Our Team
Sonam (she, her, hers) // friends and family, cultural identity, mental health, stress management
Hi, my name is Sonam! I'm from Cary, NC and a junior studying Health Policy and Management and Neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill. When I am not in class or drinking coffee, I am probably watching a crime show on Netflix, on a natural trail, baking, or finding a new coffee/boba shop. I want to help peers have open, honest, and support space to talk about things on their mind. I am happy to support and listen to anything and everything including being a part of the Asian-American community, academic stress, navigating college, friends, and life during COVID-19. No matter how big or how small the situation may be, please feel to reach out!
Co-founder & Peer Responder |
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Our Team Bios
Sonam (she, her, hers) // friends and family, cultural identity, health & wellness, stress management, experiencing loss
Hi, my name is Sonam! I'm from Cary, NC and a senior studying Health Policy and Management and Neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill. When I am not in class or drinking coffee, I am probably watching a crime show on Netflix, on a natural trail, baking, or finding a new coffee/boba shop. I want to help peers have an open, honest, and supportive space to talk about things on their mind. I am happy to listen to anything and everything including being a part of the Indian-American community, navigating college, friends, and life during COVID-19. No matter how big or how small the situation may be, please feel to reach out!
Hi, my name is Sonam! I'm from Cary, NC and a senior studying Health Policy and Management and Neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill. When I am not in class or drinking coffee, I am probably watching a crime show on Netflix, on a natural trail, baking, or finding a new coffee/boba shop. I want to help peers have an open, honest, and supportive space to talk about things on their mind. I am happy to listen to anything and everything including being a part of the Indian-American community, navigating college, friends, and life during COVID-19. No matter how big or how small the situation may be, please feel to reach out!
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Sage (he, him, his) // anxiety, mental health, loneliness, transferring
Hi, my name is Sage! I am a senior Biology major at UNC Chapel Hill. I am from a small town in North Carolina with a population of about 1000 people. I transferred to UNC from a community college in my sophomore year, so I understand the struggles of transferring and being from a rural area. In my free time, I enjoy binging standup comedy specials on Netflix, spending time with friends, playing the ukulele, and watching any kind of UNC sports. I am happy to have conversations about mental health, anxiety, or any other topic that may be on your mind! Clare (she, her, hers) // mental health, relationships, anxiety, depression, disordered thoughts and behaviors
Hi, I’m Clare! I’m from Charlotte, NC, and I’m a junior at UNC majoring in psychology and business. When I’m not studying or hanging with friends, I love snuggling with my pets until they’re sick of me and doing work related to mental health! I was a peer facilitator for a support group on campus last semester, and I volunteer with an organization that is mobilizing to change institutional mental health problems. I am doing Peer2Peer because it is important to have people to talk to so that you’re not alone in your thoughts. No matter how big or small you feel your challenges are, they are valid, and I would love to talk through them with you. Please reach out! Michelle Kang (she, her, hers) // mental health, stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, relationships, self-identity
Hi everyone! My name is Michelle and I am currently a junior majoring in Psychology. As someone who has lived through anxiety and depression myself, I know all too well how lonely and difficult things can get. As a bisexual Korean-American raised under the loving care of a single mother, I also understand that everyone has their own unique identity that comes with its own unique experiences. I am a Covenant scholar, a research assistant for a psychiatry lab on campus, and a part of AASA and KASA. In my free time I like to practice guitar, draw & paint, take care of my houseplants, and spend time with friends and family. Whatever is on your mind, let's chat about it! I hope to create a safe space for you & give you support in whatever way I can. Olivia (she, her, hers) // anxiety, depression, managing stress, interpersonal relationships & conflicts, quarantine/isolation
Hey y’all! My name is Olivia and I am a junior Psychology major at UNC-Chapel Hill with a passion for traveling and adventure. I’ve lived in every mainland US time zone: California, Wisconsin, Colorado, & North Carolina, and I would love to live in Minneapolis, MN when I graduate. I love being in and around nature, especially when I get to take my dog or go camping. I’m happy to provide support for particular issues, as well as listen to whatever’s on your mind - mental health related or not! Zander (he, him, his) // mental health, anxiety, self-esteem, life transitions
Hi, my name is Zander! I am a second year graduate student studying chemistry at UNC. I was born in New Jersey, but spent most my time growing up in Boulder, Colorado. I attended a small liberal arts college in Minnesota for undergrad before moving to Massachusetts to get my Masters in chemistry. Most recently, I worked in the wine industry in Napa, CA before coming to UNC to work on a PhD. Having lived in four different places in the last five years, I have experience living through times of transitions and coping with uncertainty. In addition to my passions for chemistry and wine, I love to cook, watch Netflix (I’m a huge sucker for romcoms), UNC sports, and any excuse to spend time with other people. I am happy to have conversations about mental health, anxiety, life transitions, managing uncertainty, relationships, or anything else you may be thinking about! Sara (she, her, hers) // cultural identity, friends and family, interpersonal relationships, health, stress, anxiety, depression, first-generation
Hi there! My name is Sara and I am a senior from Orlando, FL studying Nutrition in Public Health and English at UNC Chapel Hill. My days are filled with reading (lots and lots reading), drinking coffee, exercising, and writing. As a peer, I am here to listen and talk through anything - no matter how big or how small! René (he/him/his) // mental health, loneliness/isolation, imposter syndrome, stress about low productivity, anxiety, self-esteem issues, international students, cultural clashes, LGBTQ, First Generation Grad Student
Hi everyone! I'm René and I’m second-year Sociology graduate student who loves classical music, karaoke, biking/hiking, and binging TV series. I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, where my parents still live. After high school I moved to Montreal, Quebec (Canada) for my undergrad, then worked there for 2 years before moving to Chapel Hill. As a long-time international student/immigrant, I have learned/am still learning to deal with feelings of isolation and loneliness, as well as to thrive in a completely new culture while affirming your roots and sense of identity. I have extensive training in active listening and peer support from volunteering at my undergrad’s Peer Support Centre, and I am also certified in Mental Health First Aid. I definitely see how priceless it sometimes is to be able to talk to a new “peer” you don’t personally know in a non-judgmental way. Especially now with social distancing, I’d love to lend a listening ear or even just be a sounding board for anything big or small. So feel free to reach out! Gargi (she/her/hers) // identity, relationships, wellness strategies, imposter syndrome, loneliness, transitions, anxiety
Hi, I'm Gargi! I'm a freshman studying computer science and biostatistics at UNC. I'm from Morrisville, NC, but have also lived in Michigan and in Pune, India. I enjoy long walks and hikes with friends, and (lots of) reading. As a new student at UNC during a pandemic, I've struggled at times to feel connected to my peers, and know that it's a complicated time to be a student. I hope to be a friend and resource as a Peer Responder, and I'm eager to talk through anything that's on your mind! Brooke // grief, the military, transferring, anxiety, depression, loneliness, life transitions, stress, relationships, and quarantine/isolation
Hello my name is Brooke and I am currently a sophomore transfer student and Psychology major at UNC. I am from the military town of Jacksonville, NC my father was killed in action as a Marine Corps V-22 osprey pilot when I was 8 months old. Being a Gold Star child has not been easy, but I took my grief and turned it into something great by attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, serving in the Army. Though my Army career was cut short due to a service related injury, the time I served was the time of my life. I transferred to UNC just last Fall during Covid, which has made it much harder to form personal relationships and make new friends on campus. When I graduate UNC, I hope to work in clinical psychology and help military families on base. I am open to discussing an assortment of mental health topics including: grief, anxiety, stress, life transitions, and anything else on your mind. As a fellow Tar Heel, we are here to lean on each other and to provide support to get through tough times together! David (he,him,his) // social & test anxiety, relationships, school, managing stress, mental health, depression, friends & family
Hello, I'm David! I'm from Concord, NC and a junior at UNC majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and history. Most of the time I'm either studying, cooking, or at the gym. With the free time I do have I also am a co-founder and exec board member of H4H carolina (a heart health student-led organization that does work in the area). In high school and the beginning of college there were many instances where my mental health had taken a toll in order to just keep up in school, and I have learned so much in the process that I wish I would have known then. I would love to share the knowledge and experience I have in order to help others deal with their struggles and come out better for it on the other side! I have personal and family experience with a vast range of things mental health and I really want to help share things in order to make it easier on anyone I can! Michelle Ikoma (she, her, hers) // mental health, imposter syndrome, shame & guilt, life transitions, circuitous routes, sensory processing sensitivity
Hi, my name is Michelle! You can also call me "Mich" (pronounced meesh). I am a fourth-year medical student and aspiring family medicine physician. I grew up in the Chicago area, then moved to Chapel Hill to attend UNC and compete for the Carolina gymnastics team as an undergrad. I changed my major 10+ times (with transcriptional evidence to prove it) before finally stumbling into a degree in Business Administration and second major in Exercise & Sport Science. After graduating, I worked for a digital marketing and sales company in Charlotte for 18 months before deciding that I was tired of feeling like a square peg in a round hole. Fast forward to now, and I can honestly say that pivoting career paths was the best decision I've ever made. When I'm not in the hospital, you can find me in Fetzer Gym C with the UNC Club Gymnastics Team or getting coffee with friends in Carrboro. I also am a huge fan of Netflix + pizza + Ben & Jerry's nights (<- Milk & Cookies FTW) or cooking dinner with friends when I'm feeling ambitious. While I love UNC and truly bleed Carolina blue, being a student here is anything but easy. Therefore, I think it is really important for people to know that they are not alone when things feel challenging, and I hope to create safe, supportive spaces for anyone who wants or needs a listening ear. |
