International Peer Mentoring Program
What is the International Peer Mentoring Program?
- The International Peer Mentoring Program (IPM) is an international mentoring community.
- This program matches new and transfer international undergraduate students with a trained student mentor based on shared interests, academics, professional aspirations, and background.
- The 2026-2027 International Peer Mentoring Program is hosted on the Mentor Collective platform.
Learn more about the students involved in International Peer Mentoring!
Meet the 2026-2027 Mentors
 Ana AssadLanguage: Haitian Creole, French, Spanish Major: Health Science Ana is an international student originally from the beautiful island of Haiti. She is a health science major and aspires to become a dentist. Ana enjoys reading, trying new foods, music (especially Konpa) and unwinding with a good series. She's outgoing, energetic, and genuinely loves connecting with new people, learning new things, and helping others feel comfortable. 
Somaya AswadiLanguage: Persian Major: Information Systems Somaya is passionate about music and loves spending her free time skateboarding, exploring new tunes, and discovering creative outlets. She enjoys meeting new people, sharing experiences, and learning from different perspectives. Fun fact: Somaya has a curiosity for random, interesting things and loves finding unique ways to spend her time. 
Hein Zarni AungLanguage: Burmese Major: CSE/AMS Zarni is an international student from Myanmar studying Computer Science and Applied Mathematics & Statistics. When he is not stuck in his dorm room doing CS projects, he loves playing electric guitar, chasing down Facebook Marketplace deals, running long distance, and rage-baiting. Fun fact: Zarni is almost always side-questing around campus.
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Eve ChangLanguage: Chinese Major: Biochemistry Eve is an international student from Taiwan who enjoys singing, cooking, traveling, and trying new foods. She is outgoing, a good listener, and really supportive, so she's always happy to chat or help out new students. A fun fact about Eve is that you can probably find her in the library every day, but she’s most likely scrolling on her phone. 
Minjun ChoLanguage: Korean Major: Communications Minjun is an international student from South Korea. He has been playing the flute for almost 10 years, and he loves traveling, exploring museums, and Broadway shows in New York City. Also, Minjun is a big fan of baseball. As a former mentee himself, Minjun looks forward to meeting and supporting his mentees in the coming academic year! 
Yagmur ErdalLanguage: Turkish Major: Psychology, minor in Biology Yagmur is an international student from Turkey who has two golden retrievers back home. She has many hobbies including reading, photography, any type of game (board, card, video games, rarely DnD), embroidery, punch needling, journaling, thrifting, baking and blind boxes. She also believes that TV shows are far superior to movies and is open to a discussion on it.
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Lanlin GaoLanguage: Chinese Major: Health Sciences Lanlin was born in China and moved to New York when she was 8, so she grew up in a culturally diverse community. In Lanlin's free time, she enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles, building Lego sets, and trying different foods with her friends. Fun facts about Lanlin are that she loves exploring new places and going on hikes, and she still doesn't have a driver license. 
Nandini GoswamiLanguage: Hindi, Gujarati, French Major: Applied Mathematics and Statistics/Mathematics Nandini has been learning the violin in the North Indian classical music style for about 11 years. She's interested in pursuing computational geometry. She's outgoing and has a strong willingness to learn and improve. She likes to Typerace, write calligraphy, watch Studio Ghibli movies, and recreate songs on GarageBand! 
Colin GrantLanguage: English Major: Computer Engineering Colin is passionate about food, especially when cooking and trying new foods. He enjoys exploring nature, doing rock climbing, backpacking, and scuba diving. Colin is also interested in thrifting, looking for specific records, and taking photos on his digicam. He hopes to travel the world. Colin’s go-to beverage is sparkling water with calamansi syrup.
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Mahim HasanLanguage: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu Major: Electrical Engineering Mahim is one of our returning mentors who is originally from Bangladesh. His hobbies include gaming, working out, combat sports, and cooking. He also has a good collection of cologne. He is always up for a nice conversation and hopes to meet many new people from different backgrounds and looks forward to meeting the newest batch of mentees! 
Lahee HongLanguage: Korean Major: Biochemistry Lahee is a new mentor originally from South Korea. She enjoys reading or watching anything with an interesting setting, listening to different styles of music, and finds playing sports with others a lot of fun. She especially enjoys meeting new people and learning about their languages, cultures, food, and history. She’s excited to meet the new mentees! 
Gyumin KimLanguage: Korean Major: Biomedical Engineering Gyumin is an international student from Korea. As a former mentee herself, she enjoys connecting with new people and building meaningful relationships. She loves cooking, listening to orchestral music and learning new languages. A fun fact about Gyumin is that she used to play the violin, piano, and guitar, and was a member of a youth orchestra.
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Mica LeeLanguage: Tagalog Major: Economics Mica is a sophomore studying Economics and a minor in Globalization Studies and International Relations. She enjoys staying active by going to the gym or running, exploring new places, and doing photography. She also loves learning and being around people from different countries and cultures, especially hearing them speak in different languages. 
Kriti PandeyLanguage: Hindi Major: English and Philosophy Kriti's hobbies are reading, drawing, and hiking. She also loves listening to music. Her favorite genres are pop, hip hop, and a little bit of rock. Fun fact about Kriti is that she once crashed her bicycle into a random person on the road. Kriti also loves animals. She has a dog herself. He is a German Shepherd and Doberman mix and is about 4 years old. 
Kate ParkLanguage: Korean, Chinese Major: Biology Kate is a returning mentor who is a senior in biology. She loves watching F1, going to baseball games, cafe hopping, and late night walks. A fun fact about Kate is that she has lived in three different countries, so she understands how hard it can be to adjust to a new environment, and she is always here if you need help or just someone to talk to!
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Bhavyaa PatelLanguage: Hindi, Gujartai Major: AOI in Computer Science Bhavyaa is an international student from Gujarat, India. She loves meeting new people and helping them in any possible way she can. She also enjoys exploring new places, trying new foods and watching movies/ shows and listening to music. As a former mentee with the program, Bhavyaa is looking forward to helping new students too! 
Tanushree PrabudossLanguage: Tamil, Hindi Major: Computer Science Tanushree is a sophomore international student from India who is majoring in Computer Science. She was a former mentee in the program and is now a mentor for this new year! Her hobbies are sketching, reading novels, and doing yoga. Fun fact, she enjoys going on random walks around the campus. Tanushree was also a volleyball player. 
Lucas RhodeLanguage: German Major: Electrical Engineering/ Physics Lucas is a returning mentor who is a Simons STEM Scholar majoring in Electrical Engineering and is passionate about quantum technology. He's especially interested in pursuing a PhD in quantum engineering in the future. Outside of academics, he enjoys running, reading, and watching movies. He is looking forward to a great year!
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Jin ZhangLanguage: Cantonese, Mandarin Major: Economics Jin grew up in Brooklyn, NY around diverse people from every corner of the world. He enjoys meeting new people with different perspectives and hanging out with friends. In his free time, Jin likes to play music, get involved in his community, and get in trouble with his friends. Some fun facts about Jin is that his favorite franchises are Plants vs Zombies and Pokémon. 
Sophia ZouLanguage: Mandarin Major: Sociology Sophia started with the IPM program as a mentee and is now a second-year International student majoring in Sociology and ready to mentor other students. She loves drawing, hiking, and being with people. She is sure your conversations will never be boring! Sophia looks forward to meeting the new mentees this year. |
Mentee Information
Who are the typical mentees?
- New international undergraduate freshmen students
- New international undergraduate transfer students
- Special populations that are new to SBU's campus, such as FLY, SUNY Korea, and SBIAHU students
What do mentors and mentees discuss?
- How will my major impact my professional options?
- How do I balance the demands of school, sleep, and socializing?
- How can I set myself up for academic, social, and career success?
- How do I make connections with peers and professional contacts?
- How do I find jobs and internships as an international student?
- How do I navigate the changes in expectations from my previous experiences to an American university?
How do I apply?
Applications for new Mentees are currently closed. New mentees are typically accepted during the beginning of Fall and Spring semesters.
If interested in participating, please fill out the IPM Mentee Interest Form. If capacity is available, you may be able to be matched with a mentor. You will be contacted if capacity is availble.
Mentor Information
Peer Mentors are campus leaders who are commited to supporting diversity, recognize the contributions
diversity brings to team work, and are dedicated to helping new international students
have a good university experience. Peer mentors play a critical role in assisting
new undergraduate international students transitioning into the U.S. education system
and Stony Brook University.
Become a Mentor
New This Year! International Peer Mentorship starts as an EXP+ Credit Internship, with a choice of 1 or 2 credit hours per semester.
After the successful completion of 1 academic year, Mentors may transition into a
paid position.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be enrolled as a full time undergraduate student and commit to the program for the entire 2026-2027 academic year
- Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8
- Must complete at least 2 semesters at Stony Brook University by Fall 2026
- Must have a working knowledge of the services offered on campus and where to refer students for various queries
- Must be available to attend Peer Mentor training and meetings
- Must abide by a confidentiality agreement, maintaining confidentiality and respect
for individual students' rights at all times
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong interpersonal skills, especially when communicating with people from different cultural background
- Strong desire to help new international students
- Self-motivation
General Expectations
- Paired with a number of mentees based on chosen credit hours, and must commit to the program for the full academic year
- Must attend required training sessions
- Prompt response to all office communications (e.g., emails and Google Calendar invitations)
- Active engagement in International Peer Mentor Program events, including but not limited to pre-orientation evening programs, evening social events during the semester, and social media engagements
- Available to communicate (phone, email, and/or in-person) with assigned new student mentees over summer and winter breaks, prior to their first semester, as well as throughout the remainder of the academic year.
- If a 2 credit intern, you will serve as a Mentor Program Event Committee Member. You would assist with preparation, face to face outreach, and facilitation of Peer Mentor Program Events.
- Complete all internship related work, including seminars and meetings.
Benefits of Being an International Peer Mentor Intern
- Earn EXP+ Credit with a flexible weekly schedule
- Experience and development of the following core learning objectives and skillsets:
- Cognitive Complexity: Critical thinking, reflective thinking, effective reasoning, and creativity
- Interpersonal Competence: Develop meaningful relationships, interdependence, collaboration, and effective leadership
- Practical Competence: Pursuing goals, communicating effectively, technical competence, managing personal affairs, demonstrating professionalism
- Intrapersonal Development
- Networking with University staff, mentors, and mentees
- Opportunity to transition to a paid position after 1 academic year of successful internship
Application Information
The 2026-2027 application to become an International Peer Mentor has now closed. Thank you for your interest! Please consider applying in Spring 2027 for the Fall 2027-Spring 2028 cycle.