2012 Peer Advisors announced


The FIU Office of Orientation and Commuter Student Services welcomed new members to the Peer Advising family on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Panthers await the announcement of the 2012 Peer Advising team.

Thirty-four students were selected to become 2012 Peer Advisors. Two 2011 Peer Advisors will be staying with the group, serving as Peer Advisor Coordinators. The selected students began a yearlong commitment of service to the university at a celebration in the Graham Center Pit at Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

New Peer Advisor, Sandra Santana, shows off orientation gear.

“Each January those of us who work in Orientation are met with mixed feelings as we say goodbye to our Peer Advisor team from the previous year and subsequently welcome our new team,” said Korrin Stanek, assistant director and organizer of the Peer Advising program. “I am definitely feeling that this week, but I’m beyond excited about the amazing group of students we have assembled to be Peer Advisors for 2012.”

Two days later, on Friday, Jan. 13, freshman Dillon Montes de Oca woke up bright and early for his first day of training. “Coming to FIU as a freshman was hectic at times for me because I didn’t know what to expect from it. Was I going to make new friends that would last a lifetime? Would I have an impact on my school? Can I change the way people think about FIU?” Dillon says. “On Wednesday, all those questions were answered with a huge YES! Becoming a 2012 Peer Advisor so far has been the biggest accomplishment for me since I started college.”

For the next couple of weeks at Friday trainings, the new team will be preparing for their appearance at the Southern Regional Orientation Workshop in March at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The new Peer Advisors will be singing, dancing and attending leadership workshops with other orientation leaders from across the southern United States.

Dillon and the rest of his team have a couple of months of training and preparation in store before they start meeting students at orientation. As he prepares to help incoming Panthers fall in love with their new home, Dillon has big hopes for his year in the program. “I cannot wait to not only have my life change other lives, but also have their lives change me,” says Dillon.

“When we are all gone, it won’t matter how much money we had, what kind of car we had, or even what house we have. The only thing that will matter is how you changed a life of another person for the better.”

The new 2012 Peer Advisors are (in alphabetical order):

Kenya Adeola
Mileidys Aguila
Jocelyn Alvarez
Michael Aquino
Matt Atkins
Marlena Bruno
Jasmine Calixte
Ayerim Decena
Vanessa Franco
Liliana Garcia
Bryan Garcia
Taylor Giunto
Cristina Gomez
Ranshan Gomez
Angelica Hanon
Samantha Hernandez
Stephanie Jamanca
Kiara Joseph
Amy Londono
Dillon Montes De Oca
Anastasia Moore
Javier Morales
Pedro Neiva
Marie K. Pierre
Bianca Pino
Annette Polinario
Christina Retana
Jeancarlos Reyes
Justin Robertson
Ivan Rubio
Sandra Santana
Christian Tennant
Katrina Varela
Adam Villar

— Christian Williams