Our current peers would love to share their advising experience with you all! 

Emily Jajeh:

When I came to UC Davis as a freshman, I was welcomed with open arms into the GDB program by the advising team. Over the next couple years, I took advantage of the advising team’s services and met with the major advisor and peer advisors multiple times. These meetings helped me gain a more thorough understanding of the practicum, restricted electives, major requirements, and how to create a balanced schedule. I also was introduced to the SDC’s services through my meetings with the GDB advisors, which has been instrumental in my success as an undergrad. When I saw the recruitment post for new GDB peer advisors two years ago, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. I was inspired by the positive encounters I’d had with the advising team as a GDB student, and I wanted to help other students feel comfortable with and welcomed into the major just as the previous peer advisors had done for me. When I joined the GDB advising team as a peer advisor, I realized how much more the peers are responsible for beyond meeting with students. Every post you see on our Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and website is created by peers. We design each Disease of the Week, Guess the Disease, Practicum Pod, Advisor Chronicle Blog, Student of the Month, and Professor and Alumni Spotlights that you see on our website and social medias. The peers also design the content for and host many of the events some of you may have attended, like our Restricted Elective workshops, information sessions, and community events. As peer advisors, when we’re not meeting with students, we’re spending time doing projects that help GDB students learn more about the major, find opportunities to get involved in research, and connect with other GDB students. Out of all of these projects, some of my favorites are Practicum Pods, Guess the Disease, and the Advisor Chronicles. I always enjoy interviewing students for our podcast and learning what they’re passionate about; every student’s project is unique to their interests, and I always learn something new during each podcast. I think the podcast is an excellent way for students to learn about what the process for doing the practicum looks like, and help them learn more about topics they’re interested in. I think the Guess the Disease can also be a way for students to explore their interests. When I create a Guess the Disease, I like to find zoonotic or vector-borne diseases so that students can use every part of the GTD scenario like location, environment, daily activities, etc as hints to lead them to the right answer. For me personally, I find that these GTDs help me learn more about diseases I may not have known much about before, and learn what kinds of diseases disproportionately affect different populations around the world. Lastly, I find the Advisor Chronicles to be helpful for students to connect more with the peer advisors, learn more about resources to help them be successful students, learn more about One Health, and explore different ideas for potential practicum project topics. Overall, being a peer advisor has been an incredibly enriching experience. It has given me valuable experience working with a team, managing projects, and practicing important time-management and organizational skills. Meeting with students is one of my favorite parts of this job, and being a peer advisor has allowed me to connect with students and help them achieve their goals. I will miss being a part of this team after I graduate this spring, but I will continue to use the skills I’ve learned in this position in my future professional and academic career.

Megan Terry:

When I saw the job posting to be a GDB Peer Advisor last year, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. I had always felt very welcomed by the advising team and was very excited about the chance to join them. In this role, you really get to work hands-on with everything that happens behind the scenes. If you enjoy offering support to and connecting with your peers, this position would be a great match for you.

However, peer advising is not just about meeting with students. It encompasses much more. In this position, we create graphics, host events, run a podcast series, publish a weekly newsletter, and contribute to many other initiatives. Throughout my time in this role, I have significantly improved my organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills. These are skills that will help me in any further career and research endeavors. I’m very grateful to have this experience and look forward to my time to come as a peer advisor. We're excited to welcome new members to our team soon!

Aydin Linzey:

My time as a GDB Peer Advisor has been an incredibly enriching and positive experience that I will always cherish. I was initially drawn to the promise of helping other students when applying to this position, but I was unaware of the plethora of opportunities for professional development embedded in the work. Since joining this amazing team, I’ve developed critical thinking, time management and presentation skills.

However, my favorite part of my position is meeting with students to help them. Empathizing with students’ concerns or listening to their questions and working together towards a solution has brought me so much joy. Finding a solution and seeing the relief of the students’ is absolutely priceless.

I also love working with a dedicated, organized, compassionate and welcoming team that lives for helping others. I have never felt out of place or unsupported, and I’m confident that I will receive the encouragement and support to ensure my success during every shift.

Overall, I feel lucky to have had this opportunity and look forward to the rest of this year as a Peer Advisor for such an amazing community and major.