computer science, including data science and user experience. As technology continues to become more prevalent in our lives, I believe it is vital to ensure that the impact of technology isn’t disruptive by identifying and rectifying machine learning biases, managing data ethically, and questioning the accessibility and usability of technology. In the future, I hope to pursue a graduate degree in computer science. I am also very passionate about STEM education and linguistics. Outside of academia, I enjoy cooking, writing poetry, and sending letters to my pen pals. As an enrichment specialist, I hope to support current EXITO scholars through their time with the program. I am here for you so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Originally, my research interests centered around machine learning. To explore this, I joined Dr. Christof Teuscher’s lab to work on a project comparing and analyzing the efficacy of different neural network models used to detect nodules in chest scans. Currently, my interests lie in data science and user experience, and I am considering pursuing a master’s in computer science.

Following my graduation from PSU in August 2020, I joined the enrichment team as an Enrichment Specialist. While with the enrichment team, I have been focusing on curriculum development to try keep scholars engaged in a virtual environment and the development of the enrichment wiki.

My duties as a near-peer mentor are limited; I'm available to support Scholars on Computer Science and Engineering tracks.

Dar'ya Pozhidayeva

My name is Dar’ya Pozhidayeva and I am an EXITO and McNair alumni. I graduated with a BS in Biochemistry and a minor in Mathematics from PSU in 2019. I am originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan but I have been living in Portland, Oregon for most of my life. Currently, I work as a programmer and data scientist in the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute at OHSU. I am also simultaneously working towards my MS in Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine at OHSU. My current plans involve staying in research after I receive my MS and potentially pursuing my PhD in the future. Currently my interests in research surround the development and tuning of machine learning algorithms for use in healthcare and personalized medicine.

Ali Javaheri

Hi everyone, My name is Ali and I am 22 years old. I moved here about five years ago from Iran, joined the PSU community, and later transitioned to OHSU as an MD candidate. During my time at PSU, I joined a few communities, one of which happens to be the Build EXITO. It was one the most impactful communities in my life because it helped me meet numerous caring and genuine professionals who believed in me and helped me in every possible way I could and could not imagine helping me succeed. Academically, my main interests are plastic and cardiothoracic surgery specialties along with interventional radiology, although these interests are very fluid and prone to change. I enjoy playing flamenco, classic, and pop guitar music in my spare time along with weekend hikes and journeys in or out of town. Please reach out to me with any questions and/or concerns. 😊 Cheers!

I am a second-year medical student at OHSU. I moved here from Yazd, Iran, six years ago, started at PCC, and continued my education at PSU with a major in science and a minor in business administration. The BUILD EXITO community gave me immense support, care, and advice. This program helped me understand academia and build relationships. It also had me matched with Dr. Korthuis, the most wonder PI I could ever wish for. My research experience is centered around clinical research.

I hope to provide advice and resources to help you succeed in university and navigate the path to medical school for those interested. You can always reach me by email with any questions or concerns.

Maria Theresa Dizon

I am a Graduate Assistant working with EXITO Enrichment, and a BUILD EXITO scholar from Cohort 2. My academic journey began at the Northern Marianas College on Saipan as a community college student. I then transferred to Portland State and completed my BS in Community Health in 2019. After, I took a gap year working at the Multnomah County Health Department’s Community Epidemiology Services division conducting community-based research and program implementation for Filipino and Pacific Islander communities. I am now a second-year Master of Public Health student at OHSU-PSU. I’ve also been a researcher for the past 8 years, ranging from several topics like functional brain imaging, box jellyfish, alternative medicine, clinical trials, and more.

Maria is interested in working with students interested in public health, first-generation college students, those who need help applying to scholarships, scholarship essay revisions/brainstorming, those who need help finding resources for disabilities and accommodations, anyone contemplating a gap year(s), and students who have moved to Portland from the Pacific who are navigating their big move stateside. I look forward to connecting with you!

Sandhya Gunarathne

I joined the BUILD EXITO program in 2018 as a Cohort 4 scholar. I graduated this Summer of 2021 with my BS in Biology. I was initially placed in the Rosenstiel Lab in the Center for Life in Extreme Environments at Portland State University where I worked collaboratively on a multitude of plant-related projects, such as analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in different moss species, looking at nitrogen composition in Antarctic moss, combatting gentrification of neighborhoods caused by greening processes, and optimal greenroof design. Through this lab, I was given the opportunity to participate in urban field work with Reed College this Summer to collect tree health data for trees across Portland. In 2021, I joined the BER Lab group at Portland State University that focuses on science education research. Here, I assisted in data analysis and coding for transcripts and interviews regarding student success in STEM fields. I currently split my time between these labs helping out on various projects. In my free time, I love to be in nature with my friends and family, work on creative crafting projects, and playing with my kitten Dracula.

Sandhya is interested in working with students from all backgrounds, particularly students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and those who are unsure of their career paths/ wanting support in finding a career path they feel passionate about.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse