Billy Rodriguez
Major: Accounting
Minor: English & Business Class Year: Junior Position: Mentor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday "I am a confused individual, seeking confused individuals." On my spare time I enjoy swimming and working out. I love food and enjoy good delicious meals :P. Hip hop is my favorite genre of music, but I'm not shy to hear new sounds. I was born and raised in Spanish Harlem and breath inner city living. I'm very easy to talk to and open to new ideas! I love spending my spare time sleeping but otherwise spend the rest of my time reading. My biggest goal in my life is to own my business and fulfill all my desires, such as get my motorcycle license and visit California. |
Patrick Piedra
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Computer Science Class Year: Senior Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday & Wednesday " I LOVE TO EAT! Who doesn't though?" I go the University at Albany and I'm currently part of CSTEP, STEP and Project Excel. I'm planning on being a mathematics professor after getting my PhD in mathematics . I currently minor in computer science at UAlbany. Besides being a tutor for the STEP After school Program, I am also a teaching assistant for a computer science class and I shadow a math professor. Enough facts about education. Usually if I'm not drowning in my work, I'm playing soccer or tossing around a frisbee. I love making people laugh and making jokes. Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm extremely loud. I'm quite obnoxious but I'm very easy to get along with. I listen to a lot of music, any genre from heavy metal to pop and rap. I'm a big fan of going to concerts and just acting very ridicoiucsly animated. Usually during my summers I am a camp counselor near my hometown. It's my 7th year working there and I usually work with 4 and 5 year olds; so it kind of explains why I act the way I do. I love just being a fool and joking around. |
Altagrace Richiez
Major: Psychology
Minor: Spanish Class Year: Sophomore Position: Tutor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday I'm a dancer with Knemesis Dance Crew as well as the treasurer. I do a lot of community service on campus and I like to laugh a lot. After graduation I would like to work closely in a hospital setting perhaps in a psych ward or go to grad school for clinical psychology. Either way, I want to help people enjoy their lives. If I can make a small difference in someone's day by letting them vent or giving them good advice, I've fulfilled my goal of the day. I'm really approachable and I chose to be a tutor so I can be closer to people and gain that experience. Academics can really put people down when they are having difficulties in a certain subject. So when that light bulb goes on and a student understands a topic, I'm happy to be a part of that accomplishment. |
Pertrice Sennon
Major: Math
Minor: Biology & Chemistry Class Year: Senior Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday My main goal in life is to become the best person I can be. I love learning new things and sharing my knowledge with others. I find it interesting to explore the world in all of its elements, especially mathematically and scientifically. My current career goals are to go into internal medicine. The mysteries of the human body intrigue me and I'm always anxious to help others in need. Other than medicine, math and science, my passions vary from puzzle building and photography to rocking out to my own musical mix to mellowing down by indulging in a really good book. Life is just filled with all these small bursts of happiness that all that really matters to me are the little things. And I always believed that the little things are the ones that make the biggest difference. |
Kariel Beckford
Major: English/Africana Studies
Class Year: Junior Position: Tutor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday I am a student at the University at Albany, studying English and Africana Studies with the goal of becoming an educator. I enjoy singing, poetry, the overall arts and am currently the Vice President of Phenomenal Voices, a performing arts group on campus. Working with CSTEP is helping me get involved in the Albany community and gain experience with high school students. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am at Albany High School offering help in various subjects based on the students' needs. Overall, I hope to share a great experience with the students in CSTEP and teach them as much as they teach me. |
Matthew Sarker
Major: Physics
Class Year: Junior Position: Tutor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday My name is Matthew, but call me Matt. I'm a physics major and I hope to one day be a teacher. I love to teach what I know, whether that's math or music or something new I just picked up. I think it's one of the coolest things if you take something that's complicated and explain it in the simplest way possible. It's a skill I'm hoping to sharpen. I love a lot of things but it's all basically about learning, growing, and improving. I do physics because it's interesting, not because it's easy. I play a little guitar and I'm learning piano and music theory because it's cool and it's something universally appreciated. I also enjoy playing basketball, running and working out. If you need help with anything, just give me a shout out and I'll do my best. |
Kimberly Jones
Major: Globalization
Minor: Business Class Year: Junior Position: Tutor Workday: Tuesday & Thursday My name is Kimberly Jones and I am currently a junior at University at Albany (SUNY). I am from Queens, NY and I am 20 years old. Upon entering the University, I was a business major, however I recently switched to a Globalization major, business minor. At the moment, I am unsure of what exactly I want to do career-wise, but I have plenty of ideas. With a background in globalization as well as in business, I feel pretty confident about the direction I am headed in. A lot of the time people may hear of a major in globalization and may immediately categorize it with history, or they just may be completely oblivious to what it is. It actually relates to the broad view of the the ever-changing world including political, economic and social views, just to name a few. Upon graduating from the University, I aspire to enter into the business world and get acquainted with international business or possibly manage my own company. Down the line, I aspire to be a CEO of a major corporation involved with other countries. Even as I have a lot of hopes as well as aspirations for my life, I enjoy giving back to the community as well. I strongly believe that a person should never forget where they came from, and that they should help out others whenever possible. Through my school, I have been a part of various groups in which I have completed community service. Two of these groups in particular were the Ronald McDonald House Charities and Service is Key. While volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House Albany Chapter, I was exposed to many different people and their personal situations, and it was definitely a great and humbling experience. In addition, I am currently apart of the STEP program at the University at Albany, which is offered to middle and high school students. I was interested in becoming a tutor/mentor for younger students because I felt that I could possibly help someone realize how important an education is. I thought that is would also be a great experience for myself as well. I work throughout the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the High School between 11am-5pm. |
Tom Courtney
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Physics/Education Class Year: Senior Position: Tutor Workday: Tuesday I chose to join the STEP program for the experiences that it'd give me for my future. I have plans to become a high school teacher someday. I know that it's pretty soon actually, but when I start to think that I'll be graduated and on the job in just a couple of years I start to feel far too old, so I prefer to use the term 'someday'. Although I'd done some other work in high school working with younger students and in college tutoring people my own age, this program by far gives me the best representation of what I'll be working with for the rest of my life. I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I remember (hence having used the term someday for so long), and this program gives me the chance to jump into a field that I love and start getting a feel for my future. |
Nancy Herrera
Major: Psychology
Minor: Education/Sociology Class Year: Senior Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday & Wednesday "There is nothing to fear but fear itself" -- Franklin D. Roosevelt I am a student at the University at Albany , graduating in December. I am graduating with a major in psychology and a double minor in education and sociology. I hope to start graduate school in the fall of 2013. I was interested in working with the STEP Program because I love to help students. As an aspiring guidance counselor, I want to one day have the ability to be an influence in peoples' lives as others have done with my life. |
Sarah Njoku
Major: Biology
Class Year: Sophomore Position: Tutor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday I am a sophomore at the University at Albany majoring in biology. I love the sciences and aspire to go to medical school to become an Obstetrician. Aside from school work, I am a member of the African Dance Team and I'm on the Public Relations Committee for the Africans Students Association. I am 100% Nigerian and I'm very proud of my culture. I also love sports. I was the captain of my high school basketball team and have a passion for the sport. Besides working for STEP, I also work for Campus Rec at the University at Albany as a stat keeper for flag football. Overall, I am very passionate about everything I do and I'm open to new experiences and people. |
Linda Azon
Major: Sociology/Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Minor: International Studies Class Year: Junior Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday My name is Linda Azon and I'm a junior at The University at Albany. I want to go into Social Welfare as a career, because I love to help people and hopefully change someone's life for the better. I like to think I'm funny, and my friends think so too. I am very involved on campus, I am Treasurer of a student group Building Ladies Up (BLU) and I am Vice President of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/ Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. I also have two jobs, one at the mall "The T-Shirt Spot", and I work events on campus. My true passion in life is to travel. I love going to a new place, and learning about it's history, culture, people and especially food. I've been to China, Spain, Ecuador, Canada and some states on the East Coast. My dream job world to travel the world, especially impoverished countries and physically help the people there. Build or teach at schools, cook and provide clean water, build homes, and just be loved by the people. To make a difference in someone's or people's lives, fills my heart with joy. |
Kristen McCallum
Major: English
Minor: Journalism Class Year: Senior Position: Mentor Workdays: Tuesday & Thursday I wasn't always sure college was for me until I was assigned a mentor my senior year in high school. She made sure to let me know that being unsure isn't an excuse for being unprepared, and that's where it started. I decided that I would let life run it's course and take control of what I could, my education. Today I'm a senior in college with the whole world at my fingertips; all because I decided my environment wouldn't define my success. That's my main goal as a CSTEP mentor, to listen and guide students who might need it. I believe that sometimes all students need to hear is that the people they look up to are just like them. At some point i was confused, unsure and unaware of the world waiting for me, then I found guidance...now I'm here to help you =). |
Maxwell Larbi
Major: Physics
Class Year: Senior Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday, Tued I am STEP but i'm also a stepper."I'm a tutor in the STEP program. I'm currently a senior in University of Albany majoring in Physics. I tutor in Science and Mathematics. Being a former STEP student for six years I'm understand and relate to the value that the STEP program provides to the students thus giving personal example and life lessons learned there. I'm a upbeat and well inform charismatic individual with alot to offer. Not only am I a tutor I also involved in other organizations. One of my favorite organizations is Organized Chaos, a step team on Suny Albany. We perform in competitions and performances in and out of the Albany area thus the quote in beginning. So if you ever have math or science problem come to me or if you ever wanna learn to step I can teach you too. I hope to me you all soon. |
Lissette Hernandez
Major: Psychology
Minor: Criminal Justice/ Business Class Year: Sophomore Position: Tutor Workdays: Monday & Wednesday I am currently a sophomore at the University at Albany.I am hoping to enter either child development field of psychology or the criminal justice field of psychology. I am a very outgoing person, most of the time. I love to meet new people and try new things. I'm always involved and active; some of my hobbies would be playing softball, dancing and reading. For the most part, I am okay with trying new things. I love to challenge myself and put myself out of my confront zone. It teaches me a lot about myself and handling different situations. I am a very shy person, therefore at times it may take a while to adjust to certain things, but I'm usually good at improving on what I do. It is not challenging for me to push myself to succeed or do better, therefore when I want to accomplish something I usually do so. I am very easily motivated and inspired therefore even a simple quote or a book can motivate me to do better things. My goals are to challenge myself as much as I can, meet as many people as I can and succeed. |
Pascale M.
Major: Public Health
Position: Tutor Workday: Wednesday I enjoy helping people. I really feel that helping people is my main goal in life. I like mathematics and science, especially chemistry. I am a PTCB-certified pharmacy technician and I used to sing soprano in high school. I like cooking food, reading health articles, going to church and watching comedies. In my college career, I studied biochemistry before changing majors to public health. Through studying public health, I am using my knowledge in science while learning how smart behavioral choices, monitoring risks, using policies and laws, and understanding environmental factors can help a population become healthier. Life is a web of diversity and I enjoy how my Christian faith, volunteering, college life, biochemistry and public health has given me a diverse background that can enable me to help many people in different ways. I am most grateful that I can help students through the UAlbany STEP Program. You are the future!! Thank You for the opportunity!! |
Giselle De Jesus
Major: Communication
Minor: Business Class Year: Junior Position: Tutor/Mentor Workdays: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday My name is Giselle De Jesus, I am a junior at the University at Albany. I am a Communication major and a Business minor. I am currently a mentor and tutor for the STEP program. I am Dominican and was born in the Bronx. I live with my mom and my little sister in the city. I was the first graduating class from the Women’s Academy of Excellence High school. I love to dance and I am currently in the Hispanic Dance team at the University. I am not the most studious person but I am in college to make something of myself and to give my mom all the riches she deserve when I am done. 
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"The job of an educator is to teach students to see the vitality in themselves."-- Joseph Campbell
"Taking the necessary STEPs to success."
