Meet the Midyear Mentors

Haley Baron

Haley is from Centennial, Colorado and loves visiting the mountains. She is a member of the Midyear Class of 2011 and loves learning about everything. Of course this means she has no idea what she wants to major in but luckily Brandeis has enough courses to satisfy her curiosity. The semester before coming to Brandeis, Haley worked at a fitness gym and attended classes a local community college. Other than being a Midyear Mentor, Haley splits her day up with her mornings devoted to practicing with the Brandies Crew Team, her afternoons with friends, and her evenings attempting to write something funny and somewhat acceptible for The Blowfish (one of Brandies' satirical newspapers). Haley loves to goof off with friends and family but also does enjoy settling down to read a good book. She can't wait for the school year to start and especially to meet all the new students. Her time at Brandeis has been some of the most fun she's ever had and can't wait to share that fun with everyone else.

Sara Brandenburg

Sara Brandenburg, from the Nation's Capitol, Washington, DC, is a member of the midyear Class of 2009. Sara will graduate in May 2009 with the rest of her class. Sara is majoring in HSSP (Health: Science, Society, and Policy) with a double minor in Business and Legal Studies. In her semester before coming to Brandeis, Sara worked at a Photography office and also took classes at Georgetown University. Sara is a Senior Photographer for the Justice, the Brandeis Student newspaper, after having completed her term as their Photography Editor. Sara also works for Einstein Bros in the Shapiro Campus Center and enjoys waking up with the sun to row on the Charles River with the Brandeis Crew Team. Sara currently serves as the Brandeis Crew Team President. Sara regularly attends Hillel for services and dinner. Over her 3 years at Brandeis, Sara has been involved in Fall Fest, and many other clubs- just ask for more details. For fun, Sara enjoys running, swimming, photography, spending time with her friends, and listening to a good story. Sara looks forward to meeting all of you and wants to remind you that the wait is definitely worth it!

Yesenia Crespo

Yesenia Crespo is a rising senior originally from New York City, double majoring in Sociology and Women and Gender Studies with a minor in Business. After graduation, she plans on entering a career in the event planning industry as she loves to plan events and make others happy. Yesenia is involved as the Senior Coordinator for Jr/Sr Formal, Programming Supervisor for Shapiro Campus Center, and Student Support Services Mentor for first year students. She is the Commuter Student Coordinator and Co-Coordinator of Social Programs.

Elysha Greenberg

Elysha is a Psychology major and Spanish minor from Windham, NH. She is a member of the Midyear Class of 2011 and worked four jobs in her semester off. These jobs included working at Ritz Camera, Babysitting, Tutoring, and Imputing Data for a Start-up Company. She is involved in many clubs at Brandeis, including the Brandeis Ice Skating Club, Photography Club, Ballroom Dance Club, and Swing Dance Club. Elysha is excited to meet everyone and share her enthusiasm for Brandeis with the incoming Midyears!

Julie Judson

Julie, a native of Dallas, TX, is a proud member of the Midyear Class of 2011. While she is still undecided about her major, Julie is very interested in International and Global Studies and Peace and Conflict Resolution. Before coming to Brandeis in January of last year, Julie spent a semester in Florence, Italy, taking lots of art history classes, exploring the city of Florence, and traveling throughout Europe on the weekends. During her first semester at Brandeis, she was a representative on her freshman Quad Council for the Midyears, and as the upcoming year approaches she looks forward to getting involved in dance/theater and all of the other great clubs at school. Julie loves dancing, writing, spending time with friends and family, yelling at the television when she doesn't like what happens on Grey's Anatomy, traveling, and hanging out at bookstores. She can't wait to meet all of "y'all," is here if you have any questions, concerns, or need someone to talk to, and hopes you will love being a Midyear as much as she does!

Lexi Kriss

Lexi Kriss, an energetic 2011 midyear, comes from the nearby state of Rhode Island. First semester she ran her mom?s store in Providence, tutored in writing, babysat, learned how to knit, and took a continuing education class at Brown University. Lexi is currently working on creating her own International Health Policy major to combine her interests in foreign policy, biology, and language; she hopes to someday work for the United Nations. In addition to constantly sporting her 2011 midyear t-shirt, Lexi is enamored with her a capella group, Voices of Soul, which she beatboxes for (please come to a concert!), college basketball, and decaf lattes. Lexi wants to get involved with WBRS and debate next fall as well as getting to know all of the future midyears! She loves to meet new people and hopes that if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to get in touch with a smiling face that you never hesitate to contact her over the summer or come say hello on campus once you arrive!

Melissa London

Melissa London is from the Bronx, New York and is a member of the Midyear Class of 2011.  She plans to double major in HSSP: Health, Science, Society and Policy, and Psychology as well as minor in Business.  In her fall semester before Brandeis she worked full time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Her days off were spent enjoying life in the city and spending time with her friends.  During her first semester  Melissa worked at the bookstore on campus as well as in the offices of the Lemberg Children's Center.  She was also a member of the Adagio Dance Company and performed at the Spring Show.  Next semester she will be a proud member of SSIS: Student Sexual Information Services and hopes to become involved in more activities on campus.  She loves to dance, read, work out and hang out and is very excited to meet all of the new Midyears!

Suzy Lopatin

Suzy, a proud Brandeisian of the Midyear Class of 2011, comes originally from the quiet suburbs just outside of Philly, PA. She is currently undecided, but extremely interested in the American Studies, English, and Anthropology departments at Brandeis. In her gap semester before Brandeis, Suzy worked as an intern for City Year Philadelphia, an Americorps affiliated organization created to mentor students in inner-city schools, implement large-scale community service projects, and change the ways that people relate to one another. At Brandeis--apart from filling the role of Midyear Mentor--Suzy also serves as an admissions volunteer, a member of Brandeis' So Unique Step Team, and plans to dabble in other random activities during her time at Brandeis. Others interests include writing, dance, and eating chocolate. She can't wait to meet the new midyear class because she knows they will come to love Brandeis as much as she does!

Morgan Manley

Morgan is from Manhattan, New York and is a member of the Midyear Class of 2011. She is majoring in International and Global Studies and Art History and is minoring in Legal Studies. In the semester before coming to Brandeis, Morgan worked part-time as a waitress in a cafe while taking three classes at Hunter College. Outside of being a Midyear Mentor, Morgan is on the Equestrian Team and Volunteers in the Admissions Department. For fun, Morgan plays the piano and loves to cook. She also works every summer teaching all levels of riding, which includes a program for handicapped riders, as well as training horses for future owners. She can't wait to meet everyone and hopes that they enjoy their fall semester.

Ryan McElhaney

Ryan is a rising junior studying Philosophy, English Literature and Queer Theory. He is greatly interested in Orientation, not just of people but also of mind and spirit. He is currently the Managing Director of The Free Play Theatre Cooperative and thinks that if he were a pancake in a short stack; it would be the bottom one. If Ryan wanted you to read a quote, it would be this one "Service is the rent that we pay for living in this world."

Yael Rooks-Rapport

Yael Rooks-Rapport is a senior from Louisville, KY- just like Justice Brandeis! She is a member of the Midyear Class of 2009, and a double major in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Art History. During her Midyear semester, Yael lived in Israel as a member of the Carmel Program. She studied at the University of Haifa, the Leo Baeck Progressive Yeshiva, traveled around the country, and worked at a Christian-Arab dayschool teaching kids how to play football (among other things). As well as being a Midyear Mentor for the past 2 years, Yael is also a Summer Orientation Leader. When it isn't Orientation season, Yael works as a Gallery Guide and Education Intern at the Rose Art Museum, serves as the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Undergraduate Department Representative, and acts as the Events Coordinator for the Vagina Monologues. On the off-chance she isn't busy doing any of the above, Yael loves to read, bake cookies, explore Boston, and not write her thesis. Yael adores Brandeis, and hopes everyone else will too!

Ashley Sauerhof

Ashley (and her thick Long Island accent) hails from Woodmere, NY. A member of the Midyear Class of 2009, Ashley is a History major with a triple minor in Women and Gender Studies, Legal Studies and Theater. During her Midyear semester, she took classes at a local community college and was a part of a children's musical, where she played a squirrel. As a member of the Brandeis community, Ashley is heavily involved in a number of activities such as Orientation, working with Admissions (Senior Interviewer Position!), Prevent Child Abuse America, Committee On Rape Education, Waltham Group Kids Club, the Brandeis Theater Company, being secretary of Tympanium Euphorium and directing The Vagina Monologues! When Ashley grasps a rare moment to breathe, she enjoys quoting lyrics in her away message and eating sushi. She just got a new car named Emaline, after the Ben Folds song. She rarely knows when to end a bio.... CANT WAIT TO MEET ALL YOU FABULOUS MIDYEARS IN JANUARY!

Cassie Seinuk

Cassie hails from North Woodmere, NY, and is a proud member of the Midyear Class 2009, majoring in Theatre Arts (Stage Management) and Creative Writing (Fiction). During her first semester she took a few classes for credit at CUNY Queens College, and worked part time teaching gymnastics. At Brandeis, Cassie is on the board of directors for the Free Play Theatre Co-op, the Productions Associate for Brandeis Ensemble Theatre (BET), Co-coordinator of the 24 Hour Musical, a member of PERC (Peers Educating about Responsible Choices club), and has participated on the Brandeis Fencing Team. When Cassie is not in rehearsal she enjoys painting and having adventures with friends. She is so excited to welcome in another class of Midyears, and hopes they will have a wonderful Brandeis experience like hers.

Maya Siegel

Maya, from San Diego, CA is a member of the Class of 2010. She is majoring in psychology and possibly minoring in something else, but is quite indecisive. Besides being a Midyear Mentor Maya is a founding member of the improv group Crowd Control, a founding member and co-president of the Fashion Design Club, she has also been an August Orientation Leader, she is also a current member of BEMCo and the group F.R.E.S.H. Water. Maya works in the Aging and Memory Lab, and is a member of the club Lacrosse Team. Maya enjoys long walks on the beach and picnics. She also is quite fond of sewing, laughing and silliness. She is looking forward to meeting everyone and welcoming them to Brandeis, and hopes they enjoy it here as much as she does.

Sophie Silverstein

Sophie, from Burlingame, CA, is a member of the Midyear Class of 2011. Currently, her major is undeclared but she is thinking about Sociology, Philosophy, or International Global Studies with a minor in Spanish. The semester before Sophie started at Brandeis she spent two months in New Zealand volunteering with the Global Volunteer Network (Stop Child Poverty), taking side trips to New Zealand's south island and Australia, and working at Gap after she returned home. At Brandeis, Sophie volunteers at the Stanley School through Waltham Reads, she does photography for The Hoot (one of the three Brandeis newspapers), and she is involved in the clubs Democracy for America and Student Peace Alliance. In Sophie's free time she tries to travel, see new places and things, and spend time with friends. She can't wait to meet the new midyear class and hopes everyone finds as much opportunity at Brandeis as she did!

Allison Simon

Allison is from Westfield, NJ and is a proud member of the Midyear Class of 2011. She is majoring in International and Global Studies with a second major still undecided. During her semester off, Allison took classes at Drew University in NJ and worked part time at her local JCC Nursery School in a class of 3-year olds. Once arriving on campus, Allison began writing for the school newspaper, The Hoot. She is excited to get back on campus and start volunteering with the Waltham Group and participating in other various club events. During her free time, Allison is an avid bookworm, but can also be found belting out horribly wonderful 90s pop music in the privacy of her dorm room. She is incredibly excited to meet the Midyears of 2012 and hopes that they will share in her love of Brandeis!

Kasey Wooten

Kasey is from Adams, MA, which is in Western Mass in the Berkshires. A proud member of the Midyear class of 2011, she plans on majoring in a social science field, maybe sociology, anthropology, or psychology. She spent her first semester working at a grocery store, teaching dance classes, and taking two classes at a local state college. Kasey is also a member of the Brandeis African Dance Club, she is an August Orientation Leader, and she works as a research assistant in the psychology lifespan lab on campus. Outside of Brandeis activities and festivities, she enjoys dance, yoga, going to concerts, indie music, and adventuring. She can't wait to introduce the midyears to life at Brandeis and is ecstatic to get to know everybody! :)