Meet the Graduate and Professional Program CLASS Tutors

Alex Brown
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello! My name is Alex Brown, and I am a 4th-year Optometry student. When I'm not in clinic, I like to read, watch TV, and play volleyball. I look forward to helping you this year!

Alexia Thomas
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor

Hello! My name is Alexia and I am a third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student, originally from Washington State. When I'm not in school, I like to go on walks, go hiking, and find some new places in town to get some good food with friends! I'm excited to be a CLASS Tutor and help students feel supported throughout their academic journey through DPT school, sharing tips and tricks I've learned from my first year of school and from other tutors!

Amber Higashi
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Amber Higashi and I am a third-year DPT student. I am excited to provide students with different studying strategies and academic support as they transition into graduate level courses! Outside of school I enjoy watching movies, cooking, baking, and hiking.

Anh Thu Nguyen Photo CLASS Peer Tutor
Occupational Therapy Peer Tutor

Hello, my name is Anh Thu and I am a third year OTD student. My occupations outside of school include DIY projects, and spending time with loved ones. I am looking forward to helping my peers in their learning process and providing support in any way that I can. 

Anna Wisdom
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello, I am a 3rd year student in the optometry program and am originally from Washington State. Outside of school I love hiking, playing pickle ball, and baking sourdough! I'm excited to be a resource for students and help find strategies to help each individual succeed.

Austin Cooper CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (he/him)

Hey! My name is Austin and I am a second-year DPT student at Pacific University. I am excited to be a peer tutoring because I love seeing others really connect and understand the material and the opportunity to get to know more of my peers! Outside of classes I am an avid hiker, like to ice-skate, play guitar, and go on runs outside when it isn't raining.

Ava Knapp CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Ava, and I'm a second-year DPT originally from New York. I'm excited to be part of the tutoring team to help students find study strategies that work for them and provide the tools they need to navigate this new graduate-level course-load.  When I'm not in school, you can find me hiking, dancing, taking a barre class, or painting.

Cali Lescas Hernández CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (he/him)

Hey! My name is Cali, I'm a second-year DPT student, and am extremely excited to be a PEER tutor and support my colleagues in their academic journey. I am a native Portlander and love everything about the area! In my free time I like to watch movies, play sports, and try recipes that I have no business attempting. I am excited to be of assistance!

Carrissia Keeling
Occupational Therapy and Writing Peer Tutor (she/they)

Hello there! My name is Carrissia, and I am a third-year Occupational Therapy student. My favorite occupations are going on road-trips, learning about the natural world, and spending time with my senior dog. I look forward to empowering students to explore different study strategies and succeed academically.

Casey Minnick CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (he/him)

Hello! My name is Casey and I'm a second-year physical therapy student. I enjoy taking hikes, playing pickleball, and watching movies and TV shows. I'm excited to be a peer tutor because I enjoy teaching other and hopefully making the school year less stressful!

Colleen Culbertson CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello! I am a 3rd year Optometry student. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, reading in my hammock, and playing volleyball. I'm looking forward to helping students succeed and reach their goals in school.

Emily Bittman CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! I am a Canadian third year student at PUCO and I am looking forward to helping students succeed in their optometry classes. I love being outside as much as I can be and my hobbies include hiking and biking!

Fatema Colombowala CLASS Peer Tutor
Graduate Psychology Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Fatema and I'm a 2nd year Clinical Psychology PhD Student, originally from Maryland. I am excited to be a tutor to help students throughout their academic journey within the SGP program. Outside of school I enjoy hiking, reading, exploring new coffee shops, and anything true crime.

Fiona Chui CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor

Hi! My name is Fiona and I'm a Canadian student from BC. I love to travel and eat good food so feel free to share with me new places to explore and eat!

Gabi Stine CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry and Time Management Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi there! I am a third-year optometry student from Wisconsin. When I am not studying, I love hiking, camping, and traveling. One of my goals is to visit every US national park. I look forward to meeting with you and helping you succeed in your studies!

Gurdas Mann CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (he/him)

Hello! My name is Gurdas and I am a 3rd year Optometry student. Outside of school I love watching movies and playing sports. I am excited to help students find study habits that work for them so they can succeed in Optometry school!

Ian Cairns CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor

Hi, I'm a 4th year optometry student from Kamloops, BC. When not doing eye related things, I love to get outside and play soccer when there's some free time, or watch a movie if the weather isn't great. I look forward to helping out with some of the courses and providing different ways to reason through question or remember important facts.

Joey Borrelli
Optometry Peer Tutor

Hello! I am a 4th year optometry student originally from Canada. On my free time I love to play sports and get outdoors. I am excited to help out my fellow optometry classmates because it can be hard to juggle all the courses at once but I promise it is doable and I can provide you with some tips that helped me along the way!

Josefina Bucio Li
Pharmacy Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi everyone ! I am a third year pharmacy student here at Pacific University. I enjoy sharing knowledge and information with others. When I am not studying, I am probably playing volleyball, or watching a movie.

Kelsey Travis CLASS Peer Tutor
Graduate Psychology Peer Tutor (she/her)

I am a second year PsyD student in the adult emphasis. My clinical interests include trauma, anxiety, and substance use disorders. I hope to work with military/veteran populations in the future. I am from Ohio (Go Buckeyes), have an adorable Service Dog in training (SDiT) named Hades that you will always see by my side, and I love football. I'm so excited to spread some of my wisdom and support you on your academic journey! 

Kirsten Londeree CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Kirsten, I am a third year DPT student. Outside of school I enjoy swimming, spending time with my friends, and doing puzzles. I'm excited to be a tutor because I enjoy assisting students with finding their study strategies and helping them towards their end-goal of being a health professional.

Khanh Le CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor

Hello! My name is Khanh and I am a 2nd year Optometry student. Outside of school, I enjoy escape rooms, knitting, and sleeping. I look forward to seeing you guys around and hopefully helping you through this sleepless journey!

Laura Moyer
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello! My name is Laura and I am in my 4th year of the optometry program here at Pacific. I can't wait to help my peers understand topics I once was also new to learning, as well as learn new ways to think about topics from my peers! Let's tackle this grad school journey together!

Lia Tom CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (she/her)

I'm a 2nd year DPT student that likes to work out, read, cook/bake, and hike/go to the beach. I love the show Friends, I played softball all my life, and I'm a dog person! I'm excited to tutor because I want to help the upcoming class with their studies, and I like that I'll have the ability to communicate with the professors about their classes, the material, and the methods in which some of the material is taught!

Liz Belecky CLASS Peer Tutor
Physical Therapy Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello! My name is Liz and I am a second year DPT student. I moved here from Colorado and love to do anything outdoors! I also really enjoy traveling and serving the community. You can usually find me volunteering at Special Olympics or trying new trails with my friends! 

Michelle Paul CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Michelle and I’m a 3rd year optometry student from Canada who can’t wait to talk eyes with you all! In my free time I love exploring the PNW, finding great places to eat, and collecting fun stickers.

Nikki Betro CLASS Peer Tutor
Writing Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name's Nikki and I'm a student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD Program - Forensic Emphasis. I'm excited to help students in any way I can for various topics ranging from writing to psychology topics, as well as any additional concerns about school in general!

Rose Nguyen CLASS Peer Tutor
Dental Hygiene and Time Management Peer Tutor

Hello, I'm a second year Dental Hygiene student. I enjoy playing Valorant, eating, taking naps, and being on Tiktok! I am excited to help my peers because I enjoy finding new ways to explain concepts and help people understand difficult material. I find it very rewarding to be a part of that process. 

Samantha Feng CLAS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! My name is Sam and I'm a 3rd year optometry student from Vancouver, Canada. When I am not studying, I love to watch Netflix, try out new recipes and discover new cute dessert shops/cafes.

CLASS tutor
Physician Assistant and Time Management Peer Tutor (she/her)

I am a second year student in the Physician Assistant program here at Pacific University. My favorite things to do include traveling, rock climbing, mountain biking, and playing music. PA education is difficult but possible, and I am excited to help students learn the skills they need to be successful.

Pharmacy Peer Tutor (he/him)

Hello! I am a second-year pharmacy student at Pacific University. I have lived in Oregon my whole life and I enjoy hiking, biking, and watching movies. I hope to guide students along their journey and to break down pharmacy school into manageable concepts. 

Sukhman Braich CLASS Peer Tutor
Optometry Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hello! My name is Sukhman and I am a second year optometry student. In my spare time I love catching up with my friends and spending time outdoors. I look forward to helping all of our students overcome the challenges they may face in this new journey!

Taryn Lum Photo CLASS Peer Tutor
Audiology and Time Management Peer Tutor (she/her)

Hi! I’m a third year doctoral student at the School of Audiology and am excited to be a CLASS tutor! I know how challenging the first year of an accelerated graduate program can be and I look forward to helping guide you through it. Outside of school, I enjoy exploring the beautiful PNW, searching for the best espresso, and volunteering in animal rescue.