Gabriel Bachinelo

Area of Study: Accounting
Hometown: Norwalk, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Leo Lachut, Asst. Director of First Year Programs & Learning Communities
Alumni Mentor: Sean O’Connell (’83, ‘92), General Electric

As an Accounting major, Gabriel aspires to be a public accountant and auditor. He has participated in the Future Diversity Leadership Program at KPMG, a 'Big 4' accounting firm. Gabe is a National Scholarship recipient for the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. On campus, he has been active in the Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center as a METAS mentor and participates in the KUBE program.

Alyssa Burgos

Area of Study: Business Management
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Christine Wilson, Asst. VP of Student Affairs, Director of Student Activities
Alumni Mentor: Nick Roy (’06), Somnio Financial Group, LLC

Alyssa, a Business Management major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Latino Studies, currently works as a Resident Assistant in the Alumni Quadrangle. She is one of the student coordinators for the METAS mentoring program in the Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center and is the Vice President and Recruitment Chair of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Alyssa hopes to use her Business degree to open her own small business in the future.

Maria Gabriela Castrellon

Area of Study: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Sona, Veraguas, Panama
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Fany Hannon, Director-Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center
Alumni Mentor: Rich Twilley (’96, ’04), McCormick, Paulding & Huber, LLC

An international student from Panama, Gaby is an Honors student majoring in Environmental Engineering. She has interned with the Panama Canal Authority - Dredging Division, and is currently conducting research on groundwater issues. As a Music minor, Gaby also plays the piano and sings in a women’s choir and Earthtones Vocal Ensemble. After graduation, Gaby hopes to pursue a Masters and PhD in Groundwater Hydrology and return to Panama to conduct research, teach and develop projects that will ensure the access to safe drinking water.

Veronica Fields

Area of Study: Human Development and Family Studies
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Chelsea Cichocki, Counselor for Student Support Services
Alumni Mentor: Jen Ryley-Welsh (’90), Mitchell College

Veronica is majoring in Human Development and Family Studies, and over the past semester completed an internship with UConn Connects in the Academic Achievement Center where she worked with six students on academic probation. She is active with Student Support Services where she serves as a committee member for the Academic Achiever's Award Ceremony and was a Resident Assistant for their summer program. She is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and a NASPA Undergraduate Fellow. After graduation, she plans to become a student affairs professional and eventually earn a PhD or EdD and become a Dean of Students.

Kamil Jablonowski

Area of Study: Horticulture
Hometown: Stratford, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Cameron Faustman, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, CAHNR
Alumni Mentor: Kelly Hennigan (’97), Voya Financial

As a Horticulture major, Kamil has worked for UConn Blooms where he has gained experience in the retail and business side of the horticulture industry. He is a lab assistant in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department’s Botany Research laboratory, and is a brother in Alpha Beta Epsilon, a biology fraternity. Kamil is a College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources ambassador and student employee in the First Year Programs office. In the future, Kamil hopes to open his own plant production operation.

Emily Kaufman

Area of Study: Human Rights/Cognitive Science
Hometown: Portsmouth, RI
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Glenn Mitoma, Director-Dodd Center Outreach & Policy
Alumni Mentor: Jeff Ment (’89), Rome McGuigan, P.C.

Emily is committed to furthering human rights. She participated in the Universitas 21 Human Rights Summer School in Sydney, Australia and studied abroad in South Africa with an internship at Treatment Action Campaign, an HIV/AIDS advocacy organization. She serves as a member of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Leadership Board. Additionally, Emily has been a UNESCO Student Ambassador, participated in Lawyers without Borders, and works as a student assistant at the Dodd Center. Beyond graduation, she hopes to earn a Masters Degree in Public Policy with a focus on International and Global Affairs.

Adam Kuegler

Area of Study: Political Science
Hometown: Watertown, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Vincent Moscardelli, Asst. Professor, Political Science
Alumni Mentor: Ben Kehl (’99), Northwest Mutual Wealth Financial

Adam is an Honors student majoring in Political Science who has worked on four political campaigns, most recently as a campaign manager for Eric Berthel for State Representative (CT). As a Holster Scholar, Adam conducted independent research on voter identification laws in Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. He serves as a Multicultural Diversity Senator and as the Chair of the External Affairs committee of the Undergraduate Student Government working to improve students' relationships with the local and state community. In the future, Adam hopes to remain active in politics and earn a graduate degree in either law or public administration.

Asiyah Khan

Area of Study: Molecular and Cell Biology/Communication
Hometown: Danbury, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Thomas Abbott, Asst. Professor-in-Residence, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Alumni Mentor: Jen Ryley-Welsh (’90), Mitchell College

Asiyah, a double major in Molecular and Cell Biology and Communications, has conducted research at the UConn Health Center and is the Resident Assistant and mentor in the Public Health Learning Community. She is involved with HuskyTHON, the Pakistani Community at UConn, Relay for Life, and with the Lodewick Visitor Center as a tour guide. Recently, Asiyah completed the Student Leadership Challenge Workshop Series. She aspires to be a dentist and work in public health advocacy focusing on oral health promotion and disease prevention.

Varun Khattar

Area of Study: Sociology, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
Hometown: South Windsor, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Angela Rola, Director of Asian American Cultural Center
Alumni Mentor: John Driscoll (’81), Webster Private Bank

Varun, a Sociology major, is passionate about social justice education, grassroots community organizing, and youth empowerment. He co-facilitates the Men’s Project at the Women’s Center, founded and leads the Civic Scholars Collective, and is an active member of the Pan Asian Council and Connecticut Students for a Dream. He has served as an emergency medical technician at Windham Hospital, a diversity intern at the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity and volunteer coordinator and medical interpreter for the UConn Migrant Worker Clinics, and a community consultant for Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala. After graduation, Varun hopes to pursue a Master’s in Education, Social Work, or Public Health.

Luke LaRosa

Area of Study: Geography/Urban and Community Studies
Hometown: Northfield, VT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Bill Simonsen, Professor- Department of Public Policy
Alumni Mentor: Steve Rogers (’73, ’78), Subway Development Corporation

As a Geography and Urban and Community Studies major, Luke currently serves as a Census and Geospatial Data Intern at the Connecticut State Data Center. Luke, a Holster Scholar, has furthered his interest in community planning and mapping by conducting research on rural school consolidation policy and planning, as well as a citizen-based research project that analyzes the process of place branding in Downtown North Hartford. He is a member of UConn’s Moot Court Competition Team and recently qualified for the national competition and earned a "Top Orator" honor.

Sarah Luft

Area of Study: Economics/Individualized major: Cultural Influence on Youth Development
Hometown: Westbrook, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Jennifer Lease Butts, Asst. Vice Provost for Enrichment Programs and Director of the Honors Program
Alumni Mentor: Annette Lombardi (’76), Department of Social Services

Sarah created an individualized major to reflect her interests in human development, cross-cultural exchange and education. She spent a semester abroad in South Africa working as an intern for the Independent Electoral Commission. On campus, Sarah acts a mentor through her involvement with Peer Allies Through Honors, as an Honors UNIV facilitator and as the president of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship. She continues her commitment to service and cultural awareness as the Assistant Trip Director on the Costa Rica Alternative Break. She hopes to work in management for a nonprofit that services youth, elderly, or the disadvantaged.

Francine Quintino

Area of Study: Political Science/Spanish
Hometown: Danbury, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Elsie Gonzalez, Asst. Director of Residential Education
Alumni Mentor: Cara Motowidlo (’06), YuMe

Francine, a Political Science and Spanish major, is committed to advocating for education equality and immigration reform for undocumented students as a member of Students Without Boarders and CT Students For a Dream. To further her interest in the Spanish language, she spent a semester studying abroad in Spain and now runs "The Spanish Hour" on campus which provides a space for students to come together to practice and speak. Francine serves as a METAS mentor, is a Resident Assistant and a member of BAILE (Bringing Awareness to Latino Ethnicities). She hopes to have a career in policy or law focusing on immigration and first generation American students.

Julian Rose

Area of Study: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Farmington, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Jessamy Hoffmann, Asst. Director and Academic Advisor, Honors Program
Alumni Mentor: Rich Twilley (’96, ’04), McCormick, Paulding & Huber, LLC

Julian is a Biomedical Engineering major with a passion for inspiring the next generation of STEM students. As a volunteer for STARBASE-Connecticut, a branch of the Department of Defense, Julian runs programs in elementary schools to engage students with STEM initiatives. He also works as a Teach for America Mobilization Campus Campaign Coordinator to spread awareness around educational inequality. As a Rowe Scholar, Julian has conducted research with UConn Health and he hopes to someday treat and cure neurodegenerative diseases and brain damage.

Jessica Stargardter

Area of Study: Elementary Education
Hometown: Windsor, CT
Faculty/Staff Mentor: Joseph Renzulli, Director of National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
Alumni Mentor: Brooke Zelesnick (‘98), UBS AG

As an Elementary Education major, Jessica has a passion for teaching that extends outside of the traditional classroom such as her participation as a Teaching Assistant in the First Year Experience Program and through her research with the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Additionally, Jessica uses her love of music to conduct violin lessons and was a member of the UConn Symphony Orchestra. After completing her Masters in Education, Jessica hopes to teach internationally and eventually earn a PhD in Education focusing on education policy and reform.