Hello! My name is Varun Bahl and I am a second-year student majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology, with a minor in Toxicology. Coming from a small suburb, I have found my experience at Berkeley to be rather eye-opening (in more ways than one). The diversity of the student population, rigor of academics, and world-class opportunities have shaped me as a person and fostered a sense of intellectual curiosity. In these past two years I have been able to develop myself both as a student, tutor, researcher, powerlifter, and most importantly, as a humanitarian. Needless to say, Berkeley has been great – I look forward to what my final two years entail!

My reason for joining PEACE stems from my own academic experiences prior to attending UC Berkeley. In high school, I had a few not-so-good teachers who carried a “one-size-fits-all” approach to education. Although I had a basic grasp of the material and somehow passed the exam, my foundation was really weak – this became clear as I moved on to more advanced courses (and led to some painful experiences). As a tutor for PEACE, I personalize my approach to cater towards different learning styles. Ultimately, my goal is for my students to demonstrate mastery of the material and improve in academic performance and confidence!

Hi, my name is Catherine Choi and I am on the premed track pursuing a major in MCB with an emphasis in Immunology and a minor in Molecular Toxicology! While my studies are very heavily focused on the sciences, I do love the humanities as well – some of my favorite classes at Berkeley so far have been English R1A/B! 

One of the first things that jumped out at me when I stepped into my first class at Berkeley was the large number of students in lectures. I quickly realized how important it is to find tangible and accessible resources for support, which can be difficult when you find yourself in the midst of hundreds of other students. I joined PEACE to foster a collaborative community, one that strives to provide academic support and reassurance that by working together, everyone can succeed.

Outside of PEACE, I do research in the Stahl Lab and O’Connell Lab, help middle school students at Willard with writing as part of WriterCoach Connection, play squash, and am a huge foodie and coffee/boba lover!

Hey there! My name is Liv Lansinger and I am a third-year Integrative Biology major, on the premed track. While I was applying to college and choosing wear to go, I actually didn’t hear the stereotype of UC Berkeley being “cutthroat” or being overwhelmed in the “weeder classes.” I was in for a big surprise when I started my freshman year and started hearing these rumors.  I’m not going to lie, I struggled a lot in Chem 1A because I had never taken a day of chemistry in my life. In the subsequent semesters I’ve grown a lot as a student, redeemed myself after my first chemistry class, and really enjoyed my time here at Cal.
 
I joined PEACE as a tutor because I loved tutoring in high school and really I was particularly drawn to the commitment to fostering a culture of cooperation and helpfulness. I became tutoring director because I wanted to be more involved in the PEACE community and I also have a strange passion for organization.
 
Outside of PEACE, I’m a Campus Ambassador (aka tour guide), an undergraduate research assistant in the Passegué Lab at UCSF, and a mammal curatorial assistant in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.

Hi y’all! My name is Yvette Tran, and I am a second-year majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology.  When I first came to Cal, I honestly didn’t know what to expect and was certainly intimidated by all the rumors of the “weeder” courses ahead of me.  As I was already nervous enough about my classes and the competition during my first semester here, it certainly didn’t help that I witnessed sabotage attempts amongst my peers in my Chem 1AL lab section.  In turn, these hesitations and fears prevented me from utilizing the resources available to me and working with others when I started to struggle.  However, I realized that I was harming myself more by studying alone and instead focused on collaborating and studying with others.  For these reasons amongst other, the PEACE’s mission statement resonates strongly with me and makes me want to not only provide academic support to others but also to be a part of a supportive social community.

Hello everyone! My name is Jennifer To and I am majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB). When I went to my first chemistry class here at Cal, I immediately felt lost among the sea of people struggling to find a seat, and thought that this school may not be the right fit for me. However, I adjusted quickly to this new environment, and even find it interesting that some professors speak into a microphone for their lectures! While this school can feel pretty big at times, I have made many friends who always encourage me to do my best.

There are so many clubs here on campus, and I immediately knew that when I was bombarded with people handing me flyers to join their clubs. I decided to join PEACE because of its commitment to providing its members the support, guidance, and resources necessary to pursue their goals. Education is so important to growing intellectually as a person and helping to make a positive difference in society. With this in mind, I hope to foster a welcoming environment for students where they all want to cooperate and help each other succeed.

Hi! My name is Andrea and I am an intended Economics and Psychology double major. Being at UC Berkeley where it is easy to get lost in the sea of students, there’s a lot of competition that goes on between classmates. I haven’t experienced this competition myself, but many of my friends in science courses especially have encountered this. Being in such a stressful environment, it is much more beneficial for everyone to just help each other out and to be there for each other. I decided to join PEACE because I want to be a part of the effort to make a competitive environment into one of friendliness and support. It’s always more fun to be at school and doing work when you know you have people by your side.

Aside from PEACE, I have been involved in Crossroads Christian Fellowship, as well as Humans of Berkeley. I also like to cook and bake, and I enjoy listening to people play music (because I’m not all that musical myself)!

Hi all!

I am going to be a Freshman at Berkeley at the start of the 2015 Fall semester. Although I have not had any experience in PEACE itself, I have had plenty of opportunities to assist student run organizations within my high school overseas in China.

The primary reason that I joined PEACE was because I believe in it’s goals. I feel that PEACE’s objectives are very relatable to my own situation, as to me, Berkeley initially was a “sink or swim” type of learning environment. Little did I know, there were groups of students that were actually helping others that are in need of assistance in their learning. I was lucky enough to stumble upon PEACE through a Facebook post, and from there learned about its mission.

Because a large number of students may be deterred from applying or attending Cal due to perceived difficulty and/or other urban legends, I feel obligated to shed light on the situation. Thus, I have joined PEACE as the Liaison intern in hopes of spreading amiability, cooperation and education amongst other universities and high schools.

Hello! My name is Catherine and I’m an intended Statistics major. Before getting accepted to Berkeley, I hadn’t considered coming here (it was merely a check of the box on the UC application), mainly because it’s known to be an extremely competitive university.
However, visiting campus on Cal Day left an impression on me and I made my decision.
 
Expecting to feel overwhelmed by the huge student body, I was surprised to find so many resources here that provide academic support to students, PEACE being a huge one. The goal of this organization to create a positive atmosphere where people aren’t afraid to reach out for help furthers the idea that Berkeley is a place of diversity. People from various backgrounds, including academics, are able to find a home in this large university and I’m glad that I’m a part of a community of people who are working towards making that possible.