Meet our Civic Mentors

Below are welcome messages and short bios from FYE's current team of Civic Mentors.

Hannah Raskin My name is Hannah Raskin and I am a senior studying Health Science, Gerontology. I am from Mission Viejo (Southern California) although my parents moved to Marin County (Northern California) when I graduated high school. I am currently the Executive Vice President of my sorority Apha Delta Pi, and I have taught group exercise classes at the WREC center. I have also been involved in CAVE, as both a staff member and student volunteer in the Senior Circle and Teacher Aide program. I love the outdoors and had the amazing opportunity to spend a summer in Ecuador working on an organic farm. I have taken part in a number of Adventure Outing trips, and encourage all students at Chico State to do so. I have been involved with the First-Year Experience office since my freshman year, and have learned so much from my work. I look forward to working with you, and encourage you to stop in the First-Year Experience office to say hello!
Samantha Cary My name is Samantha Cary and I am a senior at Chico State. I am majoring in Business Information Systems with an option in Accounting Information Systems and minoring in Project Management. I am an active member of the BIS Society, so if you want to become involved, meet representatives from lots of different companies and have fun with other peers, you should come and hang out with us on Thursday nights! I have two jobs on campus, one as a student assistant in the FIrst-Year Experience office, and the other as an ENGL 30 leader for the English Department. I hope to see you in the office or around campus!
Greta Streed My name is Greta Streed and I am a senior here at CSU, Chico. I am a Liberal Studies major with an emphasis in Bilingual and Cross-Cultural Diversity Education. I have been a part of FYE in various roles since I was a sophomore and love meting involved here. I have also been involved in CAVE with their Teacher Aide program and Animal Connection program and recommend both programs to anyone looking to get involved. I spend most of my free time involved with my sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, which I joined as a freshman and couldn't be happier.
Ian Roffe Hello there, I'm Ian Roffe and this is my fourth year here at Chico State. I am currently majoring in Studio Art with a minor in Applied Computer Graphics. I'm hoping to eventually do concept artwork for characters and environments for movies and video games when I graduate. I was born in Rancho Cordova, California, and lived there until moving to Chico. In my first three years, I feel like I really grew as a person, and my experiences in Chico were a big part of that. I really like bicycles of all kinds, and would like to get into bicycle touring and camping when I can afford to build up a new bicycle. Music is also one of the biggest passions in my life. I've been playing guitar and other instruments since I was about 5 years old. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all.
Yesenia Angel Hi my name is Yes Angel and I'm a junior majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in Psychology. I would like to be a criminal psychologist. Since my first year in Chico I've been involved with CAVE and the First-Year Experience program as a civic mentor. This past summer I was a part of the 2011 Summer Orientation team where I helped freshman become familiar with the University and sign up for classes. I'm always available if you need help figuring out classes or graduation requirements. Currently I am the president of the Chico State Women's Rugby team and spend a lot of my time practicing, traveling and playing rugby with my teammates. We have a good team so be sure to check out some of our games! Additionally I am an active member of the Rowdy Red Club, which is a club that goes to the various sporting events wearing the same shirt and cheers on Chico State's sports teams! I'm also active in our intramural sports programs so if you have any questions or want to join a team be sure to talk to me! In my spare time I like to ride my bike around town, go to the WREC center to work out and go to the Thursday night farmers market for some fresh tamales. Come say hi to me if you see me on campus, most likely I'll be wearing a hat!
Brooke Myrman My name is Brooke Myrman and this is my fourth year at Chico State. I grew up in San Diego and decided to move here for college to become an elementary school teacher since I love working with children. I am majoring in Liberal Studies and minoring in Child Development. Recently I have decided to add a minor in Business Administration since my job as a mentor has helped me realize I may want a career in business or event planning. One of the reasons I love Chico so much is because the environment enables you to interact with people from all different backgrounds. I love how the campus and community are so directly connected and I think it is just one way Chico is so unique! Although Chico is very different from San Diego, it has so much to offer and I could not be happier here. If you have any questions about what to do here just ask!
Lori Carpenter I am Lori Carpenter, currently a fourth year student majoring in Religious Studies at Chico State. I spent my childhood in a tiny town near Burney Falls, so I am truly a Northern California local and deeply appreciate the beauty that it holds. A big reason why I came to Chico was the natural beauty and the convenience of being nearby outdoor activities. I recently studied abroad for a semester in the wonderful country of Thailand, where I learned more about myself and of the world around me in four months than I did my entire life. Now being back in Chico I am enjoying all the things I have missed such as strolling through Bidwell on a Sunday morning, sipping tea at my favorite locally owned coffee house, and being involved on campus. I have been involved in the FYE program since my freshman year. My involvement with FYE and other campus organizations has changed my college years completely and has given me a sense of belonging and has introduced me to so many amazing people.
Malcolm Dixon My name is Malcolm James Lamar Dixon. I am pursuing a double major in Communication Design: Media Arts and Multi-Cultural & Gender Studies; my minor is Business Administration. I plan to use my education to become an on-air DJ for a radio station and a club DJ in the city I reside in. My hobbies include DJ-ing, rapping, hanging out with friends, and I would have to say going to school is my newfound hobby. There's just so many interesting classes in college and I just like going to school. It's so much better than high school, in my opinion. My daily activities usually consists of class, eating, going to the gym, and just being around friends.
Theresa Winans Hey, I'm Theresa Winans and this is my third year at Chico State. I started working for the First-Year Experience program my second semester of my freshman year. I'm hoping to study abroad next year to study Art History. FYE has definitely given me different opportunities on and off campus. I've met many students from other organizations on campus. Working for FYE has definitely helped me find my niche and has allowed me to learn a lot about myself and who I want to be. I'm from San Francisco. I am the youngest of four and am very close to my family. I love meeting new people, and learning about them. I'm always up for exploring and having fun. I love playing sports, especially soccer and baseball. There is no other season like baseball season!
Dante Garaventa My name is Dante Garaventa. I am from Red Bluff, California and I am entering my second year at Chico State, studying Mechatronic Engineering. I enjoy rugby, and am on the Chico State rugby team. When I'm not busy with rugby games and practices, I like biking and hiking in Upper Bidwell Park on the trails. I am also a volunteer for the Chico Park Clean-Up Program. I love baseball, and am a huge fan of the Giants. I am trying to teach myself how to play guitar, which has been really fun. The biggest reason I decided to become a civic mentor was because I like helping others, and I know the impact I can make on my community.
Adriana Rodriguez Hello! My name is Adriana Rodriguez and I am a sophomore majoring in Business Administration with an option in Accounting. I am from Visalia, CA and am the oldest of three sisters. I am currently involved in one of Chico State's oldest, surviving organizations: F.A.S.O. (Filipino American Student Organization) where diverse students come together to educate others about the Filipino culture. On my free time I enjoy having game nights with friends and, when I can, taking spontaneous trips to anywhere! I appreciate all the help and support I have received from FYE and hope to do the same for you!
Jennifer Castro My name is Jennifer Castro and I am from Escondido, Ca (a city in San Diego County). I am a sophomore majoring in Psychology and I recently decided to minor in Child Development. I plan to become a Child Psychiatrist because I want to help children have better childhoods, especially those who have grown up in unstable families. I have been involved with FYE since my second semester as a Freshman and am glad to continue to be a part of it. I spend most of my free time being involved in my sorority Alpha Chi, which I joined last semester and I couldn't be happier. I look forward to becoming more involved with other amazing organizations that Chico State has to offer to their students. This is one of the reasons why I love Chico and I could not ask for more. Feel free to stop by the FYE office to say hi or ask any questions. I will be more than glad to help with what I can.
Lucy Hodges Hi Everyone! My name is Lucy Hodges and I am Sophomore here at California State University of Chico, majoring in Liberal Studies and minoring in Child Development. I would like to one day become an elementary school teacher. I grew up in southern California in a little town called Culver City, home of Sony Studios. When I am at home, I work at my family’s restaurant called Tub’s Fine Chili which provided me with great work experience for my two jobs in Chico. I love working with kids and putting a smile on their faces! Chico State is the perfect fit for me because of the friendly people, beautiful environment, teaching program and it is the perfect distance from my hometown (not too close, yet not too far). I couldn't be happier living here in Chico, and I am excited for the many opportunities I have at my fingertips. I definitely want to do some studying abroad!
Chris Brand Hello, I am Chris Brand I am from Camarillo California (a smallish town in southern California known for Cal-State Channel Islands and its outlet mall). I am a fourth year student here double majoring in Philosophy and Anthropology. I am also working on the certificate in Applied Cultural Anthropology with a medical focus. What I enjoy about working as a civic mentor is that I get to work with awesome people (who I probably wouldn't have met otherwise) and I get to help make a positive impact on the campus. Much like the other civic mentors I am involved with many different campus organizations. The sheer variety of campus organizations I feel is one strength of our campus since there is something for everyone. Anyway I’m involved with the Chico Anthropological Society (which I am Vice president of), the Japanese Animation Club (where I am a literal card carrying member), the philosophy club (where I am just a member) and the Ballroom dance club (whose dances I regularly frequent).
Jesus Quintana My name is Jesus Quintana and I am a third year studying Computer Science and occasionally dabble in Applied Computer Graphics. I like computers primarily because I’m on them 20 hours a day so I thought why not make a career out of it. I enjoy all music from all cultures, for example, J-pop is one of my favorites. It’s been a dream of mine to someday go to Japan and envelop myself in the culture. I do Aikdo when I have time. I also have an activist side which is why I am a member of STOP! StopTrafficking Of Persons. STOP is a grassroots mobilization geared toward spreading awareness of human trafficking. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to helping out the community in any way I can.
Amalia Rodas Hello my name is Amalia Rodas and I am from Escondido, Ca which is in San Diego County. I am currently a Sophomore here at Chico State and I am majoring in Social Work. I chose to be a Social Work major because I enjoy working with people and helping out in any way I can. I first got involved with FYE my Freshman year when I took the University 101 class. I enjoyed volunteering at the Torres Shelter and that motivated me to become a civic mentor. I have been a part of the Filipino American Student Organization (FASO) since my Freshman year and I plan to stay in it until I graduate. I am also a member of the EOP Student Association and have volunteered with CAVE. I enjoy cooking and spending time with my friends. I am always willing to try something new.