Undergraduate Writing Peer Tutors and Student Administrative Assistants
Undergraduate Peer Tutors

Aisling Alvarez (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: English, Minor: Creative Writing
Here are some rapid fire fun facts about me: I love books, anime, manga, and I’d like to work for a publishing company one day! I’m minoring in creative writing so I love refining concepts and experimental writing. I also have experience in journalism from working as an intern with UCI’s New Swan Shakespeare Center, and Humanities Core acclimated me to writing technical pieces. Everybody has a different process when it comes to writing so I look forward to meeting and working with you all!

Fiorella Barreto (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Criminology, Law, & Society and History
I love the beach, hanging out with my friends, and I hope to be an immigration attorney in the future. As for my writing, I especially enjoy reading or writing historical pieces, poetry, Statements of Purpose, and Personal Statements: I love reading about other people’s lives and accomplishments! In addition, I have a deep passion for teaching others, stemming back to teaching my parents English when they first immigrated to this country. Languages: English and Spanish.

Colin Bolek (he/him)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Quantitative Economics, International Studies
I particularly enjoy working on research papers and finding the best ways to organize an argument (in English or Spanish), but I can also get behind a good literary analysis or creative project — basically, hit me with your best shot! Outside of the writing center, I participate in ASUCI, campus research, the CHC, and love spending time running, reading, and trying to keep up with classes. Excited to get to work with you all and your wonderful writing!

Kade Brown (he/him)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Film & Media Studies with an emphasis on television writing.
This year will be my second year working as a peer tutor and social media head at the UCI Writing Center. I specialize in the Humanities Core course, having experience with humanistic-centered essays on topics covered in the Humanities Core curriculum. I also love to examine personal statements and creative writing pieces (especially screenplays) brought into the Writing Center. If you identify as LGBTQ+ and/or neurodivergent, please come see me!

Jamie Li Damonti (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: History
I love writing, but as a former self-proclaimed “bad writer,” I understand how overwhelming putting together a paper can feel. As a Humanities Core alumnus, I have experience writing rhetorical analysis essays, historical and art historical research papers, and standard literary papers, and I’m familiar with all current Humanities Core readings. I also love to read creative or political pieces, and I have limited experience with – and passion for! – legal reading and writing, especially in immigration law.

Navleen Dhot (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Public Health Sciences
Even as a student majoring in the sciences, writing is heavily involved in some of my classes in the form of lab reports and research papers. My favorite type of writing is generally research papers as I enjoy the process, especially finding and bringing together different sources of information, but I am more than happy to help with all types of writing. I am excited to work at the writing center to help students work through ideas, brainstorm, and refine their work! Languages: English, Punjabi

Ruth Emily Edillor (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Public Health Sciences
I have experience in writing research projects, lab reports, and argumentative papers. I also have experience in literary analyses and personal statements. I enjoy brainstorming ideas with other students and helping them be more creative with their writing, whether it is a short story or a persuasive essay. At the Writing Center, I am excited to help students gain confidence in their writing and communication skills, as well as to guide them through the writing process. Looking forward to working with you all! Languages: Tagalog (fluent)

Sabrina Henderson (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor

Nishagie Hettiarachchi (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Education Sciences
I personally love photography, listening to music, trying new foods, taking scenic walks, and spending time with family and friends. I am really interested in creative writing and grammar/punctuation, and I’m excited to help students get through their writing blocks to see how far they can grow. I speak Sinhalese and English fluently.

Kelly Kang (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
I’m interested in interdisciplinary research in psychology, the arts, and technology. I have two years of research and writing experience, and plan on pursuing my PhD in the future. Outside of school, I engage in the performing arts and enjoy working on creative film & art projects. At the center, I can help students gain confidence in their writing by working collectively on structure, argumentation, grammar, and more!

Tara Kavasseri (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Psychology, Minor: International Studies
While I have more writing experience in those subjects (and in HumCore), I’m always excited to work in new areas! My goal is to make the writing process less intimidating by helping you with any aspect of your project, including brainstorming, fleshing out your thoughts, and refining a first (or second or third) draft. Outside of school, I love spontaneous beach trips, cafe runs, and Lincoln Lawyer. Languages: Tamil (Basic speaking and writing)

Beatriz Lopez Galeana (she/her/ella)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor

Jewel Loya (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: English
I particularly enjoy working with literary and rhetorical analysis, as well as humanistic research of all kinds. (I absolutely love literary theory!) I’d love to help you become confident in your writing abilities no matter your respective major or the disciplinary nature of the writing assignment you’re composing. Outside of the writing center, I am a part of the Humanities Honors Program, and I am currently doing independent study in theories of feminism. I look forward to helping you all think about writing in new and innovative ways! Notably, I am fluent in Spanish.

Kevin Ma (he/him)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Biological Sciences (Human Biology)
The types of work I have the most experience in and enjoy the most are argumentative and analytical style papers. I’m also a survivor of Humanities Core and the Gen/OChem labs, so don’t be afraid to come to me for help about these classes, too! In my free time, I enjoy cooking (not the clean up part), working out, and playing video games.

Reina Maiden Navarro (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
I love working through new ideas, refining concepts, and reading creative works. My time as an English tutor in high school and Humanities Core student provided me with plenty of experience with more technical pieces too. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with you!

Abby Melton (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: English
In my free time I really enjoy playing video games, baking, and playing board games. I’ve been pretty obsessed with reading and writing poetry since middle school and for fun enjoy reading horror or fantasy novels. As a tutor, I hope I can help provide strategies to assist in the entire writing process including brainstorming, outlining, and proofreading so that you will be more equipped to tackle writing projects in the future.

Breanna Makena Moore (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Language Sciences
I enjoy working with all forms of writing, from research papers and argumentative essays, to personal statements and narrative pieces. My goal is to cultivate the confidence in others, to find comfort in their own voice, and resolve in their capacity to convey their message with effectuality, clarity, and care. Everyone has a unique writing style that deserves to be celebrated; I am excited to be a part of this process. I love all things related to language and writing, and aspire to go into speech language pathology as a career. I also enjoy books, scary movies, and listening to music. I’m excited to work with everyone!

Cathy Nguyen (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Psychology
I am excited to connect with students, and I’ll do my best to ensure that students leave the session with confidence. I can support all types of writing, including but not limited to formal essays, creative writing, or personal statements. My specialty lies in any form of analytical writing that requires close reading (e.g.: literary, rhetorical, and/ or comparative analyses) which also happens to be my favorite. In my free time, I enjoy writing poems, watching video essays on YouTube, and drawing! Languages: English and Vietnamese (Speaking)

Jessica Nguyen (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
While I am familiar with organizing writing to maximize concision and understanding from a business background, I still enjoy working with more colloquial papers that allow adding in some creative flair as a departure from strictly formal writing styles. By working at the writing center, I greatly look forward to seeing and aiding in the journey of writing projects that grow from a few conceptual lines of text to the culminating product. Languages: English, Vietnamese (Speaking)

Alexia Pardos Salzano (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
While my major does not focus on conventional writing, I still have ample experience in forming argumentative and research papers, as well as lab reports. All forms of writing are truly essential in developing one’s communicative skills and are also incredibly important outside of educational settings. I am excited to meet and help with any concerns you may have about writing! Languages: English and Spanish

Eliza Jamie Parungao (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: International Studies
I mainly specialize in papers relating to Humanities/Social Sciences, but I would love to expand my horizons and assist you in other areas as well! My favorite part about the writing process is developing strong theses and improving fluidity in pieces, as I find these aspects of writing great for indulging in my own creativity. I also have experience working with international students and English Language Learners, so please don’t be afraid to reach out! Languages: English, Japanese (Speaking)

Varvara Rubtsova (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor

Jennellee Samkhem (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Comparative Literature
When it comes to academic and professional writing, I’m most familiar with lending a hand in Hum. Core papers, resumes, and academic website writing. I also have writing experience with fictional stories, interview articles, semi-casual website/blog writing, and screenwriting. Looking forward to meeting you all and helping in your writing process! Languages: Khmer (Beginner)

Andie San Lius (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
Major: Literary Journalism
I have loved writing ever since I was young, beginning with fictional stories I wrote as a kid to reporting at the collegiate level. I recently finished Humanities Core and have experience writing a variety of different styles, both creative and technical. I look forward to working with you all!

Ariel Thornton (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor

Haley Tran (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
As a junior in Campuswide Honors Collegium majoring in Political Science, I am well-aware of the vigorous writing standards expected of UCI students. My writing strengths include generating complex arguments, organization, and improving the fluidity of a paper. As a second year tutor, I super excited to be back, and I am looking forward to working with anyone in any stage of their draft!

Christina Watson (she/her)
Undergraduate Peer Tutor
My favorite part of the writing process is the initial research stage because I love getting passionate about a new idea. I enjoy all forms of personal storytelling and academic writing, and I have experience writing personal statements for scholarships and essays for Writing 50, Writing 60, and multiple other Humanities courses. I look forward to meeting with you and helping in any way I can!
Student Administrative Assistants

Madeline Arreguin (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant

Ailene Roque (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant

Sierra Estep (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant

Hi'ilawelani Hailee Darla-Jean Ashley (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant

Shannie Luu (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant

Elaine Noh (she/her)
Student Administrative Assistant