Student organization involvement: Chapter president of Gamma Phi Beta, club field hockey, club softball

Hobbies: Working out, going on walks with friends, playing ping pong, watching any kind of Disney movie, plant care, and trying new foods

Additional jobs: Fitness center team leader at the Goergen Athletic Center; sports analyst for the athletic communications team; Wilson Commons Student Activities spirit staff

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): Basement of the stacks (in Rush Rhees Library)

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: the lawn chairs behind Hoyt Hall or the Welles-Brown Room in Rush Rhees Library

Favorite food on campus: California Rollin' in Goergen Hall

Favorite thing to do off-campus: I love going to Park Avenue and walking through the Genesee Valley Park across the street from campus. I highly recommend Jines or Highland Park Diner for breakfast or lunch. If you want an ideal day, to the Strong National Museum of Play, and then across the street to Stem for good vibes, relaxation, and plant shopping time!

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self: My biggest worry was a new environment where I didn't have any established roots or a routine that I could rely on if things didn't go to plan. My best advice would be to just go for it, even if you think it's not going to work out—the only way to make things better in a new environment is to give it a chance.

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: First-year hallway, recitations, office hours, and events planned by Wilson Commons Student Activities

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: You will have a lot more free time than a typical high school day and it's a big adjustment! It will be different kinds of work that is often more detailed, but you also have a lot more resources such as professors, teaching assistants, recitation leaders, free tutoring, and more.

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: Make a couple of saved schedules just in case something doesn't work out. Talk with your advisor beforehand and don't be afraid to reach out to them with questions!

Personal fact that surprises most people: I flew on a plane for the first time this past fall.

Student organization involvement: Vice president, 2026 Class Council; Filipino American Students' Association; Student Alumni Ambassador; Students' Association Government

Hobbies: During my free time, I like to either be a homebody and stay home to nap or binge Netflix or be a social butterfly and hang out with my friends!

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): iZone is definitely my study and work zone! I wish it was open 24/7, like Gleason Library.

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: I enjoy relaxing in Wilson Commons or the lounge outside Starbucks. When the weather's good outside, I love to sit on the grass on Wilson or Eastman Quads.

Favorite food on campus: Grab & Go is where it's at! And of course, Starbucks too.

Favorite thing to do off-campus: Exploring the city is definitely something you should do in your free time. ThaiYada is my favorite Thai food restaurant in Rochester and Java's Cafe (near the Eastman School of Music) is a good spot to study or socialize with friends. I still need to explore more, and I plan to this summer!

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self: My biggest worry before I arrived at Rochester was not being smart enough, especially if I needed to take classes I wasn't super interested in. However, I encourage you to take advantage of the open curriculum and not be afraid to take classes you have even the slightest interest in. Explore your curiosities and strengths!

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: My favorite way to meet new people is by interacting with and having conversations with other students or staff during Class Council events or Rochester Traditions, like Meliora Weekend. I definitely recommend attending them and getting free merch!

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: It's okay to not know what you want to major in! Feel free to explore different classes and get an insight into different fields and careers. I also recommend taking CASC 104: Designing Your Life.

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: Don't stress about not getting to a certain class. WRTG 105 is a good example: if you don't get your desired class section this semester, try again in the spring semester!

Personal fact that surprises most people: I almost died choking on grass during Meliora Weekend. (Just kidding—I didn't really almost die, but it's a good story!)

Student organization involvement: First-year representative, Model United Nations; Ma'frisah; Pan-African Students Association

Hobbies: Read novels, dance, and binge-watch Friends

Additional jobs: Event support technician for Event and Classroom Management; 

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): Third floor of Rush Rhees Library

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: Hirst Lounge in Wilson Commons

Favorite food on campus: Meatball sub from Rocky's Sub Shop & Lounge

Favorite thing to do off-campus: Watch movies at Regal Cinemas with friends

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self: My biggest worry was knowing what I wanted to do academically. I would have told my younger self to explore the clusters and electives, be more open minded, and not to worry because Rochester provides resources to help anyone succeed.

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: Joining student organizations and going to their on-campus events

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: Rochester is very cold! You need to brace yourself for the fluctuating weather and the super-long winter.

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: Listen to your academic advisor!

Personal fact that surprises most people: I can dance.

Student organization involvement: Rochester Rangoli, Hindu Students' Association

Hobbies: read, dance, and watch Bollywood movies!

Additional jobs: I'll be a Speaking Fellow starting this fall.

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): My favorite study spot on campus is the Humanities Center in Rush Rhees Library.

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: My favorite places to relax on campus are Starbucks, and the Wilson Commons building in general.

Favorite food on campus: My favorite food on campus is the stir-fry and blondies in Danforth Dining Center.

Favorite thing to do off-campus: My favorite thing to do off-campus is to go on walks with my friends and go out to eat! I would recommend Just Chik'n, a Peruvian restaurant, and we also love to get boba at Tai Chi Bubble Tea in College Town.

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self: My biggest worry before I arrived at Rochester was not making any friends! I was so worried that I wouldn't find anyone to be friends with, but the advice that I would give my younger self to help ease that worry is that everyone else is also in the same boat and is looking for new friends, so it's just a matter of time until you find your people.

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: My favorite way to meet new people on campus is by joining student organizations! They're such a good way to find people with similar interests, and to form a real sense of community and belonging.

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: I wish I knew about all of the resources that there are to help with academics when you need it! There are so many resources and people available to help, like the Writing and Speaking Fellows and tutors in the Learning Center, and so many others that I wish I knew about earlier.

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: My best advice for fall course registration day in August is to be prepared! Have a list of back-up courses ready, especially for small classes that fill up quickly, and make sure to start registering as soon as it opens.

Personal fact that surprises most people: I am very afraid of squirrels.

Student organization involvement: Rochester Bhangra; Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students

Hobbies: Watching action movies with my friends, going for runs, dancing, working out, trying new foods, and grabbing ice cream with friends

Additional jobs: I work in the hospital's emergency department as a research associate through the Emergency Department Research Associate Program.

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): LeChase or the study rooms in O'Brien Residence Hall

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: the Rush Rhees Library balcony

Favorite food on campus: Spinach wraps from Rocky's Sub Shop & Lounge or alfredo pasta from Danforth Dining Center

Favorite thing to do off-campus: My favorite thing to do off campus is going for walks/jogs through College Town and around the Medical Center campus. I also enjoy hanging out in Genesee Valley Park when the weather is nice and studying with friends at Java's Cafe! My favorite places to eat off campus are Namaste Indian Grill and Crave.

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self My biggest worry was that I would feel extremely homesick and miss my parents, sister, and dog when I arrived at Rochester. I would have told my younger self that many students are in the same boat, and coming to college is a nerve-wracking experience for everyone in their own way, so don't worry.

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: My favorite way to meet new people on campus is by joining student organizations! It's an amazing way to meet other students who share similar interests but are still different in so many ways. They really highlight the incredible diversity of our campus, while also acknowledging how students are united through shared interests.

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: As an incoming student, I wish I knew about the various academic resources Rochester offers sooner. From study groups to student tutors to a designated study zone, there are ample resources available to support you with your studies.

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: What helped me the most was using the CDCS website (an online search tool that contains when classes are offered and course descriptions) to plan my potential schedule ahead of time. An additional tip is to make more than one saved schedule in UR Student, so you are prepared if sections fill up quickly after registration opens. I know the process may be stressful, but remember—it's only your first semester, so you have plenty of time to take the courses you want to while at Rochester.

Personal fact that surprises most people: I was born in Australia!

Student organization involvement: American Society for Mechanical Engineers, Society of Women Engineers

Hobbies: I love to work out, be active, and hang out with my cat, Lily. I also like to spend time with my friends and family, and I'll watch pretty much any sport when its live on ESPN or go in-person when there are games on campus.

Additional jobs: During the academic year, I am a building manager at the Goergen Athletic Center, and I work game management for many of the varsity sports teams.

Favorite study spot (on or off-campus): Definitely the stacks in Rush Rhees Library (can't be super specific—I don't want to give my spot away!)

Favorite place to relax on campus outside of your dorm room: Whenever I can, I love to be outside, whether it's on the Eastman Quad or at the picnic tables all over campus.

Favorite food on campus: Danforth Dining Center. For someone as picky as I am, I know I can always count on D-Fo to have the classics.

Favorite thing to do off-campus: I love going to Eastman Theatre with my friends for concerts—I've now been to five Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concerts and they have all been amazing! I also highly recommend the Strasenburgh Planetarium at the Rochester Museum & Science Center; it was an incredible experience. Some local restaurants I recommend include The Old Stone Tavern, Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse, John's Tex Mex, and Mt. Hope Family Diner.

Biggest worry before you arrived at Rochester and advice would you give your younger self: My biggest worry coming to school was how to adjust to being away from home. Know that, at times it will be hard, but remember why you're here and who you have behind you. It may take some time, but in the end it will all work out and you'll get through it!

Favorite way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: The University and many student organizations hold events all throughout the school year that bring people together and allow you to meet new people. Don't be afraid to try something new and go out of your comfort zone because you never know who you'll meet!

What you wish you knew about Rochester academics when you were an incoming student: I wish I knew just how helpful office hours can be—both the professor's and the teaching assistant's. If you are struggling in a class, go to office hours. Also, even though it can be nerve-racking, introduce yourself to your professors. They are great people and making a connection with them may help you later in the future!

Your best piece of advice for fall course registration day in August: Don't freak out if you don't get the exact courses you wanted on registration day! It will all work out and you have many people that you can go to for help.

Personal fact that surprises most people: I am a ski instructor and have been one since I was 15 years old.