Meet the SI Mentors
Will Burris
Mentor
My name is Will Burris and I am majoring in Physics with a minor in Astronomy. I hope to one day receive my Ph.D. in Astronomy or Planetary Science and conduct research on exoplanets. I love being active and my favorite activities are rock climbing, weight lifting, running, and hiking. I am an Officer of the Climbing Club on campus. I love climbing outdoors and my favorite location to climb is Bishop, California. I am an avid cook and my favorite meal to make is fresh pasta with homemade tomato sauce. I love focusing on nutrition to get stronger and be healthier.
Hazem Chrabakh
Mentor
Hello there! My name is Hazem Chrabakh and I am a Psychology major on the pre-med track with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. I am from a city in the Bay Area called Fremont. I’m a third-year student at SDSU and this is my fourth semester involved in the SI Program. I am excited to be the mentor for the ECON 201/POLS 201/PSY 280 team for the first time this semester. I benefited from SI in multiple ways and enjoyed it so much, which is what I really hope SI continues to do for students this semester and beyond. When I’m not working on schoolwork or SI, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading about interesting topics, playing sports (specifically basketball, soccer, and football), and running. I hope we can all work together to make it a great semester!
Ali Faakhir
Mentor
My name is Ali Faakhir and I am the SI Mentor for PHYS/EE. I am originally from Karachi, Pakistan and I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University. I started SI in the Spring of 2020 after seeing how much it helped me do well in my classes, and since then I have gotten to learn more and more about SI every semester. In my free time, I like to workout, play video games, and play football. I am very excited to be part of SI now that we’re back to in-person learning, and I look forward to meeting all the students who come to SI.
Lauren Graeve
Mentor
Hi everyone, my name is Lauren Graeve and I’m so excited to be working with SI for my sixth semester, this time as a mentor! I was previously an SI Leader for CHEM 100 and 200 sessions and now I’ll be transitioning to the SLHS team—even though I’m a Kinesiology Pre-PT major. I’ll be a fourth-year student working on my pre-PA journey. Some of my hobbies include working out, cooking, painting, and taking care of my plant babies I got in quarantine! If you see me around campus or observing sessions, make sure to say hello :)
Neilsen Lu
Mentor
Howdy! I’m Neilsen Lu, a fourth-year Applied Mathematics major with plans to study Mathematics at the Graduate level. I served as an SI Leader for MATH 150 and MATH 151. Now I am back for my 4th semester as a STAT 119 Mentor. I went to SI consistently during my time as a student in my Math courses, and I hope the sessions will help you as much as they helped me. SI is a great way to reinforce course material in an interactive setting, so I definitely hope you take advantage of this amazing resource. Although you may not see me or hear from me a lot, I will be working closely with the SI Leaders throughout the semester. With all that being said, I hope you all have a fantastic semester!
Erica Noe
Mentor
Hi everyone! My name is Erica and I am the mentor for the CHEM 100 SI Team this semester. This is my fifth semester with the SI Program and my first semester as a mentor. I am a fourth-year pre-medical student and an interdisciplinary studies major with an emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. I hope to one day become a neurologist and travel with Doctors Without Borders. You will mostly see me in the back of SI Sessions observing and hiding behind my laptop! I hope everyone takes advantage of how amazing this program is and enjoys it as much as I do. I can’t wait for a great semester.
Zeb Shipherd
Mentor
My name is Zeb Shipherd and I am the math mentor for SI. I am a junior at SDSU and have really enjoyed my time here so far. I am a Statistics major, which is something I really enjoy. Originally I am from New York, so being in a warmer environment and being so close to beach has been amazing. I really enjoy sports and hanging out with my friends. Going skim boarding or surfing at the beach are also some of my favorite hobbies. SI has helped me a lot my last two years of school and can help you, too, so come early and often!
Abby Simpson
Mentor
Hello! My name is Abby Simpson and I am the CHEM 232 SI Mentor! This is my 5th semester with the SI Program and I was previously involved as both a CHEM 200 and CHEM 232 Leader. I am a fourth-year pre-med Biology major and one of my favorite topics is OCHEM! I went to SI all the time for my classes and it was incredibly helpful for me, so I hope you all can get as much out of it as I did. I cannot wait for this year and hope to see you at SI Sessions!