Peer Career Mentors

A vital career resource, Peer Career Mentors (PCMs) are matched with first-year students in selected Peabody professional programs to provide additional career guidance and community support. Mentors commit approximately 10-12 hours during the fall semester to the PCM program. This includes professional development, individual meetings with mentees, and group sessions. If you are interested in becoming a Peer Career Mentor, please email pcs@vanderbilt.edu for more information.

  • Amal Afyouni, M.P.P

    Amal Afyouni, M.P.P

    Amal Afyouni (she/her/hers) is a second year M.P.P. student on the Higher Education track. Amal was raised in Dubai, UAE, but originally hails from Palestine and received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology-Criminology from Ohio University '19. Before attending Vanderbilt, Amal served as an Assistant Program Analyst for the Universal Service Administrative Company in D.C., working to provide broadband access to schools and libraries across all 50 states and territories. After Peabody, she hopes to work in Higher Ed. policy with the goal of increasing student access and success programs. In her free time, you can find her outside in nature or working out at her Crossfit gym.

  • Kenyon Amott, HDC

    Kenyon Amott, HDC

    Kenyon Amott is a second-year student in the Human Development Counseling program on the Clinical Mental Health counseling track. Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Kenyon graduated from Virginia Tech, where she double majored in Human Development and Psychology. Kenyon is currently employed as a Graduate Assistant for Vanderbilt's Office of Recreation and Wellness. After graduation, Kenyon hopes to work as a Licensed Professional Counselor supporting children with severe behavioral problems, doing family therapy, or counseling couples. She is looking forward to helping incoming students transition to graduate school and figure out what their personal and career goals are.

  • Michelle Augustine, LOP

    Michelle Augustine, LOP

    Michelle is a second-year M.Ed. Leadership and Organizational Performance candidate at Vanderbilt. Before graduate school, Michelle was an AmeriCorps VISTA member working in program development for refugee services, where she discovered a love for integrating strategy and community engagement to help build organizational capacity. She finds great joy in helping others get to where they want to be and is passionate about encouraging others as they navigate life's paths. Michelle is originally from St. Louis but has considered Dallas home for the past five years. In her free time, Michelle enjoys writing, catching up with friends, and exploring coffee shops in search of the best chai in Nashville.

  • Joe Behrendt, HEA

    Joe Behrendt, HEA

    Joe is a second-year M.Ed. candidate in the Higher Education Administration Program. Originally from New Philadelphia, Ohio, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in May 2014. Joe served in the U.S. Army for seven and half years in various leadership roles before attending Peabody College in August 2021. On graduation, Joe plans to pursue a career in higher education consulting.

  • Yinglin Bi, IEPM

    Yinglin Bi, IEPM

    Yinglin Bi is a graduate student in International Eudcation Policy and Management program. She is from Guangdong, China. She studied at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies as an undergraduate. Being interested in education, she used to be an English tutor and wants to continue to pursue education as her career goal, especially international education. As a work-life balance advocator, she likes photography, cooking, and reading in her spare time.

  • Andalyn Borden, IEPM

    Andalyn Borden, IEPM

    Andalyn Hosking Borden (she/her) is originally from Utah and is a second-year M.Ed. candidate in the International Educational Policy and Management (IEPM) program. Andalyn received her B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education from Westminster in Salt Lake City. In addition to teaching English abroad, Andalyn has worked in various roles in public and private schools in the United States. After graduating, she plans on pursuing a career that focuses on educational equality and attainment. In her spare time, Andalyn loves to try out new coffee shops, collect vinyl records, and travel in the USA and abroad.

  • Balkis Boum, IEPM

    Balkis Boum, IEPM

    Balkis Boum is Fulbright Scholar from Morocco and a second-year M.Ed. candidate in the International Education Policy and Management (IEPM) program. Balkis earned her master's degree in Marketing and Trade before working in higher education for five years. She managed the office for International Relations and Partnerships and worked as project manager in the President's Office at the International University of Rabat, Morocco. Her professional experience took her to universities in more than 10 countries and shaped her interest in education and its internationalization. Balkis is interested in studying the learning dynamics in classrooms with international students and how it affects the instructor's pedagogy and curriculum design. She hopes to further explore how culturally responsive teaching can be adapted to international higher education settings. She also enjoys cooking, meeting new people, and discovering new places and cultures.

  • Jordan Bowen, LOP

    Jordan Bowen, LOP

    Leadership and Organizational Performance

    Jordan is a second-year student pursuing her M.Ed. in the Leadership and Organizational Performance (LOP) program at Peabody College. She grew up in Michigan and attended Michigan State University (MSU) for her undergraduate career, studying Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology with a minor in Leadership of Organizations. Upon graduating MSU in May of 2021, Jordan was drawn to the LOP program to further explore her interests in organizational development and employee motivation/performance in the workplace. In her past experiences, Jordan worked as a Leadership and Organizational Development Intern at Sparrow Health Systems, and as an Administrative Assistant Intern at Michigan Health Information Network. She also served as the President of Psychology Honor Society, assisted with research for the Industrial/Organizational Psychology Department, and was a Teaching Assistant in the Psychology Department at Michigan State. Currently, Jordan works as a Graduate Assistant for Vanderbilt's Faculty Senate, as well as at InfoWorks as a Business Consultant Intern. Upon graduating, Jordan would love to pursue a career in change management as it pertains to employee engagement and motivation.

  • Ione Clark, HDC

    Ione Clark, HDC

    Ione Clarke (she/her/hers) is from Oxford, England but has resided in the United States for the past eight years, including two years as a student in a boarding school in Virginia. She is a second-year M.Ed. candidate in the Human Development Counseling Program on the Clinical Mental Health Counseling track. After graduating with a B.A. in psychology from Washington College, Ione moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where she worked as a residential counselor and then support counselor at Keswick School, a therapeutic boarding school for boys. In this role, Ione realized her passion for working with teens facing a range of mental health crises and trauma. Ione is excited to continue refining her skills and expanding her knowledge in the field of mental health care. Her long-term goal is to become a licensed clinician and work in a variety of residential treatment settings. Ione is also passionate about incorporating fun, humor, and play into her work with adolescents.

  • Cassidy Coffman, HDC

    Cassidy Coffman, HDC

    Cassie Coffman (she/her) is a second year M.Ed. student in the Human Development Counseling (HDC) program on the dual track that includes Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. She is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Cassie graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2020 with a Bachelor's of Science in Education. She studied Recreation and Sports Management with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. After graduating from UTK, she worked as Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist at a local rehabilitation center for substance-use disorder. She is now pursing her master's degree at Peabody in hopes of one day becoming a licensed counselor and working in the field of addiction. Cassie loves practicing yoga, listening to live music, hiking the trails of Tennessee, but most of all spending time with friends and family.

  • Nathan Farber, IEPM

    Nathan Farber, IEPM

    Nathan Faber is a second-year master's candidate in the International Education Policy and Management program from Puyallup, Washington. After graduating with a degree in Chinese from the University of Washington, he spent two years as a Junior Fellow at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Most recently, he was the international affairs coordinator at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School. His practicum is with Rockwood Company as an intern consulting analyst. Nathan enjoys playing board games, reading, and making a mess of the kitchen with over-ambitious attempts at cooking tasty food.

  • James Hoon, HEA

    James Hoon, HEA

    James is a second-year student in Peabody's Higher Education Administration program. Originally from Pennsylvania, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Susquehanna University in 2019 before joining the College Advising Corps. James' experiences supporting first-generation, low-income students in a rural high school reinforced his belief in equitable and accessible education for all. Currently, you can find James working as a graduate assistant with the Vice Provost for Career Advancement and Engagement, where he also works closely with Vanderbilt Career Center. James hopes to combine his previous work and current experiences to prepare students for post-graduation success.

  • Will Husted, HEA

    Will Husted, HEA

    Will (he/him) is a second-year M.Ed. candidate in the Higher Education Administration program. Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, he graduated from UW-Madison with degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and Education Policy Studies. He enjoys exploring the nexus of interests that higher education grapples with in attempting to find innovative solutions to complex issues alongside those from different backgrounds. Will plans to pursue a career within higher education consulting.

  • Connor Jackson, LOP

    Connor Jackson, LOP

    Connor grew up in the great state of New Hampshire and attended Carleton College in Minnesota. Following college, he spent two years working with high school students at a college access organization before finding his way back to Minnesota and to Carleton, this time working in the Admissions Office. Connor is currently pursuing his M.Ed in Leadership and Organizational Performance and looks forward to connecting that learning to the world of change-management consulting. He enjoys reading as well as podcasts and encourages you to email him about his Vanderbilt Saturday running group.

  • Bri Jimenez, HEA

    Bri Jimenez, HEA

    Bri Jimenez is an M.Ed. candidate in the Higher Education Administration program. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and received her bachelor's degree in Communications at Florida International University. As a future student affairs professional, she hopes to promote positive student relations by maintaining effective lines of communication with student leaders and serving as a strong advocate for the non-academic, extra-curricular, and co-curricular needs of students. She wishes to interact with, supervise, mentor, and advise students to reach academic and career excellence!

  • Julie Kang, HDC

    Julie Kang, HDC

    Julie (she/her) is a second-year graduate student in the Human Development Counseling program on the Clinical Mental Health Counseling track. She grew up in Nanjing, China, and earned her bachelor's degree in applied psychology in Shaanxi Normal University. She worked with patients from mental health centers in China for six months and decided to pursue mental health counseling as a life career. With her counseling degree, she hopes to work with more international students and other marginalized groups.

  • Haley Lawrie, IEPM

    Haley Lawrie, IEPM

    Haley (she/her) is a second-year student in the International Education Policy and Management Program. Originally from Virginia, Haley earned her B.A. in International Affairs and Spanish from James Madison University in 2017. Before Vanderbilt, Haley was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Argentina in 2019, which sparked her drive for equity and diversity in education abroad. She was also the director of training and research at a government contract consultancy and enjoys mentoring young professionals. Haley works as the graduate assistant for Fellowships Advising in the Vanderbilt Career Center and hopes to improve access to fellowships and education abroad after finishing her degree.

  • Ginny Ling, HDC

    Ginny Ling, HDC

    Born and raised in Northern China, Ginny graduated from Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's degree in psychology and economics. She went on to pursue a business career before coming to Vanderbilt for an M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling. She also serves as a career coach at Vanderbilt's business school. Ginny enjoys exploring what Nashville has to offer with friends and her beagle mix dog, Jimmy.

  • Yuting Lu, IEPM

    Yuting Lu, IEPM

    Yuting Lu is a second-year student in the International Education Policy and Management program. She grew up in Shanghai, China, where she received her undergraduate degree in sociology. Before attending Vanderbilt, she volunteered at schools for migrant children in Shanghai and public schools in Nepal, and her goal is to promote equity and inclusion in education globally. She hopes to help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and vulnerable populations gain equal access to educational opportunities and resources. Yuting currently serves as a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt in the International Student and Scholar Services office.

  • Ariella Meltzer, M.P.P

    Ariella Meltzer, M.P.P

    Ariella is a second year M.P.P. student in the Education Policy program with a concentration in K-12 policy. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 with a major in political science. After graduating, she worked as a second-grade student success coach with City Year in Washington, D.C. Ariella has a wide variety of interests in education policy, including youth homelessness, urban education, and school leadership. Her goal is to improve access to high-quality education research and data for practitioners at every level.

  • Reginald Nash, M.P.P.

    Reginald Nash, M.P.P.

    Reginald Nash is a second-year M.P.P. student in the education policy program. Born in southern California but raised in rural southwestern Virginia, Reginald holds a Bachelor's in History from the University of Houston. He currently serves as the external relations manager for The Education Trust in Tennessee, where he leads the office's government relations work and supports the strategic partnership building and advocacy efforts. Before joining The Education Trust, Reginald was a policy staffer on Capitol Hill. He also previously served as a kindergarten teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, and in several high-impact policy, advocacy, and leadership development fellowships and political campaigns.

  • Nguyen Nguyen, IEPM

    Nguyen Nguyen, IEPM

    Nguyen Nguyen is pursuing a Master of Education degree in International Education Policy and Management at Vanderbilt University under a Fulbright scholarship. Previously, Nguyen received a Bachelor's in English Linguistics and Literature in her home country, Vietnam. Nguyen has five years of ESL teaching experience and has joined various research projects in program evaluation. Her main interests are teachers' professional development and learner autonomy.

  • Rachel Novak, CDA

    Rachel Novak, CDA

    Rachel Novak is a second-year student in the Community Development and Action program. Originally from Ewa Beach, Hawai'i, she received a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and Russian Studies from Rhodes College in 2021. After completing her practicum through an internship with the Metro Human Relations Commission, she realized her passions for advocacy and public policy reform. Her focus is primarily on the intersections of religion, community development, and social change. In her free time, she enjoys creating art and spending time outdoors.

  • Henry Piper, HEA

    Henry Piper, HEA

    Henry is an M.Ed. candidate in the Higher Education Administration Program. He is from Thousand Oaks, California, and went to college one hour away at the University of Southern California, where he majored in communication. He went through a fair share of career uncertainty during and after undergrad, changing majors twice and settling for a job at Bank of the West before following his higher ed goals here at Vanderbilt. He plays four instruments and is an avid movie buff.

  • Haleigh Portillo, IEPM

    Haleigh Portillo, IEPM

    Haleigh Portillo is a second-year student in the International Education Policy and Management (IEPM) program and is a current graduate assistant for the Humphrey Fellowship program at Peabody. She received her B.A. in International Studies from the University of Alabama, which is where she found her passion for both international students and higher education. This has led her to not only develop a passion for advocating for college access and success for at-risk international populations in the U.S., but also a passion for mentoring and helping students succeed.

  • Welton Pride, CDA

    Welton Pride, CDA

    Welton is a second-year M.Ed. Candidate in the Community Development and Action program. Born and raised here in Nashville, he graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a B.S. in Business Administration, majoring in marketing and minoring in Africana studies. He has worked in diverse industries, including real estate development, building materials, and both local and federal government with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C. Passionate about equitable urban planning and sustainable development, post-graduation, Welton aspires to continue working in the affordable housing and community development space and providing advocacy, policy advising, and consulting to nonprofits and government agencies.

  • Ben Rubin, HEA

    Ben Rubin, HEA

    Ben Rubin is a second-year student in the higher education administration program. Originally from Paoli, Pennsylvania, Ben attended Cornell University as an undergraduate student. Before coming to Vanderbilt, he worked as a paralegal. After finishing the higher education administration program, Ben (at the moment) wants to pursue a Ph.D. In his free time, Ben enjoys reading, running, and watching Philadelphia sports.

  • Perla Salazar, HEA

    Perla Salazar, HEA

    Perla is in the Higher Education program and hopes to become the director of a program dedicated to aiding first-generation college students or a center with intersectionality centered values. Perla currently serves the Women's Center as a graduate assistant. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Elon University. Perla is proud to identify as a first-generation college student. She was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, in a hard working Mexican American household. Perla previously worked as a community coordinator for a residential public high school in North Carolina, mentored first-generation students, and was a resident assistant.

  • Brad Schrade, LOP

    Brad Schrade, LOP

    Brad Schrade (he/him) is a second-year student in the LOP program and is from Northern Virginia. Brad received a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in International Development from Brigham Young University in Utah. Brad has years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including a full year of service with AmeriCorps in Nashville. He is interested in moving out of the nonprofit sector while still improving people's lives. This passion drives his career goals to improve organizations' talent strategies and organizational development. You can often find Brad hiking and exploring the outdoors with his pup on weekends.

  • Cameron Stokes, M.P.P.

    Cameron Stokes, M.P.P.

    Cameron is a second-year student in the Master of Public Policy in Education Policy program. Originally from Portsmouth, Virginia, he graduated from the University of Virginia in 2019 with a double major in Youth and Social Innovation and Psychology. On graduating, Cameron participated in the Virginia College Advising Corps. He served as a high school college adviser for two years before enrolling at Vanderbilt. Cameron's interests in policy have a heavy focus on post-secondary access. He hopes to work in policy advocacy and implementation on graduation. In his free time, Cameron enjoys talking about superheroes and reality TV.

  • Alyx Stuehler, CDA

    Alyx Stuehler, CDA

    Alyx (she/her) is a second year in the Community Development and Action (CDA) program. She spent her childhood in Colorado and has since lived in Las Vegas, Southern California, Oregon, Hawaii, Utah, and now Tennessee. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from BYU-Hawaii in 2016, where she was a research assistant for two different campus departments. Before attending Vanderbilt, Alyx was an academic advisor to troubled teens, and during her first year in the CDA program, she worked in various community partnerships doing collective impact work. She is interested in systems change, ethical evaluation, transformative social policy, and anti-poverty work. Outside class, she enjoys hiking, movies, cooking, and petting as many animals as she can!

  • Raymond Tate, CDA

    Raymond Tate, CDA

    Raymond Tate is a second-year Community Development and Action student. Raymond grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Belmont University, majoring in exercise science and sport sdministration. Before coming to Vanderbilt, Raymond worked in various capacities in the nonprofit sector and served in the military. He has a passion for health and the overall well-being of individuals and communities. Currently, he is an associate at The Courage Collective. When he is free, he enjoys watching anime.

  • Kai Taylor-Deak, HEA

    Kai Taylor-Deak, HEA

    Kai Taylor-Deak (he/they) is a second-year in the Higher Education Administration program, on the Community College track. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, Kai attended The Ohio State University and graduated in 2021 with degrees in Sociology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. After happily calling the Midwest home, they relocated to Nashville shortly after graduating. Kai is interested in intersectional educational advocacy, which is something he is able to explore as the graduate assistant for the Office of LGBTQI Life. Outside of school and work, Kai enjoys cooking, running, and finding the best oat milk latte in Nashville.

  • Nikki Thompson, HEA

    Nikki Thompson, HEA

    Nikki is a second-year M.Ed. student in the Higher Education Administration program. Originally from eastern Iowa, she earned her B.A. in Psychology from Luther College in 2015. She worked as an assistant registrar at Cornell College for four years before moving to Nashville and now works full time as a program coordinator at the Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Working one on one with undergraduates uncovered a passion for helping students navigate higher education, and she ultimately hopes to work in an advising capacity post-grad.

  • Lupe Velez Manriquez, HEA

    Lupe Velez Manriquez, HEA

    Lupe is a second-year M.Ed. student in the Higher Education Administration program. Originally from San Diego, California, she earned a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of San Diego (USD) in 2021. While at USD, Lupe chaired the programming board and served on the executive board of the student government. Now at Vanderbilt, Lupe is the graduate assistant for Arts and Campus Events, where she serves as an advisor for the Vanderbilt Programming Board and the Vanderbilt Performing Arts Community. Following graduation, she hopes to continue working in higher education with roles related to student programming, involvement, and leadership.

  • Sarah Walker, CDA

    Sarah Walker, CDA

    Sarah Walker, born and raised in Sherman, Texas, is a second-year in the Community Development and Action program. After graduating from Hendrix College, Sarah spent three years in Madrid, Spain, working with a company that focused on international holistic community education. With this group, she worked on community development projects across Latin America, Africa, and Europe. These diverse challenges and environments piqued Sarah's curiosity for learning more about community development, prompting her to return to school. The CDA program has enhanced her understanding of community development, as well as her own role within the field.

  • Jasmine Zhang, IEPM

    Jasmine Zhang, IEPM

    Jasmine Zhang is a second-year student in the International Education Policy and Management program. Originally from China, Jasmine earned her bachelor's degree in literature from Hangzhou Normal University. Before arriving at Peabody, Jasmine worked as a language teacher and curriculum designer in China, U.S. and UAE. Currently she works as a graduate assistant in the Ed.D. program at Peabody College. On graduation, Jasmine plans to pursue a career in international education connecting diverse culture. Besides, she is a big foodie, fan of Taylor Swift, and lover of nature.

  • Yumeng Zhang, ELL

    Yumeng Zhang, ELL

    Yumeng Zhang is a second-year professional student in the English Language Learners program. She comes from Beijing, China. She went to Capital Normal University and was an exchange student at the University of Northern Colorado during her undergraduate studies. She has experience as an English teacher in China, and her career goal is to become an English teacher in an international or public high school in the future. She loves to work out and travel all around the world.