Peer Mentors

2021-2022 Peer Mentors

Cagney Ehlers

She/Hers

Mentor for Pre-Vet: The Path to Veterinary Success

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Major:: Biological Sciences, Pre-Vet Medicine Program
Favorite Drink:: Root Beer Float
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: I thoroughly enjoyed the connections I was able to make with both staff and students in my LC field. We got to meet with some veterinarians and researchers, and the activities were super fun despite the obstacles of the pandemic.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: The best place in Lincoln is a three-way tie between the downtown Haymarket area during the farmer’s market season, Holmes Lakes in the summer, or Gateway Mall. These places will give you lots of new things to taste, try, or see throughout the whole year.
What mythological creature do you wish existed and why?: Hands down, I wish a mythological creature such as dragons existed. Not only could you fly on them and keep them as pets, but they could have a lot of agricultural or industrial uses too. They are pretty majestic creatures to say the least.

Erik Konnath

He/His

Mentor for Computing Your Future

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Major:: Software Engineering
Favorite Quote:: “Oh god, my mind is going a mile a minute,” — Michael Scott
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience was living so close to my best friends. Being around people taking the same courses and going through the same struggles as you is invaluable.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: The Bourbon Theatre—that is, when we’re not in a global pandemic. Otherwise, it’s a great place to catch a show.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Not necessarily a mythological creature, but the Loch Ness Monster. Phineas and Ferb met the monster in an episode, and it seemed pretty chill.

Alex Neill

He/His

Mentor for Pressbox: Sports Media and Communication

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Major:: Broadcasting, Sports Media Communication
Favorite Movie:: The Blues Brothers
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: The lifelong relationships I made with my peers was the most meaningful part of the Learning Community this year. I met so many new people that I know I can contact in the future and this really was an advantage as an out of state freshman.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: I really like to study in my dorm room where I can listen to my records and relax in my own space, but I tend to get a lot of work done on East Campus. There are far less distractions and the vibe is really cool on the third and second floor of the East Union.
Did you have any fun hobbies during COVID?: Over quarantine I really got into my record collection. I had a few here and there, but during COVID I definitely stepped up my game and now own over 100 vinyl records.

Haley Schilling

She/Hers

Mentor for Exploring Health and Medicine

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Major:: Biology, Psychology
Favorite Band:: OneRepublic
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: One piece of advice I would give a first-year student is to get involved! It makes UNL feel like home and really helps you to meet so many amazing people. I’ve met some of my best friends through campus involvement.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Memorial Stadium. I grew up watching Husker football and love the atmosphere there. It’s so much fun to cheer on the Huskers with 90,000 other people and some of my favorite memories from college are from Husker football games at Memorial.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish the Pegasus existed because I would love to travel via Pegasus. The Pegasus has the ability to fly anywhere or run, depending on the terrain, which would speed up my commutes.

Alexis Goodenberger

She/Hers

Mentor for Discover the Classroom

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Major:: Elementary and Special Education
Favorite Drink:: Dr. Pepper
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: It’s going to be rough the first month away from home, but once you build those friendships with people in your classes and on your dorm floor, you will find that college can be exciting.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Hurts Donuts, because I have a lot of great memories with friends from that place. It reminds me of my freshman year when I got to be with everyone, and Lincoln felt so new and exciting.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Without a doubt, it would have to be dragons. Even though they would wreak havoc and burn down places, it would still be cool to see one in real life. A less destructive but equally as cool back up option would be the Loch Ness Monster.

Clarissa Mason

She/Hers

Mentor for Chemistry: In Our Element

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Major:: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Chemistry
Favorite Movie:: Disney’s Hercules
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: Stay organized! Whether it means writing everything down on your computer screen or keeping a giant whiteboard on your dorm wall, organization is the key to successful time management and good grades. Staying organized will also allow you to know when you have time for clubs and jobs.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Memorial Stadium. The energy of a gameday and the general excitement around campus is absolutely exhilarating!
Did you have any fun hobbies during COVID?: During COVID, I started playing a lot of new games with my family and some of my friends once we got back. I have learned a lot of new card games like ERS and pitch, as well as some new variations on UNO to make it more exciting.

Caleigh Iwanski

She/Hers

Mentor for Ag Futures: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Service

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Major:: Animal Science—Food Animal Production/Management
Favorite Color:: Olive Green
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: I was in the Ag Futures learning community and loved having competition nights and trivia nights! I also really liked getting to live with the others and meeting outside together the first week of classes!
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is undoubtedly Memorial Stadium! We couldn’t go to any games this year but getting to walk by it for class is so cool!
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Hands down dragons! They are always written so complex in books and movies and everybody could find one they love!

Brianna Danehey

She/Hers

Mentor for Exploring Health and Medicine

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Major:: Biology, Pre-Med
Favorite Drink:: Caramel Macchiato
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: Be bold! Go out of your way to meet new people. College is all about building community among peers.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is campus! I have met so many friends on campus and made great memories. There is nothing like stepping foot on campus again at the beginning of each semester.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish mermaids were real and I wish I were one. There is so much of our earth that is unexplored in the ocean. I think it would be so interesting to be able to fully explore the waters.

Julia Knapp

She/Hers

Mentor for First Gen

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Major:: Biological Systems Engineering
Favorite Candy:: Swedish Fish
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience from being in a learning community was having a Smash Bros tournament with everyone that could attend. It is fun to get together and learn a little bit more about one another and beneficial to making new friends. It was a time I will never forget! Mainly because I got my butt kicked but I still had a blast!
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in all of Lincoln would have to be Yogurtini. It is such a fun place to go with friends, on a date, or just looking for a yummy snack.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish that dragons existed. I think it would be so awesome to fly around on one! I also feel that even though they seem big and scary that they would be just like a dog, super snuggly and cute.

Anna Stuckwisch

She/Hers

Mentor for Business Opportunities: Find Your Fit

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Major:: Marketing and Management
Favorite Quote:: “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water” – Rabindranath Tagore
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: If you don’t understand something, talk to your professor or a tutor. Many topics build off one another. If you need help with your classes, there are many resources offered by the College of Business.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln would be the Wilderness Park. I enjoy going there to relax and the park offers multiple bike trails along with hiking trails.
Did you have any fun hobbies during COVID?: During COVID, I taught myself how to juggle. While giving tennis lessons, some of my students asked me if I could juggle, so I learned from a five-minute YouTube video.

Madison Maloney

She/Hers

Mentor for Computing for Good

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Major:: Computer Engineering
Favorite Candy:: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: I was in the Computing for Good learning community during the 2020-2021 academic year. My favorite experience was participating in the field day event at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester. There were tons of games and it was great to meet new people!
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is the Haymarket district. It’s always super fun, especially on farmer’s market days, to walk around and browse to see what’s happening downtown.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: A mythological creature that I wished existed were Unicorns. Unicorns are known to possess various magical powers including cures for the sick and wounded. In a way, Unicorns somewhat represent myself with me earning my Emergency Medical Technician certificate and working on the ambulance.

Lauren Penington

She/Hers

Mentor for Pre-Law Opportunities: Preparing for Your J.D. and Beyond

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Major:: Journalism and Political Science
Favorite Movie:: Into the Spiderverse
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: My best piece of advice may seem cliché, but it is true: Put yourself out there. Join clubs that you might not have considered in high school, approach your professors and begin to build those relationships/networks, talk to people both in and out of class. You may be apprehensive in the moment, but it will definitely help in the long run.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is, although quite spread out, is the entirety of the Mopac Trail. As one of the longer trails in Lincoln, it connects a variety of beautiful spots and makes for a wonderful, unique bike ride or walk.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish that nature sprites existed. When you look at the lore of their existence, the different types of sprites all have their role to play in nature and seasons, in making the beauty of the landscapes that surround us. Not only, that, but they are playful and fun.

Schadrack Shumbusho

He/His

Mentor for Second Year Edge

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Major:: Integrated Science
Favorite Quote:: “Always be kind, it’s contagious.”-- Tim Kreutter
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community?: My favorite experience was meeting new people. Forming strong connections with fellow students & staff. I had an awesome opportunity to create covenant relationships with new people I met.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: The love Library has been my favorite place to focus, grab my coffee and Dunkin Donut and get stuff done. The place is so quiet, comfortable and focus favoring.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Sasquatch aka Bigfoot. It would be fun watching this huge human-like animal—a hairy creature like a human being reported to exist in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada and said to be a primate between 6 and 15 feet (1.8 and 4.6 meters) tall.

Paige Schettler

She/Hers

Mentor for Responsible Design: Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture

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Major:: Interior Design
Favorite Drink:: Chocolate Milk
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: The best piece of advice I would give to a first-year student is to take risks. Whether it be joining a new club or trying a new design tool – my greatest successes have been outside of my comfort zone.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Architecture Hall! It is such a beautiful building with a lot of history and has a lot of great spots to study and get work done.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I’m a big Harry Potter fan, so a mythological creature I wish existed is Buckbeak. This is a creature that is taken care of by Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Emma Hansen

She/Hers

Mentor for Discover the Healthy Human: Nutrition and Health Sciences

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Major:: Nutrition, Exercise, Health Science
Favorite Music Artist:: Taylor Swift
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience was playing sand volleyball with my Learning Community during floor hours! It was a great way to get to know everyone outside of our shared classes.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Holmes Lake. It’s a good place to walk around on a nice day and you get to see some really cute dogs.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish dragons existed because I feel like the world would be a much more interesting place if that was something we had to worry about. It would probably go really poorly, but at least it would spice things up.

Pooja Rajeev

She/Hers

Mentor for Engineering to Change the World

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Major:: Civil Engineering
Favorite TV Show:: Stranger Things
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: Even though the transition to college may seem hard, there are so many fun events and other helpful resources on campus where you can make new friends and build connection. Don’t be afraid to reach out.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Downtown as they have coffee shops where we can study while enjoying coffee. They also have a lot of restaurants and clubs to have fun.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish I was a mermaid because I think it is really cool to live in water and rule the underwater kingdom and having a mixture of human body and fish.

Amber Headley

She/Hers

Mentor for Exploring Nursing

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Major:: Nursing
Favorite Music Artist:: Billy Joel
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience was just chatting with my Learning Community mentor about life and nursing. She was always very personable and had great advice to give me when it came to balancing school, work, and sorority. My mentor always wanted to talk to you and get to know you on a personal level- these little moments during study hours were the best.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: Definitely Blaze Pizza. I didn’t find out about it until second semester, but when I did, I was obsessed! I love the full customization of everything and how it is so thin and crispy. (I’m clearly a foodie).
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I would love to see a unicorn, the thought of a horse with colorful hair sounds magical. I also think it would be cool to see what they could breed with it and see what other cool animals they could make.

Olivia Carnevale

She/Hers

Mentor for Media Smarts: Broadcasting, Journalism, & Sports Communication

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Major:: Sports Media & Communication
Favorite Quote:: “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have” -Vince Lombardi
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience from being in a learning community was just getting to meet people in the same major as me. Being an out-of-state student, it was really hard to move across the country without knowing anyone but being in a learning community allows you to connect with other students who share the same interests.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is the Historic Haymarket. It’s a great place to hang out with friends and it’s nice to just go on walks around the district, especially during the farmers’ market.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: A Phoenix. It reminds me of Harry Potter.

Carson Jones

She/Hers

Mentor for University Exploration

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Major:: Business Administration; Pre-Dental
Favorite Candy:: Peachie O’s
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: When I was in a learning community my freshman year, the best part was being able to live on the same floor with people who took a lot of the same classes as I did. It made some of the harder classes not seem as bad.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is probably Memorial stadium. There’s just such a great atmosphere on game days and it’s really cool to witness the amount of people at the games and Downtown in general.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: The mythological creature I wish existed is definitely a unicorn. I feel like they would just be bougee horses that are super pretty.

Wren Shawhan

They/Them

Mentor for EcoLeaders: Environmental Sustainability in Action

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Major:: Anthropology; Biological Sciences
Favorite Music Artist:: Electric Light Orchestra
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: Get involved in a club that is just for fun and not something for your major or work experience. It is the best way to make new friends freshman year.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: I really love museums, especially Morrill Hall on campus. It is a lot of fun to read about the different creatures that have been here before, and the cultures of people on the plains.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Owl bears are just the perfect combination of bird and mammal. They look so fierce and beautiful, and they are as diverse as owls and bears combined. If you think a bear cub and an owlet are cute, wait until you see a baby owl bear.

Olivia Schuster

She/Hers

Mentor for Biological Sciences: Research on the Cutting Edge

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Major:: Microbiology
Favorite TV Show:: The Office
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: I loved going to different places for tours or experiences. It really helps students see how their studies apply to real life and if they are still interested.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: I love the Sunken Gardens. It is a beautiful place to find peace and enjoy beautiful flowers.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish mermaids existed because their abilities are very cool. They seem peaceful in fiction and would tell us a lot about the ocean.

Emily Austin

She/Hers

Mentor for Prism: LGBTQA+ and Allied Students

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Major:: Psychology; Communication Studies
Favorite Candy:: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: I really liked bonding with my mentor! She helped me through so much of my first semester and introduced me to some wonderful new friends in my Learning Community.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: I haven’t had the chance to explore too much of Lincoln yet, but I really love being downtown! My favorite spot down there is the alley with the hidden ice cream shop. It feels so secluded and special, especially at night when the whole alley is lit by colorful lights!
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I could talk about this for days! I used to believe that the hippogriff (the eagle/horse chimera from Harry Potter) was real. I’m still a little heartbroken that they don’t exist, but 10-year-old Emily can dream. I also really wish that dragons were still around – How to Train Your Dragon is one of my all-time favorite kids movies and it made me fall in love with the idea of riding a dragon through the clouds.

Shannon Wurtele

She/Hers

Mentor for Business Leaders

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Major:: Finance; Economics
Favorite Drink:: Arnold Palmer
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: The best piece of advice I would give to a first-year student is to be social and put yourself out there! If you are coming from out of state and don’t know anyone, you are not alone! Reaching out to other students and getting to know them is a great opportunity for you to make friends.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is definitely Memorial Stadium. Growing up in Nebraska, I have always been a huge Husker fan, so I love the environment of the football games. Game days are something I looked forward to when I started my first year here.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish that fairies existed because they are friendly and not vicious. If fairies were alive, I would want them to be the type of fairies that you can make wishes to.

Allison Linton

She/Hers

Mentor for Beyond the Practice Room

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Major:: Music Education
Favorite Music Artist:: Taylor Swift
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: Find things that you enjoy doing outside of your major to avoid burnout and to give yourself a break.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is the UNL Outdoor Adventure Center! I love rock climbing and it’s a great place to meet people I may not have normally.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I wish dragons existed. It’d just be cool to see them flying around.

Anna Trofholz

She/Hers

Mentor for Psyched Up!: Analyzing Psychology

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Major:: Psychology; Spanish
Favorite Quote:: “Sometimes you got to work a little so you can ball a lot” -Tom Haverford
What is the best piece of advice would you give to a first-year student?: The best piece of advice I can give freshmen is to try out new things and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to get involved on campus. This will bring you so much closer to finding groups of people you can connect with and finding your place in the UNL community!
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is definitely the Haymarket downtown. There are so many restaurants and shops to enjoy down there, but some of my favorites are 402 Creamery (I’m a little biased because I work there), Hop Cat, and El Potrero.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: Vampires!! Mostly because of my obsession with The Vampire Diaries but I think it would be cool to be young forever.

Madisyn Alme

She/Hers

Mentor for Business Opportunities: Find Your Fit

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Major:: Finance
Favorite Movie:: The Shawshank Redemption
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite part of being in a learning community was meeting my best friend and being in a community right away when coming into college.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is when we are having a club fair outside and you go outside on the deck of the union and you can see all of the different relationships forming.
What mythological creature do you wish existed?: I would want to be a mermaid because then I could go swimming all of time.

Steve Wilson

He/His

Mentor for Engineering Robotics

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Major:: Electrical Engineering
Favorite Drink:: Arnold Palmer
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience in a Learning Community was the very first week at the LC Welcome Event. The rush of meeting all the other people in my LC and establishing bonds between ourselves and our mentors was a thrill!
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Innovation Campus. It’s the perfect place for realizing all the random projects you might accidentally come up with while your brain is numbed from studying for an exam.
What mythological creature do you wish existed and why?: If a mythological creature suddenly came into existence, I would hope for it to be a blink dog from the Forgotten Realms. Having a teleporting dog sounds like exactly the kind of problem to have.

Grace Carlson

She/Hers

Mentor for Engineering to Change the World

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Major:: Architecture
Favorite quote:: “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience in my Learning Community was having the opportunity to visit the athletic lab in Memorial Stadium. We had the chance to observe the equipment that measures specific athletic abilities and shows how they can better improve in certain areas.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is the Haymarket. There are many great coffee shops and restaurants such as The Mill and The Oven.
What mythological creature do you wish existed and why?: I wish Leprechauns existed. I think they would make St. Patrick’s Day way more fun!

Caroline Mattern

She/Hers

Mentor for Melvin W. Jones Scholars

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Major:: Music Education
Favorite TV Show:: Gilmore Girls
What was your favorite experience in your Learning Community your first year?: My favorite experience in the Learning Community was all the nights we spent studying or doing homework together. Getting the things done we needed to, while also talking and having fun together made my experience in the LC very memorable.
What’s your favorite place in Lincoln?: My favorite place in Lincoln is Memorial Stadium. It is the epicenter of activity on campus and gamedays make Lincoln so lively.
What mythological creature do you wish existed and why?: I wish unicorns existed because they’d probably be adorable and a fun mode of transportation.