Meet your advisors

Within FYPP, you have access to both on-staff advisors that can give you personalized guidance via face-to-face appointments or email for navigating your academic options at UW Bothell, as well as peer advisors that are available to answer quick questions you may have on an ongoing basis.

• Pre-Major Advisors
• Student Peer Advisors

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Pre-Major Advisors

• Why I like my job:  I’ve always felt really connected to the community that raised me. I was born and raised in Seattle, and I’ve received so much love and mentorship from teachers, family and advisors here. It feels really special to work in proximity to the community that raised me, and try to pay forward the mentorship and love that got me here. I think the UWB community gets this. I’m also a first generation college student, and it means the world to me to journey alongside other first generation students.
• Advice for students: I have never once met a student who wasn’t so wildly knowledgeable in SO many things. Coming to college can, unfortunately, make you feel like you don’t know your stuff. But trust me, you DO! You’ve got so much wisdom—you’re coming to UW with rich perspective, dynamic experiences, and an incredibly profound aspiration to do more. Tap into that—celebrate your history, where you’ve come from, and the hard work you’ve put in.
• Favorite restaurant or food: Food is so important! Pizza with a really good salad is one of my favorite meals. Dough Zone. Ripe strawberries. Homemade pasta. Eggs Benedict. I can’t even pick—so many things!
• Favorite book: Teaching to transgress by bell hooks
• Favorite movie: While You Were Sleeping
• Favorite sports team, sport you like to play, or hobby: I’m not big on watching sports, but I love showing my support for the WNBA and specifically, the Seattle Storm! I also love to swim, and am always up for a cardio dance class or a game of BUMP on the basketball court!
• Most memorable experience in college: Toss-up between when my parents dropped me off for the first time, seeing them in the stands at commencement, and everything in between! 
• Favorite outdoor or indoor activity: Sitting outside, at a beach, or park, or even a backyard, with good food and good company is my favorite thing to do! Inside, I love to play the piano and sew.

• Why I like my job: Growing up, I remember how it feels to struggle and feel lost in school. Overtime, I learned to utilize my hardships to help others. I chose advising as my expertise to guide students.  I maximized college and chose a growth mindset; I gained critical thinking, self-reflection and leadership.  This grow, opened up opportunities like coordinating Diversity Conferences.  So therefore, I see myself turning around and helping students thrive in college.
• Advice for students: Every time you fall back, it is your moment to LEAP forward. Know and love your strengths.
  • You are a life-long learner: Tell a faculty professor, I am motivated and determined to do better in class, then ask them, what can I do to improve? 
  • Business before play: Have weekly study goals and finish your homework then treat yourself.
  • You are not alone: Surround yourself with positive support.
  • Remember your motivation: I think of my family’s sacrifices, which, motivates me to never quit.
• Favorite restaurant or food: I love making my mom’s spaghetti recipe and learning to cook Mexican authentic dishes. My favorite dishes to cook are enchiladas and tacos.
• Favorite book: Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance, Joseph M. Marshall III 
• Favorite movie: Life is Beautiful film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni
• Favorite sports team, sport you like to play, or hobby: I like watching sports with my loved ones. I like competitive jump rope and boxing. I enjoy Mexican dancing and beading.
• Most memorable experience in college: My lovely child was born when I was a sophomore at Shoreline Community College and transferred my junior to UW Bothell. When I received my diploma, my child was turning 3 years old, I am so proud of myself. While in school, I worked at the Environmental Protection Agency External Affairs office and involved in Latinx non-profit organizations. 
• Favorite outdoor or indoor activity: You can catch me at the gym, movies, parks, and the beach. 

• Why I like my job: I love to give back to UWB!  As a transfer student who changed their major plan after struggling in my first and second year, I found my home and renewed passion for learning in the classrooms at UWB. 
• Advice for students: Be a sponge!  Absorb and explore all the amazing opportunities at UWB and never hesitate to go for it.  Think you can’t afford to study abroad? Ask us about scholarship opportunities!  Want to see what it’s like to work at a newspaper, create a podcast, build with a 3-D printer?  All things you can pursue at UWB and so much more. Pursue an internship!  It was how I was able to experience the job I thought I wanted to do, without the commitment, and it led to my first job after college. 
• Favorite restaurant or food: Pho at Bamboo House in Bothell 
• Favorite book: Know My Name by Chanel Miller, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and anything by Lindy West
• Favorite movie: Labyrinth  
• Favorite sports team, sport you like to play, or hobby: Whatever team my kids are playing on at the moment. 
• Most memorable experience in college: Realizing that nursing was not going to be my future.  It was an incredibly hard and sad decision to make, but ultimately led me to find alternate career paths that also focused on helping people.   
• Favorite outdoor or indoor activity: Reading, cooking and cross-stitch. 
• Favorite Washington activity: Digging for clams in Ocean Shores, picking blackberries at Magnuson Park, visiting museums. 

• Why I like my job: I love helping students realize their dreams.
• Advice for students: Take advantage of the activities and resources you have here: the support services, such as the Quantitative Skills Center, to give you an edge, clubs to get you connected and involved, Study abroad to change your life and perspective, Career Services to help prepare for after you graduate, etc.
• Favorite restaurant: Café Turko in Fremont
• Favorite book: I am an avid book reader- difficult to choose a favorite right now.
• Favorite hobbies: I love to experiment with cooking, drink tea, and learn and share about nutrition and health, especially about microbes these days.
• Most memorable experience in college: Living and teaching in Spain while I was in graduate school.
• Favorite Washington activity: Exploring the Fremont neighborhood- visiting the Troll, the Rocket, taking the chocolate tour at Theos.

• Why I like my job: I am a people person and I love hearing about what you are up to and the things you care about! It honestly makes my day better when you tell me about what you’re interested in and what goals you are working toward. 
• Advice for students: Advocate for yourself! It can be scary to speak up but you are powerful. Whether you are navigating a school system, health care, the professional world, or anything else – if you push for what you need then you never know what doors will open for you. People are often eager to connect and help out when you ask! It sounds idealistic but it can often be true. 
• Favorite restaurant or food: Thai food. And my family’s minestrone soup recipe is always the best. 
• Favorite book: One of my favorites is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This book was released in 1844 and I think the characters in it are just as real as ever. It's a hefty book but filled with exploration of extremely human themes. I read this book shortly after I graduated college and was starting to get back into reading for fun -- something that I found to be hard to make time for while I was in classes! 
• Favorite movie: Moonstruck with Cher and Nic Cage. It’s so weird and so perfect.
• Favorite sports team, sport you like to play, or hobby: My office is filled with yarn because my favorite thing to do is knit. I never feel more at home than when I’m wearing a cozy knit sweater. Also talking about democracy!! Get registered to vote if you’re eligible and get involved in your community as much as you can.
• Most memorable experience in college: If you can do it, study abroad! When I studied abroad it helped me develop so many more skills and have experiences that I would have never had at home. I also miss when all my friends and I lived in the same area and we could just randomly hang out in between classes. So many good times! Make the most of it while you’re all here on campus :) 
• Favorite Washington activity: I love watching the salmon run at the Ballard Locks. My grandparents and I used to go there when I was young and returning every year to see the salmon pass through is always a highlight. I recommend going during the late summer or early fall to see the most!

• Why I like my job: I love working alongside students to navigate different systems, breaking down barriers and validating their unique experiences and narratives. I love being present with students and helping them make sense of their academic journey.
• Advice for students: In short, higher education is difficult to navigate. If it was easy, I doubt my job would exist! It is okay to not know what the exact path you may take will look like or what the next step may be. It is also okay to know your exact pathway and experience unexpected difficulties. All of these are okay! I highly challenge you to reflect openly and honestly about your interests and experiences. Connect with UWB staff such as Pre-Major Academic Advisors to help you make sense and plan towards your goals! Open the door to communication with your instructors- they have in-depth knowledge about their fields and may have life experiences that can parallel yours! Reach out to peers to share your experiences. They may be hoping for someone just like you to make a connection! Remember, there are so many people who want to know your thoughts! And always know, you matter! There is a place for you in Education! You belong at UWB!
• Favorite restaurant or food: I think poke is always a good food choice. If given a choice, I usually opt for coconut or pistachio flavored things. I love Taiwanese Grass Jelly desserts. 
• Favorite book: During the start of the pandemic, I discovered the Harry Potter series for the first time, and it warmed my heart. I utilize the Libby App through the public library system to listen to my books most often! 
• Favorite movie: Mary and Max & Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Favorite sports team, sport you like to play, or hobby: Problem-solving is a hobby theme I dabble in, particularly in the form of jigsaw puzzles and escape rooms! With jigsaw puzzling, I love the satisfaction of patiently contributing to a larger picture, literally. With escape rooms, I love learning more about people’s communications styles while working towards one goal. The satisfactory feeling of completing a puzzle or winning a room is just the icing on top! I also dabble in strength training.
• Most memorable experience in college:I will always remember making eye-contact with my mother and siblings in the crowd as I gave the commencement speech at university graduation. It was as if I was saying, “Look at what we did together!”
• Favorite outdoor or indoor activity: I love the arts- concerts, spoken word, and theater performances- I love it all! I also enjoy working with my hands and figuring out how things work. I enjoy leisurely walks and hikes. 

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Student Peer Advisors

Student Peer Advisors are students in their last two years of college at UW Bothell who can help pre-major and first year students with drop-in questions. The Student Peer Advisors are all students who are in their majors, and they are trained to help you with anything from registering for classes to picking out a major. 

Aarya Nandy (she/her)

Hometown: Bangalore, India 

Major: Business

Hobbies/Interests: Dancing, baking, traveling, and watching anime.

Why is Aarya a peer advisor? I like connecting with new people and want to help them navigate through their academic journey at UW Bothell. Peer advising is the best way to assist students with multiple resources and ensure that they have a good experience on campus. As a peer advisor, I’m glad I get to support and empower students! 

 

 

Ana Luisa Gutierrez (she/her)

Hometown: Tijuana, Mexico

Major: Biology

Hobbies/Interests: Drawing, learning new languages, cute animals, and anything pink!

Why is Ana a peer advisor?  Ever since I started my journey at UW Bothell, I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to my advisor and take advantage of the advising services many times. This has really helped me during my academic journey, so when I found out that I could be a Peer Advisor I was excited to know that I could help other students in the same way I was, as well as learning even more about the resources that UW Bothell provides and engaging more with the UWB community.

 

Kawsar Hirsi (she/her)

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Major: Biology

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, Watching films, and Gaming.

Why is Kawsar a peer advisor?  I became a peer advisor so that I may become a vital resource for students to utilize. While also being a person that they can rely on to help them achieve the goals they have set for themselves. As a peer advisor I also have the opportunity to learn skills that will help me as a student and I look forward to helping students throughout this academic school year.

Sam Lindhout (he/him)

Hometown: Bellingham, WA 

Major: Psychology

Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, watching movies, gaming, listening to music, traveling, and drawing.

Why is Sam a peer advisor? I enjoy meeting new students and want to help them as they begin their academic journey. Advising helped me have a smooth first year at Bothell and I want to give back to the student community by being more involved in campus life. I also think it is important to spread awareness of all the great resources that this campus has to offer. Through this position I hope to reflect on my own academic journey and learn from the perspectives of new students as well.

 

Sush Mullur (he/him)

Hometown: Mysore, India 

Major: Computer Science and Software Engineering

Hobbies/Interests: Singing, making music, food, and working out.

Why is Sush a peer advisor? I love helping people achieve their goals, and peer advising is a great opportunity to connect students to resources, people, or even just to sit down and have a productive conversation about something they are passionate about. I believe that anybody and everybody should be able to learn what they are passionate about, and being a peer advisor enables me to help them carve out a path for them to achieve just that. I am very excited to help students throughout the year, and cannot wait to meet and learn more about and support your plans and interests!