CBC Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Program
Looking for an interesting service organization?
Do you have a desire to help students that are new to Chemistry and Biochemistry?
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (CBC) Advising Office sponsors the CBC Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Program to provide new students with guidance and counsel. This highly successful program, established in 2005 is designed to encourage student involvement within the CBC Department. Furthermore, peer mentors share their experiences and knowledge of programs and affiliations to help new students find and/or discover their potential career path. New CBC students and current CBC upperclassmen mentors are matched based on student's backgrounds and interests. Mentors work with new CBC students on a one-to-one basis to assist new students with academic and professional development.
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry recruits upper-classmen to serve as peer mentors each fall to assist incoming freshmen during their first semester at the University of Arizona. We seek students who are willing to volunteer as peer mentors to share their experience and wisdom as a UArizona Chemistry and/or Biochemistry student, to provide a listening ear to incoming Freshmen, properly refer new students to campus resources, and encourage and facilitate student involvement in clubs, undergraduate research, seminars, helpful courses, and other activities that add value to their education.
• be a Junior or Senior CBC undergraduate at start of the fall term (with consideration given to some exceptional Sophomores)
• be completely through your second year of the program
• be in good academic standing
• be outgoing, involved in campus life, and research active (or have a desire to be)
• Able to start mentoring in summer before Fall classes begin (not required, but highly encouraged!)
• You will need to complete the FERPA tutorial (required) and send the proof of completion Olivia Mendoza, omendoza@arizona.edu. FERPA tutorial found here: https://registrar.arizona.edu/privacy-ferpa/ferpa-training
• You will be assigned 2 to 3 Biochemistry or Chemistry students, depending on your major. Please make first contact by emailing them and arranging to meet one-on-one. You will get an email from Olivia Mendoza, Director of the Peer Mentor program, with their information at some point over the summer after their orientation.
• Please share your email with your mentees, and if you are comfortable you may also provide your phone number..
• You will positively impact new Wildcats by sharing your invaluable student experiences
• You can build community in CBC by making connections with your peers and mentees
• Assist new students achieve their academic and professional goals by offering your insights
• You can add this leadership experience to your resume!
Each year CBC recognizes our best student mentors with the Outstanding Peer Mentor Award. Students are asked to nominate their peer mentors by submitting a nomination form usually in the Spring Semester. This award will be given to a CBC Mentor deserving of recognition of his/her contributions in assisting new students with academic and professional development. If you have any questions, contact the CBC Peer Mentor Coordinator, Olivia Mendoza.
The Nominations for the Outstanding Peer Mentors are Now Closed until February 2026
2024
Sam Ellis
Madison Grams
Angela Mankin
2023
Eric Nathan Primack
Wesley Chiu
2022
Shifat Hossain
Giang Huong Pham
2021
Paige Elizabeth Martin
Monica Ruffalo
Hillary Schiff
Jessica Vickery
2020
Steven Fried
Todd Lewis
Doli Patel
2019
Hannah Moran
Soraya Sandoval
2018
Jessica Diensing
Marisela Rodrigues
2017
Gloria Thien Huong Le
Neal Patel
Current Peer Mentors
"I am currently both a peer advisor for the College of Science and a peer mentor for the Biochemistry department."
"On campus, I take part in research in the Jon Njardarson lab, am a part of Greek life, teach F45 at the rec, and am VP of the dosed with happiness club."
"One of my favorite quotes is, "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success."
“Ad Astra Per Aspera” (translated: through hardship to the stars)
"Becoming a peer mentor now myself I hope to give the same welcome to incoming Freshmen and give them the great start I had."
"I am a senior majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology. I am also a pre-med student and decided to become a peer mentor to help other pre-med students within the CBC department who may be wondering about the process."
"I’m excited to be a CBC Peer Mentor and help incoming freshman, as I was in their shoes not too long ago!"
"I am excited to be joining the CBC peer mentoring program because I enjoy teaching and learning more about others interests and how it has led them to pursue science further!"
"I volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital during the school year, and I am also the vice president of the UA-Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students club (MAPS) which provides a community for pre-med students."
"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to promote the CBC as an ambassador and get to connect with new CBC undergraduates as a peer mentor this year."
"The only source of knowledge is experience" - Albert Einstein
“Change the game, don’t let the game change you” - Macklemore
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” - Zig Ziglar
“I do the difficult things immediately; the impossible things take me a little longer.” - Cantinflas
"A quote which inspires me is "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." - Thomas Edison
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein
"One of my favorite quotes that I will definitely be sharing with my new mentees is from Earl Nightingale, "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway".
"My peer mentor gave me a lot of great pointers when starting out and introduced me to many opportunities. Because of her, I want to be able to do the same for my mentees."
"After graduation, I plan to apply to Medical School, either through an MD or MD/PhD program."
“The best way to predict your future is to create it” - Abraham Lincoln
"A quote I would refer to throughout my undergraduate journey is “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t- you’re right.”
"A quote I find inspiring is "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for" - John Shed
"I’m looking forward to being a CBC peer mentor and ambassador this year and helping connect people to the exciting resources in the CBC department."
"An inspirational quote I've loved since I was a young girl is "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss it you'll land among the stars."
"I have loved the opportunity to be part of the CBC ambassador and mentor program because it gives me the chance to connect with new students as well as try and help them come to the love the program as much as I do!"
"We meet no ordinary people in our lives" - C.S. Lewis
"I like to remind myself of this with the quote, “self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation."
"I truly appreciate exploring and taking risks because, after all, life doesn't give you a second chance! The end goal for me is to make the world a better place in any way I can which is why I am so big on the endless possibilities with chemistry."
"Being able to be someone that my peers can rely on for advice or just someone to talk to is one of my favorite parts of being a peer mentor!"
"An inspirational quote that keeps me motivated is, “The only thing that can stop you is you."