Human Development and Family Studies Current Peer Mentors

HDFS Concentration: Early Childhood Professions and Prevention & Intervention Sciences

Year in School: Senior

Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I chose CSU because it was important for me to stay in state, but also to be far enough away from home that I could grow in my independence.

What do you like best about it? I love being close to places to hike, spending time outdoors, and being close to a Target at the same time. I also love campus and the scenery as I walk to class.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I love the people and the programs in the major. It’s great to say you want to help others for a living and be around 10 people who feel the same way.

What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy hiking and being outside. I also love a good book and some tea or coffee 🙂

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I am most looking forward to building new relationships and sharing new and fun experiences!

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? I think I would tell incoming first-year students to first and foremost be kind and graceful to themselves. Mistakes go along with new experiences and hard work, so let them come and go as the little bumps they are.

HDFS Concentration: General Human Development & Family Studies Concentration

Year in School: Senior

Hometown: Golden, Colorado

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I chose CSU because of Key Communities, a first-year living-learning community that helped me find my major. I loved my mentor, and my classmates (some now my best friends) so I am so glad I went here.

What do you like best about it? Other than my friends, I really love all the opportunities. There are so many clubs, fun programs, and even so many professors who are willing to talk with you, and help you grow.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I enjoy learning about others. Because of my classes, I can understand others and myself so much more. Also, the course material is so interesting to me. I always learn something new that I can apply to my life. I feel like I never have a dull lecture. All the professors care so much too, which is another bonus. Overall, I feel so fortunate to have found this major.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to go on walks and spend time with my friends and family. I enjoy being outside with them hiking or swimming, and also spending time inside watching TV and movies. And I love to read.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I am looking forward to connecting with my mentee. I love getting to know others and creating shared experiences. I think it will also introduce me to new things and adventures once we figure out what we want to do together! Overall, I am excited for the memories, and growth!

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? Try out as much as you can that is of interest to you! Making memories and having fun while doing it is so great. Go to the student events too! They tend to be a lot of fun. Lastly, build your community. Make new friends, and find that support system.

HDFS Concentration: Pre-Health Professions and Prevention & Intervention Sciences

Year in School: Junior

Hometown: New Castle, Colorado

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I chose CSU because of the welcoming atmosphere and sense of belonging. It felt like a true home away from home, a place where I knew I could thrive academically and personally.

What do you like best about it? The support that CSU provides to students is so helpful when it comes to managing work, family, and other responsibilities on top of being a student. I am glad to have resources that I can easily seek to help me with my well-being.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I genuinely love everything about HDFS, from the field itself to the amazing faculty and fellow students that have positively impacted my experience within this major. I enjoy learning about people and how we develop across the lifespan. HDFS has only helped me grow my passion for making a difference in people’s lives.

What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time, I like hanging out with my friends, hiking, dancing, painting, and watching movies.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I am looking forward to making a positive impact on my mentee. I want to share experiences and advice that will hopefully help ease the transition to CSU. Also, building a connection and friendship with my mentee to give them a sense of support and belonging.

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? The best advice I can give is to try new things! Don’t hesitate to join a club, organization, or event on campus because you never know where those opportunities will take you. Also, don’t forget about self-care. It is important to be physically and mentally healthy to succeed academically.

HDFS Concentration: Prevention & Intervention Sciences

Year in School: Junior

Hometown: Westminster, Colorado

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I did several campus tours, and the people in Fort Collins and on campus were the nicest out of all of the places I visited. I also wanted a campus that was far enough from home but close enough to travel back in a day if I wanted to see my family.

What do you like best about it? The culture upheld by all departments has made CSU a place I am proud to be a student at. There are several opportunities to give back and get involved, which has been helpful in establishing a sense of community. I like that CSU has several programs and events to ensure everyone has something they can be a part of.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I find the science behind child development so fascinating. Taking classes on how to talk to children and theories of development are my favorite things about HDFS.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to drive, listen to music, and paint.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and providing and space for people to feel more comfortable getting involved earlier on in their college experience.

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? It’s normal to have to step out of your comfort zone, that’s how you grow.

HDFS Concentration: Early Childhood Professions Concentration, Prevention & Intervention Sciences Concentration

Year in School: Junior

Hometown: Louisville, Colorado

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I wanted to stay in state but go farther away than boulder, and when my sister went to CSU I fell in love with Fort Collins, so I decided to be a Ram!

What do you like best about it? I love Fort Collins and all the people up here. I also love all the trees. It’s so beautiful and green!

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I love HDFS just because it doesn’t make me really go into one box for my career. I can do many things with both of my concentration, which takes the pressure off of picking exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life.

What do you like to do in your free time? hang out with friends, go hiking, going on drives, traveling, camping

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I love being a mentor, and I know how much I could have used one my freshman year. 

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? I promise you will find a rhythm and get the hang of things.

HDFS Concentration: Pre-Health Professions Concentration

Year in School: Senior

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why did you choose to attend CSU? I wanted to experience moving out of state away from home and explore being on my own while creating new experiences and meeting new people along the way. Essentially, to find myself while creating my own path. Also, I love Colorado in general and the HDFS major was something new and different that interested me.

What do you like best about it? CSU is really great at providing students the chance to branch out and join different organizations/groups/programs in order to connect them with other students and professionals. I feel like there are always opportunities for us students to grow and build connections with others while building our own personal growth and social competence. It is what makes CSU an amazing community and welcoming to students.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies?I love how HDFS is so broad that it allows me to have the luxury of choosing different career interests. I can be very indecisive at times and choosing a career can be challenging and scary. So, I think it is great that I get the chance to be able to have multiple options. I also enjoy how interactive the professors are with the students and prioritize building a personal relationship with us. I think HDFS is a very supporting program.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to be alone and go thrifting or stop at a coffee shop to read/go on my computer. Or I like to be out with friends at events, concerts, or the outdoors.

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I am looking forward to connecting with the younger mentees, hanging out, and being able to be a supportive mentor and friend. I would like to be able to help the mentee feel more comfortable, confident, and at ease at college. I know how nerve-racking it can feel yet also want the chance to branch out to others. If I had a mentor during my freshman year, I think I would be more involved in the community and successful, so I want that for my mentee(s).

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? The best advice I could give is to get out of your comfort zone no matter how scary it can seem. Until you push yourself to do something new, you’ll get to try new things, meet new people, and build lasting memories and relationships. Trust me, it does get easier, and it is worth it.

HDFS Concentration: Leadership and Advocacy Concentration

Year in School: Senior

Hometown: Kailua, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi

Why did you choose to attend CSU? Coming from Hawaiʻi, I wanted to experience all four seasons and something very different but still have a sense of and a connection to nature.

What do you like best about it? I love the connections I’ve made with the outgoing and incredibly kind people on this campus! It felt so big when I first got here, but now I run in to people I know every day, and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable and like I have a community of my own here now.

What do you enjoy most about studying Human Development and Family Studies? I enjoy having like-minded people in my classes and professors that truly care about the physical, mental, and overall wellbeing of their students.

What do you like to do in your free time? DANCE!

What are you looking forward to most about being a Peer Mentor? I’m looking forward to making connections with my peers both fellow mentors as well as the various mentees as well! I know what it’s like to be very far from home and for everything to be new and different and confusing so I’m excited to be able to share my experience and help out another student that may be facing the same challenges I did my first year at CSU.

What advice would you give to an incoming first-year student? I would say to try out everything even if it seems scary. Your first year is a time to explore and figure out what you like and what kind of community you want to be part of. It will likely change a lot throughout your first year, but you’ll eventually find your people and find a space that feels like it’s truly where you belong. That’s what’s so amazing about a big school like CSU is that there is a space for everyone here 🙂