Peer Mentors
Yasaman Rahimi
she/her
As a third-year student in psychology, she is super passionate about learning human behaviour and understanding people. She is a sports and music lover, which helps her foster the well-being of herself and others. With her desire to help people, she is looking forward to learning and experiencing new things toward her career goals of being an effective, compassionate, and aspiring person in the mental health field. She is a great listener, which makes a comfortable environment for people around her to feel welcome and calm in talking to her.
About Me
She is a volleyballer, although she might not be as tall as a real volleyball.
She loves music and plays guitar. As she is a creative visionary with a great sense of humour, she also tries hard to be a good writer.
She is a family person, loves to spend time with family, and the environment brings her peace. And consequently, she considers herself an ambivert.
Reading books are one of the hobbies that keep her alive and motivated.
Another hobby that she has, especially when she is tired, is watching Netflix.
Alicia Alvarez
she/her
Alicia is a first-generation Hispanic student who transferred to York in 2019 after studying at U of T for one year. She is entering her last year at York University as an honours double major and hopes to complete a Masters's in Counselling afterwards. Her background in criminology and psychology has given her insight into the effects of systemic discrimination and as a peer mentor, she hopes to provide all students with a safe space to be themselves. Her future goal is to become a licensed psychotherapist and provide affordable therapy for those in need.
About Me
Alicia is 23 years old, she is Dominican and Honduran, and her star sign is Taurus.
She is a certified lifeguard, swim instructor, and pool in-charge with the City of Toronto. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, weight lifting, reading, going out to eat, and taking lots of naps.
She is an only child and has an 11-year-old shitzu named Coffee. Her favourite shows are Criminal Minds and New Girl, and her favourite movie is Finding Nemo.
Fun fact: her name is pronounced “Ali-see-a,” not “Alisha.”
Nicole Lombardo
she/her
Nicole is a fifth-year thesis student in the specialized honours psychology program with a degree concentration in applied methods and data analysis. She is also a research assistant in York’s quantitative department, where she primarily conducts research on the topic of psychological measurement. In the future, Nicole plans to pursue graduate school, where she hopes to further explore the topic of test validation and construction within psychological contexts. As a peer mentor, Nicole strives to support and help students reach their goals and grow as individuals within the academic community!
About Me
In her free time, Nicole reads or listens to music (often simultaneously). Some of her favourite books include Song of Achilles, Normal People, and A Certain Kind of Hunger.
She also enjoys cooking, creative writing and working out. If you have any good book recommendations or recipes you’d love to share, she's all ears!
It is also possible that she has a slightly unhealthy obsession with cotton candy.
Keza Charles
she/her
Hello everyone! This is Kéza (Kay-za), and she is in her 3rd year at York. She loves to read, enjoys watching movies and doing art. Her future career goals include completing a Master’s degree in psychology and gaining experience in the field. She looks forward to being involved in research this year as she is looking for opportunities as a research volunteer or assistant. She has past experience in UPSA and wants to help students navigate their way through university.
About Me
Kéza loves creating art, she enjoys being active through sports and she actually grew up playing soccer and competing in track and field.
A fun fact about Kéza is that she has 4 sisters.
Prabhleen Punn
she/her
Prabhleen is in fourth-year student currently pursuing her Honours B.A in Psychology with a concentration in mental health and counselling. Her interest is understanding the complexities underlying human emotion, cognition and behaviour. While her passion lies in psychology, she also harbours aspirations to attend law school and embark on a career as a lawyer. She aims to use the knowledge gained within her degree in the legal field, enabling her to understand law from a unique perspective. Additionally, at York University, Prabhleen holds a role as a Student Health Ambassador as well as an executive position with Sick Kids at YorkU.
About Me
Prabhleen likes to spend time on her own exploring the outdoors and visiting new locations, whether they are locally or internationally.
She enjoys picking up new crafts as a pastime, whether it be painting, embroidery, scrapbooking or pottery (her next project she plans to try is crocheting!).
She has also begun slowly building an album collection lately, and thus far, she has purchased roughly 15 albums (with three more on the way).
A fun fact about Prabhleen is that she can speak four languages and hopes to learn more!
Bobbie Vayne Riesgo
she/her
Hi there! My name is Vayne, and I'm currently in my second year as an Honours BSc Psychology student. My future career goal is to become a psychotherapist, and in turn, I am aiming to (hopefully) pursue a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) to enhance my knowledge and skills in this field. Ever since I was young I have always been fascinated by psychology and would actively do research on it to feed my curiosity. By actively engaging in community work, I've had the privilege of listening to many individuals and gaining invaluable insights into their experiences and how they got to be where they are today! I also have plans to volunteer in clinics and retirement homes, as it will help broaden my practical understanding of this field!
About Me
Loves reading and baking.
She enjoys watching sports such as f1, football, basketball (sometimes), hockey, and baseball.
She loves watching thriller, horror or true crime shows/movies.
She will randomly give people candy or flowers if I have any on hand cause why not.
nOYA ARONOVICH
she/her
Hi everyone, my name is am Noya. I am currently going into my third year of the B.A. Honours Specialized Psychology and Concurrent Education program! This will be my second year as a peer mentor, and I'm very excited to be a part of UPSA again. In the future, I aspire to become a clinical psychologist and continue helping others.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and to having an amazing year!
About Me
3rd year Specialized Honours Psychology program
Research Mentor with UHRE
Enjoys hiking, TV shows, playing with animals, and psychology :)
Victory Anthony-Nted
she/her
Hello, I’m Victory! I’m in my fourth year of undergrad psychology. I enjoy swimming, love painting and recently took up crochet. My current career path may be leading me toward psychiatry. Still, child psychology is becoming increasingly tempting, perhaps because I’ve done some volunteer work at the children’s wing at Evercare Hospital in Nigeria. However, I would love to do some language comprehension-based research soon and gain some research experience!
About Me
She is a first-generation international student. I love swimming and painting textile works.
She is currently studying for the MCATS and would love to do clinical research on the placebo effect.
She enjoys reading medical anthropological books and watching mind-numbing tv shows.
Fun fact her name is Àsàké, but she has found it difficult to pronounce
AFIFA ZAINAB
she/her
Afifa is going into her fourth year of the Honours BA in Psychology. Her concentrations are in Counselling & Mental Health and Child & Youth Development; she intends to pursue graduate school for a Masters in Counselling.
About Me
She loves reading, hiking and spending time with her family.
Her goal is to explore all the best hiking trails, National Parks/nature reserves of Canada at least once.
She is also a returning mentor and is excited to meet new people :)
Alina Khan
she/her
Alina is going into her 2nd year in the Neuroscience program. She is currently a research assistant in Dr. Denise Henriques Lab which is focused on motor learning and reaching. Her experience with adapting to university has its ups and downs where she struggled with the jump in workload from high school to university, along with maintaining a work-life balance. Through the support of upper-year students, she was able to establish effective studying techniques and ways to get involved at York University. Her future career goals involve going to graduate school within the field of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience.
About Me
Reading, playing video games, going on hikes, and playing the guitar.
Her background is Pakistani, and she was born in Toronto, Canada.
She came to York University as a domestic student from a high school in Brampton.
Some fun facts about Alina are that she does karate and is a purple belt (Goju-Ryu style).
ALYSSA PILUSO
she/her
Alyssa is a returning peer mentor heading into her fourth year of the Honours BA Psychology Program with a concentration and certification in Mental Health and Counselling. Alyssa has been interested in mental health, wellness and well-being and wants to pursue a Masters's in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Alyssa has been working at CCSC as their Health and Wellness Coordinator and volunteering as a Crisis Responder for Kids Help Phone. This year Alyssa will be a GLOW (Girls Linking Our Worlds) mentor for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada, supporting female adolescents in their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Alyssa is certified in ASSIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and MHFA (Mental Health First Aid), and having the appropriate knowledge/skills to support someone in a mental health crisis.
About Me
Transfer student, and this is her fourth year at York University.
Alyssa has found that although York is a large school, it has TONS of resources and opportunities available, and she recommends keeping your eyes open and always being curious and inquiring when events or opportunities interest you.
Loves being creative and enjoys art, such as painting and drawing! In high school, Alyssa won several art competitions, one for her mental health series, where she used pencil, charcoal and gold leaf!
Alyssa also enjoys listening to music (pop, rap, r&b, alternative country), reading books (contemporary romance is her favourite), going on long walks with her white, fluffy 10-pound shitzu dog named Joshua, and binge-watching Netflix (her go-to comfort show is Grey's Anatomy).
ALISHBA JABEEN
she/her
This is Alishba's first year as a peer mentor with UPSA. And she is currently going into her second year in the BA Honours Psychology Program. She always seeks ways to serve others and contribute to the community. She is excited to meet new people and can not wait to start her role as a peer mentor this year.
About Me
She is a person who loves learning new things and gaining new experiences wherever she goes.
She also enjoys reading, cooking, dancing, and working out.
She can speak four languages and loves crime TV shows and docs!