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Learn More about SAMs

Hannah Armbruster ‘15
Neuroscience Major, Black Studies Minor

I'm a rising senior that grew up in Lancaster, PA, where my high school had a larger student body than Swarthmore. I'm interested in practicing medicine as a career, and I love working with children who have special needs. In the next few years, I hope to travel internationally, explore Disability Studies, and (once I'm settled) adopt a pet and name it Special Agent Dale Cooper.

Leanna Browne ‘15
Psychology Major, Dance and Black Studies Minors

I hail from Plymouth, Minnesota. I can usually be found dancing in technique classes offered by the Dance Department and with RnM (or anywhere on campus really!). I also frequent the BCC, whether being a co-coordinator of the BCC Library, singing in Gospel Choir, co-leading the BCC small group of SCF, attending SASS meetings, or hanging out with friends.

Nate Cheek ‘15
Majors in Psychology and Spanish

I’m particularly interested in psychology research, and have been involved in research at Swat for the past couple of years. Outside of class, I enjoy theater, and, in addition to being a SAM, I’m also a tour guide and a member of Swat’s sketch comedy group Boy Meets Tractor. I also serve on Drama Board and have been on the Student Budget Committee in the past. I’m looking forward to being a SAM again!

Madeline Conca ‘17
Academic Interest in Neuroscience

I am a rising sophomore, intending to study Neuroscience with a potential Spanish minor. I live in Broomall, Pennsylvania, which is about 10 minutes from campus. I am involved in the Athletic Department and the orchestra. Occasionally, I can be found doing the chalking on the sidewalks around the college.

Olivia Edwards ‘16
Majors in Math and Music

When I first moved to Swarthmore from my public high school in Rhode Island, I had no idea what my major would be. After taking classes in different departments, I decided to double major in Music and Math. I am a member of the Gamelan, play cello in Swarthmore Orchestra, and volunteer with Chester Children's Gamelan program. This is my junior year and my first year as a SAM!

Bolu Fakoya ‘17
Academic Interests in Biology and Sociology/Anthropology

I am an international student from Nigeria and I’m a big fan of dancing/food study breaks. I came into Swarthmore intending to pursue Neuroscience, but I discovered Chemistry and I am currently looking into what possibilities that offers. You’ll probably find me in Cornell library, Science Centre Commons, or Sharples dining hall.

Ariel Gewirtz ‘15
Computer Science Major, Biology Minor

Hi, I'm a rising senior majoring in Computer Science, minoring in Biology, with interests in Chinese and Engineering.  Outside of the classroom, I serve as President of SWE and am passionate about my role as a sexual health counselor.  In my free time, I enjoy the finer things in life: watching True Blood and eating Renatos.

Steven Gu ‘15
Urban Studies Special Major, Political Science Course Major

I was born and raised in Philly and have always had a love for cities, maps, and the built environment. Realizing that Swarthmore did not have a specific major dedicated to those topics, I created an interdisciplinary special major in Urban Studies at the end of my freshman year. My Urban Studies Special Major includes courses from the Sociology and Anthropology, Economics, Art History, Studio Art, Political Science, and Chinese Departments. I have spent summers interning in Washington D.C., have studied abroad in London, and conducted my thesis research in Copenhagen. 

Alice Herneisen ‘17
Academic Interests in Biochemistry, Chemistry and Biology

I was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and intend to pursue a Biochemistry major. I spent my senior year of high school in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. I am member of the Warmothers, the women's Ultimate Frisbee team; a contributor to the upcoming Swarthmore Journal of Science; and an Alchemist for Chem 10. In my spare time, I am a Crum Woods aficionada.

Ben Marks ‘16
Computer Science Major, Statistics Minor, Honors Candidate

My name is Ben Marks, and I am a junior from Chapel Hill, NC, pursuing a major in CS and a minor in Statistics. On campus, I'm involved in Learning for Life and SCCS. In my free time, I enjoy biking, cooking, hiking in the Crum, and playing the trumpet. Feel free to check out my website: http://cs.swarthmore.edu/~bmarks1 .

Danny McMahon ‘15
Economics Major, Statistics Minor, Honors Candidate

I am a senior Honors Economics Major and Honors Statistics Minor from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some of my extracurricular involvements include being Captain of the Swarthmore Baseball Team, an Admissions Fellow, a Teaching Assistant for the Economics Department, and a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity. My summers have included internships at Clear Harbor Asset Management, a value focused investment firm, and Treacy & Company, a management consulting firm specializing in growth strategy. In my spare time I enjoy shamelessly watching Netflix, eating breakfast, and wearing sunglasses at unnecessary times. I typically wear a long sleeve shirt and pastel shorts until the first snowfall. I am always willing to debate the best strategic opening for a chess match. I am much less willing to discuss politics.

Jeffrey Moore ‘15
Neuroscience Major

I am a senior from Medina, Washington majoring in Neuroscience whilst also satisfying the pre-med requirements. My interests lie primarily in the Biological aspect of Neuroscience, and I have worked in Biology-based Neuroscience labs during the summer. I also have extracurricular interests in Music and Theatre and have occasionally worked with those Departments. Were I to switch majors, I would likely study Sociology and Anthropology or Theatre.

Ariel Pearson ‘16
English Major, Biology Minor

I am currently a Junior from Dillon, South Caroline majoring in English and minoring in Biology.  I also have academic interests in Education and Sociology/Anthropology.  I am a member of the Gospel Choir on campus and I practice Capoeira. 

Rose Pozos-Brewer ‘15
Sociology/Anthropology Major, Spanish Minor

I am from Santa Cruz, California and am in the class of 2015. I had no idea what I wanted to study when I first came to Swarthmore, but quickly I became interested in the Social Sciences. For my first two years I took various classes in all three divisions before deciding to major in Sociology/Anthropology and minor in Spanish. Outside of classes, I am on the executive board of the Swarthmore Swing Dance Club, have participated in Swarthmore Rotaract, Newman Club, tutoring in Chester, and have helped organize the “Catalyst, for girls!” conference on science and technology for middle school girls.

David Ranshous ‘16
Engineering Major

I am an Engineering major entering my third year at Swat. I have a diverse range of academic interests, ranging from Mechanical Engineering and Energy, to History and Philosophy. I thoroughly enjoy Engineering, but also highly value taking classes outside of my major to learn from different disciplines. On campus, I am a Co-Captain of the Men's Varsity Swim Team, a Coach for TOPSoccer, and a member of Phi Psi Fraternity. I like to listen to music, play fantasy baseball, and hang out with friends in my spare time.

Ben Schreiber ‘16
Mathematics and Computer Science Majors

I am a rising Junior from Yardley, Pennsylvania. I am not sure exactly what I will do for a career, but I intend to major in Math and Computer Science. Some of my interests outside of my major include Music and sports, and learning Spanish. I decided to apply for a SAM position because I wanted to make sure new students would feel in control of their lives, and be able to balance academics, extracurriculars, and social life at Swarthmore.

Rebecca Senft ‘15
Neuroscience Major, Honors Candidate

I hail from a very small town called Saint Johnsville in upstate New York. Beyond class, I’m a co-founder of Swat’s Biology Club, TA for Genetics, and work in Cornell Library. Outside of academics, I’m also a trumpet player in the Mariachi band. Come talk to me about Honors, work/life balance, research in Biology, Mariachi, or any of these things.

Allison Shultes ‘15
English Literature Major, History Minor, Honors Candidate

I am a Senior from Lake Placid, New York. I am a writer and editor at The Phoenix and the director of the Writing Associate Mentor (WAM) program at the College. Following graduation, I hope to pursue a career in journalism. When not reading and writing, I enjoy playing hockey with Swarthmore’s Motherpuckers Club Team and taking runs through the Crum.

Rachel Stein ‘15

Computer Science Major, Education Studies Minor

Hey! I'm a senior and returning SAM from the Chicago suburbs. My biggest piece of advice would be to try some classes that sound cool, even if they aren't directly related to your (intended) studies. I came to Swat planning to study History, but took Introduction to Computer Science on a whim, and now I'm a CS major! In addition to taking random classes (like sign language poetry), my hobbies include the outdoors (I worked as a rock climbing and kayaking guide for three summers).

Kathy Sun ‘16

Economics and Education Special Major, Statistics Minor, Honors Candidate

I'm a rising Junior and am originally from Newton, Massachusetts. Coming into Swarthmore, I planned on pursuing an Engineering major, but Sophomore year, I ended up switching to a Special Major in Economics and Education. In addition to being a SAM, I'm a WA. I also play violin in the school Orchestra and participate in Let's Get Ready, a student-run organization that provides free SAT tutoring and college counseling to low-income high school students in the area.

Adella Sundmark ‘17
Academic Interests in Education, Psychology, Computer Science and History

I am a Sophomore from a small town in Alaska. I originally came to Swarthmore pursing Computer Science, but I recently decided that I am more passionate about working with young people who need extra help, which led me to Educational Psychology. In addition I am interested in Dance, History, Musical Theatre, and Spanish, and I am happy to chat about any, all, or none of those things.

Taylor Tai ‘15

Biology Major, Environmental Studies Minor

I am senior Biology major from Georgia, happy to help anyone looking to learn about research at Swarthmore, summer lab and field experiences, graduate school searches, etc. I also love to bake (see me for gluten-free goodies and advice on using Dining Services with dietary restrictions) and care for the campus honey bee hives. My path at Swarthmore has been a little unconventional, from entering as a half-freshman-half-sophomore to considering a transfer elsewhere to graduating early, so I hope I can support students navigating department requirements and administrative rules even in tricky scenarios.

Mayra Tenorio ‘15
Sociology & Anthropology Major, Psychology and Gender & Sexuality Studies Minors

I am from a Chicago suburb and my Swarthmore journey began two years ago as a sophomore year transfer. Since then, I have been a column writer for The Phoenix, served as a Green Advisor, become an ASAP peer educator, and volunteered as a tutor with Let’s Get Ready! and the College Access Center of Delaware County. If thinking about applying for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship or a Summer Social Action Award (S2A2) I can help you! Lastly, I will be writing a SOAN thesis on masculinity this year so if I’ve peaked your interest I hope you come talk to me!

Jigme Tobgyel ‘17
Academic Interests in Economics, Political Science, and Statistics

I’m a Bhutanese/Tibetan student but I studied at an international high school in Thailand. I'm a rising sophomore at Swarthmore intending to major in economics and potentially minoring in political science or statistics (this has changed quite a bit in the last year from anthropology to Asian studies). In addition to being a SAM, I'm also Social Chair of SAO and an Intercultural Center intern. During my spare time I like to hang out at the coffee bars and lie on Parrish beach.

Kira Wong ‘15
Biology Major, English Literature Minor, Pre-med

I have dabbled in a wide variety of Departments at Swarthmore, ranging from Music to Linguistics to Chemistry, and have considered majoring in most of them. Fortunately, I was eventually able to make a decision, with the help of my SAMs. :) I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, am a proud member of the Fencing Team, and have recently returned from a semester abroad in Cork, Ireland. 

Catherine Xiang ‘15
Neuroscience Major

I was born in Calgary, Canada, but grew up in Hong Kong and Beijing. I came to Swarthmore planning to major in Political Science or Sociology/Anthropology. However, I am now a Neuroscience major who is interested in studying neural mechanisms that underlie social behaviours. I am especially fascinated by disorders involving abnormal social cognition during development, such as autism. 

In my free time, I love to dance, both on my own and as a member of the Rhythm N Motion Dance Company. I love food, reading, photography, and exploring cities.