Summer Colleges Staff

Hi everyone, looking forward to meeting you! I’m Kristina (she/her), a rising sophomore in Pauli Murray College majoring in Economics. My family is originally Bulgarian, but I grew up between Hong Kong and London and am so grateful to now call New Haven home. This summer, I’m excited to get to know you all, take classes at YSS, visit the YUAG, and hike up East Rock. Wishing everyone a wonderful time at Yale!

Hey party people, I’m Kara (she/her)! I graduated in 2023 (Pauli Murray) with degrees in MCDB on the neurobiology track and E&EB on the organismal biology track. I've had the pleasure of calling New Haven and Yale my home for my whole life, and this will be my fourth and final summer as an RD, as I'll be starting my Master's in the UK in the fall. Master of the side quest, during the year I work for a neurodegenerative disease lab at the Med School, the undergraduate theater department, and YSS to help prepare things for the summer. Hit me up if you wanna know anything about the area, talk all things procedurals (trust me, I've seen them all), hear me drone on endlessly about theater lighting, or discuss various subgenres of rock and metal music!

Hi! My name is Elianna (Ellie) Asare. I'm a rising senior in Silliman majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. In my free time, you can find me nose deep in a romance book or feeding my Whale Tea addiction. I can't wait to meet y'all this summer!

Hello everyone!! My name is Coby (he/him), and I’m a rising senior at Yale. I’m a Computer Science & Psychology major and will be conducting research during summer session. I’ll also be the Buttery Manager for YSS, so come find me if you have any new items you want to add to the menu. I can’t wait to meet you all this summer!

Hi!! My name is Kellina Brennan, and I graduated this past spring! Prior to that, I was an Anthropology major in Pauli Murray College. During my time at Yale, I worked as a conservation intern at the Yale Peabody Museum and for Student Accessibility Services. When I’m not working, I enjoy crocheting, watching TV, reading fantasy books, and making art with my friends. During the school year, I was also involved with different Yale Drama productions, Yale Dungeons & Dragons Club, and a number of Yale creative writing organizations. I look forward to meeting you all!! :)

Hey everyone! My name is Jack (he/him) and I am a rising junior in Pauli Murray College from Castile, New York. I am studying Computer Science and Economics with a certificate in Spanish. I'm super excited to be a summer counselor this year! In my free time, you can find me swimming, hanging out with friends, or playing pickleball!

Hi everyone! My name is Ines and I’m a rising senior from London majoring in Neuroscience with a Latin certificate. This summer I’ll be doing neurodevelopment research at the School of Medicine. Away from the lab, I love making music with friends (I play the violin), exploring art galleries, and am currently trying to navigate my way back onto the tennis court. Looking forward to a wonderful summer with you all!

Hey there! I'm Eric Claassen and I'm a rising senior in Morse College. Before college, I lived my life in Washington state. Academically, I study Russian, but in my free time, I dabble with classical guitar. For recreation, I also enjoy moving things around in the gym and hitting balls around a pool table (please challenge me to a game). This summer, I will probably find myself drawn to the sweet evening air of a residential college courtyard. Hope to see you out there!

Hi everyone! My name is Sophia, and I’m from Boise, Idaho. I’m a rising sophomore in Jonathan Edwards College, majoring in Chemistry with a certificate in Education Studies. This summer, I’ll be doing research in a chemistry lab on campus. In my free time, I like to spend time with friends, play volleyball, and watch rom-coms.

Hi everyone! I'm Maryeva (she/her), a rising senior in Saybrook, and I am so excited to be your ARD for the Arts this summer. I'm from Minnesota and I am studying computer science at Yale. In my free time, you will find me listening to my summer playlist, making art for Yale's video game development club, or enjoying a latte in a nearby cafe. I'm looking forward to meeting you all and planning fun art-based events for YSS!

Hi! My name is Phillip Ha (he/him), and I’m a rising junior in Benjamin Franklin College majoring in Chemical Engineering (ABET) with certificates in Translation Studies and Energy Studies. On campus, I love my work as a Peer Liaison for the Asian American Cultural Center, and I’m also involved with the Vietnamese Student Association (ViSA), the American Red Cross at Yale (ARCY), and Demos. In my free time, I enjoy listening to K-Pop, trying new foods around New Haven, and spending time playing games with friends. I’m really excited to serve as a Summer Colleges Aide this summer and look forward to helping everyone have a great Yale Summer Session experience.

Hi! I'm Celia and I'm a rising junior in Silliman College majoring in Neuroscience. I'm from NYC, and I will be working as an undergraduate research assistant this summer in the Favuzzi Lab. Outside of class and the lab, you can find me rock climbing, enjoying the sun in the courtyard, or reading mystery novels.

Hi everyone! My name is Fariba, and I am a rising senior in Stiles from Houston, Texas. I am currently majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. I am excited to be a summer counselor this year and can't wait to meet y'all! In my free time, I like going to cafes, thrifting, and hanging out with friends.

Hi everyone! My name is Victoria and I am from quite a few places but my favorite is Hawaii. I am a rising junior in Grace Hopper and I am studying Neuroscience. I enjoy running, being outside, and just hanging out with friends. I am so excited to be your counselor this summer!

Hi everyone! My name is Diya Jha, and I’m a rising senior in Jonathan Edwards College studying Computer Science. I’m originally from Frederick, Maryland. On campus, I’m involved with Yale Women’s Water Polo and Naval ROTC. In my free time, I love going on walks, playing sports, taking photos, and spending time with friends making fun memories! I’m really excited to meet all of you and help make this a great summer at Yale!

Hey everyone! I'm Cameron (he/him) and I'm a recently graduated senior. I was in Ben Franklin College and a philosophy major. After this summer, and a gap year of farming and volunteering, I'm hoping to enter a PhD program for philosophy. In my free time, I enjoy reading, creative writing, finding new music, wandering aimlessly around New Haven and searching for new sandwich spots.

Hi! My name is Dani Klein, and I'm a rising junior in Benjamin Franklin College studying in Political Science and Religious Studies. I'm originally from the Washington, D.C. area (Go Nats). This summer, you can probably find me studying for summer classes, doing academic research, working on an art project, or biking around New Haven. In my free time, I love to listen to almost every genre of music, try new crafts, and watch the same TV shows over and over. I'm looking forward to a great summer with YSS!

Hi everyone! My name is Ally and I’m a rising senior in Pauli Murray majoring in Statistics & Data Science. I’ll be interning in the area and feel super fortunate to spend my summer around New Haven. In my free time, I love baking with friends, reading, and hiking East Rock. I’m excited to meet y’all; please know that you are always welcome to reach out!

Hi all! My name is Daniel Liu, I am a rising senior studying Physics on the pre-med track from Baton Rouge, Lousiana! Some things I love: music, food, teaching, writing, marathons, letters, mentorship, hugs, the color of sunset orange, radiation oncology, making new friends/family, and Jesus! I'm looking forward to meeting you all, and please do not hesitate to reach out :)

Hey all! My name is Paulo, and I’m a rising senior in Pierson College studying Biomedical Engineering. I am from Belo Horizonte, in Brazil, and I will be continuing my tissue engineering and public health research at the Yale School of Medicine. Outside the lab, I love binge-watching medical and criminal-themed shows and movies, hanging out with my friends, playing videogames/tennis, DJing, and traveling!!! I can’t wait to welcome and meet you all on campus!

Hey hey! My name is Zoe and I’m a rising junior studying chemical engineering. I’m from a small town in Missouri and love being outdoors, running, and going on adventures. This summer, I’ll be working in an environmental science lab, and I can’t wait to get to know each of you!

Hi everyone! My name is Maya and I'm from Berlin, Germany. I'm a history major and rising senior in Morse College. Outside of class, you can find me stress baking, hanging out with friends, attempting an obscure DIY project, or some chaotic combination of the three.

Hey everyone! I’m Brandon, a rising senior in Pierson College majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry with a concentration in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. I am from Morgantown, WV! When I’m not exploring cool science concepts, you’ll find me playing piano or enjoying a good classical pop playlist. I can’t wait to meet all of y'all this summer!

Hi all! I am a rising senior at Yale University studying Statistics and Data Science and Economics. I am from Istanbul, Turkey with a background in Switzerland. I am interested in data science, personal finance, and technology. Excited to be part of the YSS Team this summer, and to get to know all of you.

Hi everyone! My name is Hailey Pfeiffer (she/her), and I am so excited for this summer! I graduated in 2024 from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in English, and I recently completed my master’s degree in Modern Literature from Trinity College Dublin. My favorite books are The Catcher in the Rye and The Brothers Karamazov. Though I have experience as a Residential Director, this is my first summer with Yale Summer Session, and I am so excited to meet everyone :)

Hey everyone! I'm Maggie (she/her) and I'm a rising sophomore in Franklin from Summerfield, NC. I am planning on majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology as a pre-med. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, trying out new coffee shops, and baking. This summer, you'll probably find me in a research lab at the medical school or taking a walk outside. I look forward to a great summer!!

Hi everyone! My name is Usmaan, and I'm a rising senior in Pierson from Chicago. I'm majoring in MCDB on the Biotechnology track and am pre-med. Outside of class, you can probably find me in the buttery playing video games with friends or "exploring" New Haven's best food spot (Hot Murga). Can't wait to meet you all this summer!

Hi everyone! My name is Caroline  (she/her), and I am from Maui, Hawai'i. I am a rising junior in Silliman College studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology on the pre-med track. In my free time, I love to be outdoors (hiking, going to the beach), and I love getting sweet treats. I'm super excited to meet all of you joining Yale Summer Session 2026!

Hi beautiful people! My name is Lyah Tabu (she/her). I am a rising senior majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry on the pre-med track. In my free time I love to dance (I am a member of Yale's one and only afro-fusion dance team: Dzana), listening to late 90s RnB, and having good conversations with friends! So excited to meet you all :)

Hey everyone, my name is Ghai Tit and I’m a rising senior at Benjamin Franklin double majoring in Political Science and English (Creating Writing Concentration), with an Intensive Certificate in Human Rights Studies. I was born in South Sudan and raised between Uganda and South Sudan. In addition to being your counselor this summer, I’ll be doing research and writing a novel, all of which I'm thrilled about. I look forward to a fun summer with you!

Hii I'm Modhupa! I'm a rising junior from Davenport studying Global Affairs and Economics. I grew up moving between Bangladesh, Malaysia, and New York City. In my free time, I love watching a ton of movies, going to karaoke, eating good food, and changing my major incessantly. My favorite piece of Yale is my Bollywood fusion dance team, Rangeela. So excited to be with you all this summer!

Hi! I'm Matthew Verich, a graduated senior in Branford College majoring in Neuroscience with a certificate in Spanish. I mostly grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, but currently reside in Naples, Italy. When I'm not in the Branford library studying, I am often practicing trumpet or piano in either a jazz, orchestra, or mariachi band setting. This summer you can find me volunteering at a variety of health centers. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Hello!! My name is Aniyah, and I am a rising junior in JE majoring in Mechanical Engineering. During my free time, I enjoy watching sports, playing basketball, playing video games, listening to music, and looking for new sneakers to buy. I look forward to meeting you all! :)

Hi! I'm Brooke, a rising senior in Timothy Dwight College. I study English and Creative Writing (mostly fiction), so you'll usually find me reading or writing something. I'm from rural northwestern Pennsylvania (about 2 hours north of Pittsburgh), but I am excited to spend my summer with you in New Haven! An abbreviated list of things I love and love to talk about: literature, painting, tiny objects, thrifting, matcha, theater, collecting scraps for collages, and Texas Roadhouse rolls. I'm excited to meet all of you!

Hey y'all! I'm Hanan (she/her), a rising senior in Jonathan Edwards College. I'm pre-medical, majoring in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology while pursing a certificate in Data Science. Alongside my YSS councilor duties, you can catch me researching in the Sutton lab or studying for the MCAT! In my free time I like to play Magic the Gathering or Dungeons & Dragons. I'm always up for a coffee run (And I do mean always; I'm a real night owl!) or a chat, so don't hesitate to come by and say hi!

Hello everyone! My name is Samuel Wu from Land o’ Lakes, FL. I am a rising sophomore in JE majoring in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry with a certificate in Data Science. In addition to working as an SCA, I'm excited to be conducting proteasome research and volunteering with the Connecticut Hospice. If I'm not in the office, you can probably find me playing basketball, listening to R&B, or going for a run. Looking forward to a great summer with YSS!

Hello! My name is Jonathan Zhu, and I’m a rising sophomore in Jonathan Edward College, studying Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. I was born in New York and spent most of my childhood in China. I know all the good food courts around the place, especially in New York, if you are planning to visit over your time at Yale. During the Yale summer session, I will be taking photos and editing videos for all of you, documenting the fun and exciting moments that you will forever remember from this summer.