Become a Peer Mentor
The Community Impact Internships Program is successful due to the leadership and work of the Peer Mentors! Community Impact Internship Program Peer Mentors are upperclassmen who have already participated in the Community Impact Internships Program. It’s their responsibility to lead and mentor the CIIP cohort.
Peer Mentors are assigned to a placement area and CIIP intern group throughout CIIP and serve as another layer of support to the interns.
Have questions? Contact [email protected]
Peer Mentor Cohorts
Take a look below and get to know some of our Peer Mentors from this past summer experience.
2024 Peer Mentors
Dua Hussain 26′
Hometown: New Castle, DE
Majors: Anthropology & Medicine, Science, and the Humanities- concentration in Writing Seminars
2024 Placement: Keswick Multi-Care Center
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
In resident art, we had a pop-up class in which a poet came in to teach about how to write poetry. In that class, the residents spent a lot of time reflecting on their lives and writing about it. It became very emotional, but I will never forget that day because of how much I learned about them and their lives. I got closer to some of the residents and it made the rest of my summer so much better.Seeing Inside Out with my mentees
Makaila Hyman 26′
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Majors: Political Science
2024 Placement: Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience this summer was seeing Inside Out 2 with my mentees!
Nicole Rivas 24′
Hometown: Cheverly, MD
Majors: International Studies, minor in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies
2024 Placement: Asylee Women Enterpise
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience this summer was participating in Community Lunches and getting to know the Asylee Women Enterpise community, including AWE clients (asylum seekers), volunteers, and my colleagues. I also enjoyed the Scavenger hunt around Baltimore with my mentees!
Anusha Sarkar 24′
Hometown: Chester, NJ
Majors: Public Health, Cognitive Science
2024 Placement: Esperanza Center
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience this summer was a team lunch we took to celebrate one of the staff member’s birthdays. I got to try food from a local restaurant I hadn’t been to before, and hear the stories of how some of the staff came to America and why they choose to work with the immigrant population in Baltimore City. I really enjoyed being able to connect with the team more and to hear their amazing stories and histories in the city.
Bersabe Tilahun
2024 Placement: MOMCares
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite part of this internship was the alignment with my personal passion for assisting marginalized communities, particularly as I became more aware of the profound disparities in maternal health outcomes for Black women.
Frank Meng ’24
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Majors: English, Sociology
2023 Placement: Baltimore City Public Schools Engagement Office
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Working with wonderful people and mentors who equipped me with not only reflective and honest feedback that helped me professionally but also life lessons that revolutionized my understanding of how to be a good advocate and a lifelong civil servant.
Carlos Gamboa ’25
Hometown: Miami, FL
Majors: International Studies, Public Health
2023 Placement: The Office of Councilmember Zeke Cohen
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience from last summer was attending a community meeting in Upper Fells Point. I provided updates on district-wide initiatives while also collecting questions and concerns from local residents to share with Councilmember Cohen. This experience, and other opportunities I had to engage with the citizens of Baltimore, forged a connection between me and the community.
Diksha Iyer ’25
Hometown: Dearborn, MI
Majors: Public Health, Economics
2023 Placement: Out For Justice
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
I loved the weekly BITES sessions with my CIIP cohort that were hosted by the CSC. Each week, I found my previous knowledge and conceptions about the topics discussed challenged and reshaped. It was a wonderful experience to be able to go through eye-opening discussions about the various roots of inequality and possible solutions with a group of diverse peers.
Rebecca Baxter ’25
Hometown: Olney, MD
Majors: Biomedical Engineering
2023 Placement: Corner Team Inc.
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
The scavenger hunt during orientation!
Estelle Yeung ’24
Hometown: Clinton, NJ
Majors: Public Health, International Studies
2023 Placement: Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience from last summer was helping to staff BHRC’s policy advocacy campaign for overdose prevention sites at NoMu NoMu!
Brahein Richardson ’23
Hometown: Sicklerville, NJ
Majors: Chemistry, Spanish
2023 Placement: The Black Church Food Security Network
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Traveling to North Carolina to visit some of the Black Farms within BCFSN’s network.
Mimi Avril ’25
Hometown: Miami, FL
Majors: Psychology, Public Health
2023 Placement: Center Baltimore Partnership
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience during the summer was the activity we did during orientation, where half of us formed a circle sitting on the ground, and the other half walked around and gave taps and light touches in response wonderful feelings we gave each other. I cried because I felt so touched, appreciated, and embraced.
Fatima Baloul ’25
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Majors: Public Health
2022 Placement: Shepherd’s Clinic
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Meeting life-long friends through CIIP 🙂
2022 Peer Mentors
Genesis Aire ’23
Majors: International Studies, Sociology, and Writing Seminars
2021 Placement: Dent
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My internship last summer was entirely remote except for the last day when there was a field day for the Denters at Patterson Park. It was my most memorable experience from last summer because I was able to meet my coworkers and Denters in person for the first time. It was really fun playing all these games and competing with the kids.
Caroline Colvin ’23
Hometown: Fairbanks, AKMajor: Vocal Performance
2021 Placement: DewMore Baltimore
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Weekly Bites of Baltimore Sessions!
Deleted: Siena DeFazio ’23
Major: Public Health
2021 Placement: No Boundaries Coalition
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
National Night Out where I got to run a political education game I created to incite discourse about food access.
Sigrid Edson ’23
Hometown: Falls Church, VAMajors: Sociology and International Studies
2021 Placement: Station North Arts District
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience from last summer was supporting logistics for community events at the Ynot Lot, a public event space in Station North. Doing this work, I got the chance to meet many amazing artists and community organizers working in Baltimore, learn new practical skills, and start to feel at home in a new neighborhood of the city.
Cionne Gates ’23
Hometown: Atlanta, GAMajor: Psychology
2021 Placement: By Peaceful Means
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience was leading a poetry workshop on the last day of summer camp for the age group (3-7 yrs old) I’ve been working with the entire summer. They made acrostic and free verse poems with their names or positive experiences they cherished during their time with me as a teacher, and it was very heartwarming to witness.
Laís Santoro ’23
Hometown: Downingtown, PA
Majors: Public Health and Environmental Studies
2021 Placement: Whitelock Community Farm
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
I loved hearing stories from community members and talking to the people that would walk by the farm, even if it was a 30 second interaction or a 30 minute one and they stuck by to chat. We also had community meals most Fridays and used produce on the farm, shared a meal and some love !!
Stacey Tang ’24
Hometown: Mount Olive, NJMajors: Public Health and Behavioral Biology
2021 Placement: Thread
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience from last summer was watching the students that I worked with at Thread grow throughout their entire summer school program. Seeing them open up more and more and engage in the activities I prepared was super rewarding and fulfilling experience.
Koye Oputa ’24
Hometown: Old Bridge, NJMajors: Cognitive Science
2021 Placement: Episcopal Refugee and Immigrant Center Alliance (ERICA) and Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE)
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
I enjoyed getting to know ERICA and AWE program participants, some of whom I am still in contact with today!
2020 Peer Mentors
Sarah Abdellah ’22
Majors: Public Health Studies and Neuroscience
2019 Placement: 29th St. Community Center
Edwin Arriola ’21
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology
2019 Placement: CentroSOL
My favorite experience from last year was meeting up with my fellow interns for dinner or for salsa at the sandlot. I made a lot of amazing connections with my fellow interns and really found a support group that motivated me through any tough times I had over the summer.
Yvette Bailey-Emberson ’22
2019 Placement: Child First Authority at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School
One of my favorite moments was when I was walking pre-k students over to Coppin University for a basketball game. Some of the kids fought over holding my hand and were interrupting each other to tell me stories or show me dance moves. It was so cute and I was so happy that the kids had welcomed me into their world.
Jevon Campbell ’22
Majors: Biology and Applied Mathematics and Statistics
2019 Placement: Dent Education
My favorite experience from last year was the Dent Education final showcases (both at our site and the bigger one) where all the students got to show off their work to family members, friends, and community members. It was great to see all the things the students accomplished and see how far they came over the school year. I was really proud of them.
Lyle Carrera ’22
Majors: Public Health Studies and Political Science
2019 Placement: FreeState Justice
Getting to know and learn from the rest of the cohort–seeing what motivates them, checking out what they enjoy, leaning on their experiences and expertise–is what made CIIP more than just an internship program for me. Beyond just being fun people to hang out with, the people in CIIP are true advocates for their communities and inspirations in my life.
Smitha Mahesh ’21
Majors: Philosophy and Bioethics
2018 Placement: Child First Authority, City Springs Elementary/Middle School
My favorite experience last summer was exploring the numerous gems of Baltimore — in food, dances, music, and cultures!
Charlie Nguyen ’21
Majors: Public Health Studies and Economics
2019 Placement: Episcopal Refugee and Immigrant Center Alliance (ERICA)
I don’t know if I can narrow down one specific favorite experience with ERICA last summer, but I loved getting to know the people in our program. My supervisor and I also got to attend an advocacy training in DC where we got to talk to our representatives (or rather, their staffers), which was pretty exciting!
2019 Peer Mentors
Bentley Addison ’21
Major: Sociology & Political Science
2018 Placement: 29th St. Community Center
The best part of last summer was getting to know the Youthworkers at the 29th Street Community Center. They’re high school students from Baltimore, so getting to know their concerns for their community and their city, and getting to learn about their stories was amazing for me. Even though I was in a technical leadership position over them, I learnt so much from every single one of them.
Keone Aliphios ’20
Major: Neuroscience
2018 Placement: MERIT Health Leadership Academy
Last summer, I was able to develop connections with Baltimore students motivated to alleviate health disparities in their city and work with MERIT to support and provide resources to ensure the success of these students. I also saw TLC perform live at Artscape which was awesome!
Janaya Brown ’20
Major: Psychology
2018 Placement: Youth Empowered Society
My favorite part of last summer was hanging out with “The Proud Family,” and I hope to build those close connections again this summer. Plus, nothing like getting someone to trust-fall out of a tree…. ?
Nicole Garcia ’20
Major: Sociology & French
2018 Placement: Jubilee Arts
My favorite part of the summer was seeing the look on the YouthWorkers’ faces when they presented their final murals to the community members who attended the end of summer celebration. The entire summer was very rewarding but seeing their pride in their work was the most memorable moment.
Eillen Martinez ’20
Major: Medicine, Science, and the Humanities
2017 Placement: Esperanza Center
Some of my favorite memories of my CIIP summer were hanging out with friends at farmers markets, bike party, and the many festivals in Bmore!
Grace Ren ’20
Major: Public Health Studies
2018 Placement: Baltimore City Public Schools – Office of Engagement
One of my favorite memories was planning the BCPS block parties last summer – it seemed like something would go amiss at each one we planned, but the community members that the block parties were for would always come out a little bit early and work with us so that things ran smoothly in the end. This show of cooperation and kindness made me want to continue working with and learning from the passionate people of Baltimore.
Reah Vasilakopoulos ’21
Major: Public Health Studies
2018 Placement: Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition
My favorite experience from last summer (if I have to pick only one!) was helping to staff weekly demonstrations in support of safer consumption spaces. I was excited to build new relationships, humbled by the generosity of community residents who shared personal stories with me, and energized as I watched community-oriented movement happening around me.
Claire Zou ’21
Major: International Studies & Sociology
2018 Placement: By Peaceful Means
My favorite part of last summer was building personal relationships with my campers– some really left a lasting impression on me. One was incredibly curious about coding, another was so thoughtful towards his siblings, and another could make me smile whenever I saw her. Even on my most exhausting days, I could never be tired of them 🙂
2018 Peer Mentors
Clarissa Chen ’19
Peer Mentor Group: Food Access and Sustainability
Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana
Major:GECS and Public Health with a Social Policy minor
2017 CIIP Placement: Made in Baltimore at the Baltimore Office of Sustainability
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
For a good portion of the summer, my supervisor Andy, another intern and myself had poured hours into planning the launch party for Made in Baltimore. We held it in the Brick & Board warehouse, got lots of local food, set up displays of locally made goods, and managed to gather hundreds of folks into this space to celebrate the makers of Baltimore City. It was amazing to see what this creative, excited community looked like and to cherish that night together. Plus – it was a great way to start off Artscape weekend!
John Cook ’19
Peer Mentor Group: Government and Policy
Major :Applied Math and Statistics
Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois
2017 CIIP Placement: HEBCAC YO!
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Watching people who had been working hard for months and months obtain their GEDs.
Evan Drukker-Schardl ’20
Peer Mentor Group: Neighborhood and Community Organization
Major: International Studies and Sociology and minoring in Music
Hometown: Sacramento, California
2017 CIIP Placement: United Workers
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience(s) from last summer were the many, many conversations with people on the street who told me stories about their lives and about Baltimore as I was petitioning for the 20/20 Campaign.
Naadiya Hutchinson ’19
Peer Mentor Group: Arts
Major: Public Health
Hometown: Orlando, Florida (The most magical city in the US)
2017 CIIP Placement: 901 Arts
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Only one! That’s not fair – I had so many. If I had to choose just one though, I would say the water balloon activities we had at 901 Arts during the summer!
Soyun Kim ’19
Peer Mentor Group: Education
Major: Molecular/Cellular Biology major with a minor in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado, but I am currently living in South Korea
2017 CIIP Placement: Code in the Schools
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
I loved working with all of YouthWorks students last summer. The summer was also full of a lot of delicious gratuitous food!
Kelsey Ko ’19
Peer Mentor Group: Youth and Family Wellness
Major: International Studies
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
2017 CIIP Placement: Baltimore City Hall, District 1
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
My favorite experience last summer was helping to organize a community cleanup in Patterson Park that was put on by both District 1 (Zeke Cohen) and District 13 (Sharon Sneed) of City Council. It was amazing to see over 300 community members come together across different neighborhood lines to beautify Baltimore!
Awoe Mauna-Woanya ’20
Peer Mentor Group: Nonprofit Management
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Born in Ghana, went to high school in Baltimore County (Perry Hall), Maryland
2017 CIIP Placement: Black Church Food Security Network and the Orita’s Cross Freedom School
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
Favorite experience from last summer has to be traveling to the DelMarVa Peninsula with Rev. Brown for a small conference and to visit Fifer’s Orchard in Delaware.
Isadora Schaller ’20
Peer Mentor Group: Healthcare
Major: International Studies and Sociology, with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality
Hometown: Hamilton, New York
2017 CIIP Placement: Monument Quilt/FORCE
What was your favorite experience from last summer?
I really enjoyed staffing the Monument Quilt’s booth at the Baltimore Pride Parade! I had an amazing time working with LGBTQ+ youth, and raising awareness about rape culture.
2017 Peer Mentors
Kaetlyn Bernal ’18
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Public Health
Favorite Place in Baltimore: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor? I am most excited to show others the charm and rich history of Baltimore through exploration, while having the opportunity to give back to the city through such an enriching program.
Claire Grey ’18
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Global Environmental Change and Sustainability & Public Health
Hometown: Avon, OH
Favorite Place in Baltimore: The farmers market on Sunday morning!
Simon Jackson-Forsberg ’18
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Public Health & History
Favorite Place in Baltimore: Wyman Park Dell – there’s a great sense of community in the park and I’ve had a lot of compelling conversations with friendly strangers, even at odd hours of the night – plus it’s a de facto off-leash dog park!
Osiris Mancera ’19
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Latin American Studies, Italian, and Medicine, Science & the Humanities with a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Favorite Place in Baltimore: The Station North neighborhood because it’s a hub of all things quirky and fun about Baltimore. I love walking and seeing the art on the ways, grabbing some dessert at Red Emma’s, visiting MICA, and essentially getting a better grasp of who the people of Baltimore are.
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor: I’m excited to encourage other students to really see Baltimore for what it is and hopefully to fall in love with it as I have. The Bites of Baltimore sessions are also a big plus!
Chijioke Oranye ’19
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Public Health
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Favorite Place in Baltimore: Basketball court on Chinquapin Parkway
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor: Excited to see the development of other people’s passions about this city
Ally Rodgers ’18
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Public Health and Psychology
Favorite Place in Baltimore: Walking along the boardwalk in Fell’s Point
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor: The opportunity to meet other classmates with the same interests and goals as me, and to be able to explore summer in Baltimore with those people!
Celine Shanosky ’19
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: English & Public Health
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Favorite Place in Baltimore: 34th Street on Christmas!
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor: I am most excited to meet my mentees. I met such wonderful and inspiring people last summer, and I can’t wait to have that experience again.
Jessa Wais ’18
Peer Mentor Group: TBD
Major: Public Health (Minoring in Social Policy)
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Favorite Place in Baltimore: The Castle on the Hill (Baltimore City College, my alma mater)
What excites you most about being a Peer Mentor: This is my 3rd year working with CIIP, and I can’t wait to see how the program continues to change to better fit student’s and community partner’s needs. As a peer mentor, I am excited to see my mentees get to know Baltimore a little bit better, and hope to learn more about the work their respective organizations are doing.
2016 Peer Mentors
Jessa Wais ’18
Program Assistant
Major: Public Health (Minoring in Africana Studies and Social Policy)
Favorite thing about Baltimore: The people and size. Baltimore is large enough where there are always people to meet, but small enough where local community work and policy change can really make a difference.
Maggie Weese ’17
Head of Peer Mentors
Placement: MLK Jr. Recreation Center
Major: Public Health and Global Environmental Change and Sustainability (Minoring in Social Policy)
Favorite thing about Baltimore: All of the passionate, wonderful people in Baltimore!
Victoria Aysola ’18
Peer Mentor Group: Homelessness & Poverty
Placement: Baltimore City Health Department
Major: Public Health
Favorite thing about Baltimore: There are so many different festivals going on all over the city during the summer!
Matthew Brown ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Criminal Justice
Placement: Baltimore Student Harm Reduction Coalition
Major: Public Health
Favorite thing about Baltimore: I love the various types of food Baltimore has to offer and enjoy learning about new restaurants and places to try when I have free time.
Victoria Chen ’18
Peer Mentor Group: Healthcare & Health Policy
Placement: Chase Brexton
Major: Public Health
Favorite thing about Baltimore: I love exploring the eclectic neighborhoods and experiencing all that the city has to offer!
Hannah Farkas ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Food Access & the Environment
Placement: Baltimore Green Space
Major: Economics and Global Environmental Change and Sustainability
Favorite thing about Baltimore: The expansive and historic public park system and all the events that take place.
Charlie Green ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Neighborhood Improvement
Placement: Mayor’s Office of Communications
Major: Public Health
Favorite thing about Baltimore: Similarities to my home and the FOOD
Dikshant Malla ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Nonprofit Management
Placement: Impact Hub
Major: Sociology (Minoring in Social Policy)
Favorite thing about Baltimore: the castle on the hill (my alma mater City)
Kennedy McDaniel ’18
Peer Mentor Group: Arts
Placement: Eubie Blake Cultural Center
Major: Sociology and Africana Studies (Minoring in Museums and Society)
Favorite thing to do in Baltimore: The people! Baltimore has such an incredible sense of community and is filled with people who are dedicated to creating a bright future for the city.
Darius Thompson ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Youth and Family Wellness
Placement: Shepherd’s Clinic
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology (Minoring in Music)
Favorite thing about Baltimore: The diversity of neighborhoods
Caleb Warren ’17
Peer Mentor Group: Education
Placement: Thread
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology & Philosophy
Favorite thing about Baltimore: Druid Hill Park
2015 Peer Mentors
Albert Chavesta ‘16
Major: Behavioral Biology & Psychology
Favorite Thing About Baltimore: Federal Hill
Why I am returning to CIIP: I am interested in coming back to CIIP as a Peer Mentor in order to pass on my knowledge to others and making sure that everyone has an incredible experience during their summer in Baltimore!
Charlie Green ‘17
Major: Public Health
Favorite thing about Baltimore: food and culture in the city
Why I am returning to CIIP: To learn more about the diversity and culture in Baltimore.
David Mampre ‘16
Major: Neuroscience
Favorite thing about Baltimore: Baltimore is the perfect mix between big city and homey feel in that there are always events happening, but you will also run in to people that you know.
Why I am returning to CIIP: In my first year of CIIP I made great friendships in my group of interns and broke out of my Hopkins bubble. I am returning to both continue developing my relationship with the city, and to help other first-year interns gain the same experiences with the program that I had.
Elizabeth Marley ‘16
Major: Political Science
Favorite thing about Baltimore: I love the unique character of each different neighborhood in the city!
Why I am returning to CIIP: I learned so much from my first CIIP experience about urban development and what it means to live in Baltimore, and I can’t wait to continue to learn more and deepen my relationship with community members. The CIIP program opened my eyes to the wonderful culture of our city, something that not enough Hopkins students get to experience.
Saachi Nangia ‘17
Major: Public Health and Biology
Favorite Thing about Baltimore: The delicious and diverse food, unique museums, and charming festivals aside, my favorite thing about Baltimore is absolutely the people – the positive spirit and openness of the city is always surprising and overwhelming.
Why I am returning to CIIP: The balance between a specific learning opportunity and a deep understanding of the whole city is what made CIIP one of the most enriching experiences I have ever had. I am truly looking forward to the opportunity to continue developing these valuable lessons this summer, as well as experiencing it with a new group of students.
Ope Olukorede ‘17
Major: Molecular Cell Biology
Favorite thing about Baltimore: I love to explore so I have to say all the different neighborhoods and communities. Each one is different and special in its own way and it’s so great to learn about the history of this city and why that is. I love visiting (sometimes biking through) different areas of the city such as fed hill, inner harbor, fells point and Hampden.
Faith Maya Owhonda’16
Major: Writing Seminars
Favorite thing about Baltimore: culture
Why I am returning to CIIP: I am excited about mentoring a group of students and watching as we learn more about Baltimore and the challenges communities face along with connections with Hopkins students.
Maggie Weese ‘17
Major: Public Health and GECS
Favorite thing about Baltimore: The incredible strength and passion of the people who live here
Why I am returning to CIIP: To meet more passionate Hopkins students and Baltimore residents who I can learn from and have the honor of working with