Peer Advising

GS Peer Advisors are students who wish to provide support and advice about the opportunities and challenges that they know from experience other students might encounter at Columbia. Peer advisors are available to discuss academics, campus resources, personal concerns, and the transition to GS at either in-person walk-in hours or by scheduling an appointment by email.

Contact

Undergraduate Peer Advisors 
[email protected]

Peter J. Awn Lounge Walk-In Hours 

Fall 2026 

Mondays 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 - 5 p.m.

Tuesdays 9 - 11 a.m. and 12:30 - 3 p.m.

Wednesdays 11:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. and 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Thursdays 12 - 3 p.m.

Fridays 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.

Peer Advisors

Mila Antkevych
Visual Arts / Art History
Mila Antkevych is an artist, writer, and researcher based in New York City. She is majoring in Visual Arts and Art History. She speaks four languages and works a language and art instructor. She received numerous fellowships, grants, and academic distinctions, including an extended internship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She continues to collaborate with internationally recognized galleries while contributing to the museum's Catalogue of Contemporary Artists project. Her artistic practice is rooted in large-scale research and interdisciplinary projects. Mila's multimedia murals and large collages were exhibited at Columbia University, Bergen Community College, and in private collections. As a keen observer and dedicated scholar, Mila applies analytical methods drawn from art history, linguistics, philosophy, music, and visual art. Her long-term research on hybrid identities explores complex systems formed at the intersection of these disciplines. Also, Mila is working on her new collection of culture critique essays about Columbia University. 

Kent Andrews
Cognitive Science / Psychology
Kent is a rising junior entering his third year at GS. Originally from New Jersey, ballet has always been an integral part of his life. Throughout middle and high school, he commuted daily into New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a professional dancer. After realizing that dream and performing with First State Ballet Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware, Kent felt called to immerse himself in academia. He returned home and enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he studied computer science before transferring to Columbia University. At Columbia, Kent is majoring in Cognitive Science with a concentration in Psychology. He also serves as Vice President of the GS Alliance, a space
for nontraditional LGBTQIA+ students and their allies. In addition, he works as a resident advisor at his former ballet school’s dormitory and loves pet sitting! His interests include exploring new parts of NYC, reading, cooking, and listening to music. Feel free to reach out to Kent about being a transfer student at GS, commuting to campus, or tips for making the most of your Columbia experience. He looks forward to serving the GS community as a peer advisor!

Jamil Jalalzadah
Sustainable Development / Business Management
Jamil is studying Sustainable Development with a Special Concentration in Business Management and is an entrepreneur working at the intersection of sustainability, tech, policy, and capital. His work focuses on climate adaptation, energy access, and market-based solutions, with a particular interest in how innovation and policy can accelerate renewable energy deployment, drive market growth, and create impact where it matters most. He is a former professional football/soccer player who still can’t resist a good game, a long run, or the illusion that his photography is more than just "good."

Grace Kaprielian
Neuroscience & Behavior
Grace is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior on the Dual BA with Trinity College Dublin. Alongside classes, she works in a lab at the Zuckerman Institute as well as playing the cello in the Bach society. Outside university, she enjoys cycling, on gravel if possible, and finding steals on the Facebook marketplace.

Elina Karimlou
Psychology
Elina is a psychology senior fascinated by how the human brain translates into the physical world. Her background is rooted in dance and fitness, which naturally fuels her curiosity about how our minds and bodies connect. Currently, she is exploring these concepts firsthand as part of a research lab at Teachers College, combining her passion for movement with academic research in human performance.

Charlotte Lai
Earth Science
Charlotte is a senior in the Dual BA with Trinity College Dublin, majoring in Earth Science with a minor in Sustainable Development. She is particularly interested in earth resources and critical minerals, as well as energy for development. On campus, you can find her volunteering with Columbia Youth Adventures, or at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory as a research assistant. Charlotte enjoys trying out new restaurants with friends, taking long walks in Riverside Park and going to all sorts of music events around the city. You can often find her rushing for Broadway tickets and enjoying concerts across the incredible venues in NYC!

Jasmine McElya-Watts
Cognitive Science
Jasmine McElya-Watts is a senior at Columbia University’s School of General Studies majoring in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Neuroscience. She is actively involved in the GS community, serving as President of First-Generation and Low-Income Students (FL@GS) and Vice President of Women Veterans of Columbia University. Outside of Columbia, Jasmine is a research assistant at Yale University’s Clinical Affective Neuroscience and Development Lab (CANDLab), where she also leads community outreach initiatives. As a first-generation and nontraditional student, Jasmine understands the unique experiences that can come with navigating Columbia while balancing responsibilities beyond the classroom. As a Peer Advisor, she hopes to help students feel supported, connected, and confident as they find their own path through GS.

Isabela Moreira
Cognitive Sciences
Isabela is an International Student from Brazil who grew up in Nicaragua since the age of 13. In her previous life, she was a professional ballet dancer with the National Ballet Company of Nicaragua and moved to the US to escape the political conflicts of her country and dance with the American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, NJ. Once retiring from dance, Isabela decided to explore the arts in Philadelphia and go to Rowan College at Burlington County to pursue an associate degree in Psychology. When she transferred to Columbia, she found the wonders of Cognitive Sciences and is also minoring in Visual Arts. Outside of campus, she likes to spend her time with her pets, painting in the park, and exploring new places and different cultures with her loved ones. Isabela is currently creating an International Students Club so that students from everywhere can have a space to feel joy and share their culture!
 

Brandon Ortiz
Computer Science
Brandon is a junior majoring in computer science at GS. He transferred to Columbia in the fall of 2025 from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. In addition to being a peer advisor, Brandon currently works as a journalist for his local newspaper in the Bronx. When he has free time, he enjoys writing, reading comics and staying active by running or playing basketball. Brandon also loves to eat, so If you ever want a recommendation for a new restaurant, some coffee or a sweet treat to try, he’s a good person to ask.

Jeremy Switzher
Anthropology / Art History / Archaeology
Jeremy is originally from Southwestern Colorado but he has traversed both the globe and the nation in other places he has called home. He is now a senior studying archaeology in realms of both anthropology and art history. Prior to matriculating at Columbia, Jeremy spent over 20 years as a tattooer and through that career was able to visit more than 60 countries. This travel instilled a necessity for understanding cultural difference and the cultivation for knowledge related to the distant past and how that may affect the ontologies of the present. In addition to peer advising, Jeremy is a part of the Gotham League of Archaeology Majors, the director of the Archaeology Open Lab and has participated in the Bancroft Research Scholars program studying human migration in Madagascar through archaeobotany. When not engaged in studies, Jeremy enjoys rock climbing, snow sports, motorcycles, board games and sci-fi media of various types. 

Joel Teron
Sociology
Joel Teron is a senior at Columbia University’s School of General Studies (GS), majoring in Sociology with a special concentration in Public Health. He is also beginning his Master of Public Health through Columbia’s 4+1 program at the Mailman School of Public Health. At GS, Joel serves as a Peer Advisor and has previously served as a GS Peer Mentor and as Campus Life Coordinator on the General Studies Student Council during the 2025–2026 academic year. During the summer of 2026, he spent a month studying abroad in Athens, Greece, through a Columbia-led program. Upon returning to New York, he worked as a Research Assistant at the Columbia School of Social Work on the Harlem Youth Project.Outside of Columbia, Joel works full time in harm reduction and public health, bringing his passion for community health and service into his professional work. He is also a five-time marathon finisher and a proud dog dad to his Siberian Husky, Henry.