Psych Friends Peer Mentoring aims to increase the academic success & well-being of psychology students by connecting upper division psychology majors (mentors) with students newer to the major (mentees). Psych Friends is a great way to expand your knowledge on all that the field of psychology has to offer and to build a social network with others within the psychology community.
SIGN UP FOR A PEER MENTORING SESSION
Make an appointment with a peer mentor to learn about the psychology and behavioral neuroscience major requirements, careers and education paths in psychology, the graduate school application process, strategies to increase academic success, and/ or student self-care techniques.
Our mentors would love to get to know you. We have plenty of time slots available to best fit your needs. Appointments can be made through Navigate and students can choose between having an appointment in person on campus, or to meet online via Zoom.
To sign up for an appointment, visit GVSU's Navigate. Select “Schedule an appointment,” then select “Mentorship Programs and Support” and “Psych Friends Peer Mentorship Program.” Check out our pdf flyer.
EARN COURSE CREDIT BY SERVING AS A PEER MENTOR
PSY 493 and PSY 494 is a two-semester practicum experience that allows junior and senior psychology and behavioral neuroscience majors to offer their leadership skills and knowledge about the major to students newer to the major. Students learn key principles and processes related to mentorship and apply this knowledge through peer mentoring.
Mentors
Zach Spencer
Zach is a senior undergraduate majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business. Passionate about research and academia, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. His research interests include occupational health psychology (OHP), employee well-being, work motivation, workplace incivility, and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). Outside of academic work, he enjoys working on motorcycles, practicing photography, and relaxing at the beach.
Madilyn Wood
Madi is a junior with a major in Psychology and a minor in business. After undergrad she is hoping to attend grad school and become a therapist, as of now she is thinking related to family/marriage counseling. For fun, she likes to workout, go on long walks, shop, try new coffee shops, and hangout with friends. Fun fact, her roommate just got a mini bernedoodle puppy named Maple who she spends lots of time with! She is super excited to become a part of Psych friends because she also didn't know where to begin and Psych Friends helped her.
James Richardson
James is a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring Sociology/Environmental and Sustainability Studies. James plans to attend graduate school after Grand Valley to earn a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. He hopes to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. He loves to watch movies, hang out with his friends, listen to music, and travel. James is passionate about helping people and is excited to be a Psych Friend because it gives him an opportunity to help his peers and enhance their college experience!
Ambar Lopez
Ambar is a first generation student and is currently in her second year at GVSU. Her major is Psychology and she is double minoring in Spanish & Anthropology. Ambar plans to get a PhD after graduating and work within the hispanic community. As of right now Ambar has been working as a behavioral technician within the ABA field and is working to get her RBT certification. She has been in the field for the last 3 years and can answer any questions other students may have about working in clinics or in-home. When Ambar isn't working or at school, she spends a lot of time with her family and friends as well as enjoys some cozy games on the switch. She looks forward to helping others in any way she can!
Abby Kachel
Abby is a Senior who majors in psychology with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality. Abby is pursuing a graduate school program in social work to become a therapist in the future. She is interested in working with women's and LGBTQ centers. She was a part of the study abroad program led by the psychology department and recommends it to other students to gain a new experience. In her free time, she likes to build miniatures, listen to music, and discover new shows. Abby looks forward to connecting with and supporting other students at GVSU!
Katie Pratt
Katie Pratt is in her fourth and final year at Grand Valley State University. She is
interested in pursuing a career in child clinical psychology. Her dream is to be able to work with and support children in any capacity they will need. When she is not working or doing school work you can find Katie curled up with a good book, her cats, and a coffee! Fun fact: Katie has read over 40 books this year, so far! She looks forward to this next year of meeting with any person interested in the field of psychology & helping people figure out their dreams just like GVSU has helped her!
Adam Hinbern
Adam is entering his senior year at GVSU with a major in Psychology and a minor in Religious Studies. He will be applying to the GVSU School Psychology program along with applying to a few Psychology Doctoral programs across the state. He is married to Kate Armstrong and they have a 9 month old son named August. Most of his free time is spent entertaining his rather rambunctious son, enjoying movies, gardening, and listening to music. A fun fact about Adam is that he was a butcher that managed a meat market in Grand Haven for 12 years prior to returning to college at 30 years old.
Gretchen Stoub
Gretchen is a 3rd-year psychology student with a minor in early childhood education and is from Hudsonville, MI. She is planning on being a therapist and furthering her education to get a doctorate and become a professor! Gretchen loves to be around friends and family, bake and cook, play card games, and go for walks.
Ben Walunas
Ben is a Senior at Grand Valley, studying to be a Psychology major. After school, he doesn't know exactly what he is looking for in a career, but his top choices are Counselor or School Psychologist. In his free time, Ben enjoys playing board games and disc golfing. He's very excited to work with students and meet new people.
Tessa Kramer
Tessa is a senior at GVSU majoring in psychology with minors in philosophy and statistics. She's passionate about research, especially in the areas of health and positive psychology, and hopes to pursue a career where she can continue exploring these topics. Tessa currently assists with faculty-led research and also serves as a TA in the psychology department. This semester, she's excited to be joining the Psych Friends team! When she's not busy with school and research, Tessa loves getting creative through drawing and painting, or heading outdoors to hike, camp, and explore.
Addison Bloss
She is going for a BA in Psychology with a double-minor in Spanish and Juvenile Justice. Addison plans to work as a correctional psychologist working with minors in the correctional system. She has always been interested in psychology and being able to make a difference in other peoples' lives, a major reason why she is so excited to be a Psych Friend this year! In Addison's spare time, she likes to do people's nails, go to the gym, and take her dog on walks. A fun fact about Addison is that she traveled to Spain in 2023 with her high school choir!
Emily Meseroll
Emily is currently a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in Early Childhood Education and Juvenile Justice. She is currently unsure of what she wants to do, but plans to work with children in the future. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, antique shopping, painting, camping, baking, yoga, watching football, and hanging out with her friends. She has a passion for helping people and traveling.
Miranda Smith
Miranda is currently a senior studying psychology. She plans to attend graduate school next year to pursue a degree in clinical mental health counseling. This summer, she worked as a behavioral technician, gaining first-hand experience working with clients. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, reading, crocheting, working out, and slowly building her plant collection.
Check out our video to learn more about our awesome team and why they became Psych Friends Peer Mentors in their own words. Be sure to say hi when you see them around campus!
We would love to learn more about you. Please email us at [email protected] to share a little bit about yourself and what you hope to gain from this program!