Peer Advisors

Description and Duties

As your peer advisors for University College, we’re writing to help you understand how you can use us as a resource during your academic explorations here at ASU. We are all current ASU students who were either part of University College or actively engaged in major and career exploration on our own, and as such we all understand both the excitement and the trepidation that comes with the college transition and the major selection process.

Our goal as peer advisors is to provide guidance in these areas and provide you with the tools and information you need to succeed. In particular, we are available to help you choose and schedule your classes, discuss your major and career options, explore campus involvement, and through our success coaching program, help you improve your study skills, learn to better manage your time, and provide support for your academic and personal transition.

Please do not hesitate to contact and meet with us; the best way to make an appointment is to call the University College advising and ask to schedule an appointment with a peer advisor. We have included a short personal statement for each of us below, so if it seems one of us has specific experience in something that fits your needs, you can ask to schedule your appointment with that peer in particular. Please mention your reasons for wanting to meet with us so we can prepare any necessary materials. You can also contact any of us through e-mail. We look forward to meeting all of you, and we wish you luck in your ASU journey!

Carson, Alvero, Sarah, Hilda, Erika and Jillian

University College Academic Advising, Downtown Phoenix: (602) 496-4000
University College Academic Advising, Tempe: (480) 965-4464
University College Academic Advising, West: (602) 543-9222

Meet your peer advisors:

Carson Cook (Tempe)
I am a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in political science. I plan to attend law school after finishing my undergraduate studies. I have been a peer advisor at University College since the fall of 2010 and though I did not start out as an exploratory student, I have done significant exploration of a variety of fields and interests in my time at ASU. I have been active in research labs, political organizations, and club sports over the past two and a half years, and I am excited to help you discover what you can gain from your time here at ASU.
Email: cmcook7@asu.edu
Hours: MF 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; W 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; TTh 3 – 5 p.m.

Alvaro Salcedo (West)
I am a sophomore here at ASU. I was a University College student until the end of my second semester. I declared my major in secondary education with the emphasis in Spanish. Now, I am currently a Spanish major and will be declaring my minor in graphic design by the end of this semester. I will be going to grad school for higher education in linguistics while I am also working on my teaching certification. I have obtained a certificate from ASU in business management and administrative services. With that I hope I can follow my dream of working as a professor at a university while at the same time as an academic advisor. I am here to help you find out what is that you want to do for the next 30 to 40 years. We will also learn how to navigate around the ASU site. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I will look for it until I find it. I will call everyone in the book.
Email: asalced1@asu.edu
Hours: Whenever is most convenient for you; I will always have time for a coffee.

Sarah Sawyer (Tempe)
I am a sophomore studying musical theater and history. During my freshman year, I started as a journalism major. After a year in journalism, I realized I was more interested in theater and changed my major. I have lived on both the Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses. Through struggling to find the right major for me, I have learned what my true passions and interests are. After graduating from ASU, I hope to go to grad school to get my MFA in acting. Since changing my major, I have been involved in numerous ASU theatrical productions. I am here to help you explore majors that involve your interests and passions. I am looking forward to helping you during this exciting time in your life!
Email: sesawyer@asu.edu
Hours: MWF 1 - 5 p.m.

Hilda Torres (Tempe)
I am a sophomore majoring in speech and hearing science, minoring in psychology here at ASU and am originally from Houston, Texas. I was an exploratory student during my freshman year, and it wasn’t until the end of my second semester that I declared both my major and minor. My career goals are going to graduate school, graduating with a master’s in speech language pathology and becoming a bilingual speech language pathologist. I am here to help you and guide you through the exploratory and college experience.
Email: hntorres@asu.edu
Hours: MWTh 9 - 11:30 a.m.; F 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Erika Vera (Downtown Phoenix)
I am a sophomore studying health sciences at the Downtown Phoenix campus. I was a University College student throughout most of my freshman year up until the very end of the spring semester. I served as the University College senator my freshman year and shortly after became the Peer Advisor for the 2011-2012 school year. I have loved my experiences within the college and have discovered my passions in medicine and nutrition. I am excited to help you discover your lifelong ambitions and passions throughout your University College experience. Email: esvera@asu.edu
Hours: TWF 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Th 9:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Jillian Ware (Tempe)
I am a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in criminology and criminal justice. I was an exploratory student during my first semester and have been a Peer Advisor since fall 2009. After graduating from ASU, I will be attending graduate school to obtain my Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in forensic psychology. Since declaring my major, I have been actively involved in research in the psychology department by participating in research labs, working one-on-one with professors on their current research, and completing my own research project for my honors thesis. I am here to help you investigate your academic and career interests throughout the exploratory process!
Email: jmware@asu.edu
Hours: MWF 12 - 5 p.m.