2009-2010 Peer Liaisons

Hi!! My name is Lusdymer Pichardo, one of the peer liaison for La Casa cultural. I am a junior in Jonathan Edwards and most people call me Lus. I am a Brooklyn native who is proud of her Dominican heritage. As a pre-med and African American Studies major, I am interested in public health and how economic discrepancies affect health care in underprivileged communities. Outside of classes, I have volunteered at the Free Haven Clinic and mentored junior high school students in Fair Haven. I have also spent my last two spring breaks doing community service projects in a Haitian-Dominican community in the Dominican Republic. At Yale, I have served on the Black Student Alliance board and the Dominican Student Alliance board during the entire time. When the stress of Yale overwhelms me, I seek refuge and support from ladies night with the ladies of Anacaona. Being that I will be back on old campus, feel free to stop by if you have any questions, or concerns or just want to talk! I am going to be in Old Campus and just a warning, I can ramble about Brooklyn all day!

Hi! I am a Chicana, daughter of Mexican immigrants and I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. I am majoring in American Studies with an emphasis on transnationalism and ethnic communities and I considering going to law school after college. At Yale, I’ve spent a lot my time working with Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA de Yale) and I also tutor in Spanish at a local elementary school. I am an expert at taking advantage of all of the opportunities Yale has to offer so I would love to talk to you about how I studied ethnographic film-making in Bolivia, took a pilgrimage through México with my mom and spent my spring junior semester traveling with Yale’s help. I love dancing; especially Banda, Duranguense, Cumbia, Merengue, and Salsa so look for me on the stage with Sabrosura. On my free time I love going to Fair Haven for authentic Latino food and watching telenovelas in my room so let me know you’re ever in the mood for either.

¡Hola! I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but grew up in Puerto Rico and Shanghai, China. My family now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. I am double majoring in East Asian Studies (China) and International studies; I’m going to go to law school… eventually. I am a big fan of China – and spent my sophomore year abroad studying in Beijing and volunteering at the Olympics. I love to travel and studied abroad again Junior Spring semester in Paris, France. If you are considering traveling, studying abroad, or doing research in foreign countries, let me know! At Yale, I’m on the Varsity Fencing team and spend a lot of time at the gym – welcome to join me. I am also involved with Dwight Hall and started the Aprendiendo Inglés Sólido group, which tutors minority children after school. In addition to traveling, I also love dancing, artsy-stuff like museums and ballets, movies, and international cuisine. Looking forward to meeting you!

Saludos! As the banner above this blurb claims, my name is, in fact, Damien Abreu. I am a first-generation Dominican (Quisque)Yalie who was born and bred in New York City. Although I currently live in the Bronx (woot woot !), I lived in Queens during my elementary school days and commuted to Brooklyn for high school. As an active member of the Yale community, I have taken leadership positions in Yale's: Science and Math Achiever Teams (SMArT), Dominican Student Association (DSA), and Math and Science (MAS) Familias. Apart from these extracurricular activities, I have fully immersed myself in the diverse research opportunities available at Yale through my work in the laboraties of Dr. Laurie Santos, Dr. Yorgo Modis, and Dr. Mark Hochstrasser. I am a Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry major with aspirations of pursuing an MD/PhD in the near future. To that end, I have participated in science/research-oriented summer programs at Yale and Stanford, with my most recent summer research internship being at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris. I have a vested interest in increasing the entry and the retention of underrepresented minorities in math/science fields and would love to be of service to anyone to achieve this goal. If you are ever in the mood to talk about life (yes, life, I tackle broad topics) and/or any tv show that you may watch as a guilty pleasure and think that no one else watches... I am your guy! I am always up for a cup of coffee and a good conversation, so if you are a fan of either, I hope to meet you soon!

Hi! I'm Vanessa del Valle, a Latino/a Peer Liaison for the Class of 2013. I am a political science major, interested in law and community development. My plan is to go straight on to law school after graduation. On campus, I am involved with several La Casa groups such as Las Amigas, Despierta Boricua, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Yale Chapter. I am a BOLD (Bilingual Organization for Language Development) tutor, where I work with middle school students in the ESL program of a New Haven Public School. I also help found the Women's Club Basketball Team at Yale my freshmen year. And I also try to play intramurals for my college Saybrook whenever I can. I was born and raised in Chicago (the actual city, not the suburbs), and as a result am a huge Chicago sports fan. I also love to travel. For the summer of 2007 I was in Madrid, Spain taking classes. Last summer I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina working at an NGO. And for this past spring break I was in Otavalo, Ecuador doing an outreach program. I am so excited to be a Peer Liaison and can't wait to meet you all!

I’m a rising junior and anthropology major in Ezra Stiles. I was born in Hartford and raised in Boca Raton, FL by my loving and supportive Puerto Rican family. I love the beach, painting, and adding to my record collection, and spending time volunteering with children at the after school center in my town. Back at Yale, I love to listen in on great master’s teas while working as a house aide for Stiles and I eagerly await the arrival of the first snowfall to grab a lunch tray and go sledding down science hill. I work grading assignments for the Spanish department in between meetings for Despierta Boricua, mentoring eighth grade girls in a local New Haven school, and teaching English classes for New Haven residents through Bridges. Some of the fondest memories I’ve made at Yale so far include hanging out with good friends, making midnight dumpling runs to Ivy Noodle, watching old movies at the Whitney, and invading Old Campus to make snowmen or spread out on a blanket to enjoy Spring Fling. I’m certain that working on the team of Latino Peer Liaisons will give me the opportunity to make many more wonderful memories, whether I’m helping students in the class of 2013 choose courses or offering advice on how to fit all of the stuff they thought they couldn’t live without in their standard-sized dorm closets!