Simmons Academic Mentors (SAMs)

SAMs will also hold weekly drop in hours throughout the year to answer any questions you might have. SAMs also facilitate programming to support you throughout your first year at Simmons. If you think you might have something in common with any SAM or have a question about one of their majors, please feel free to reach out.

Are you undecided? The SAMs can help! They can help you narrow down which courses to take and help you fill your PLAN requirements along the way. Please feel free to reach out to any SAM via email!

Schedule an appointment

If you have questions about the Simmons Academic Mentor Program, please reach out to [email protected].

Get to know our SAMs

Maude Elovitz

Maude is a senior and uses she/her/hers pronouns. She is originally from Lake Oswego, Oregon, and is currently studying Data Science and Analytics at Simmons. Maude is a student-athlete and co-captain of the Simmons Crew team! Maude loves meeting new people, trying new restaurants in Boston, and spending time in the city. Being a SAM, Maude hopes to help students find their path at Simmons, specifically learning how to use their time wisely to balance academics and extracurriculars. If you don't find Maude in the library, you can catch her rowing on the Charles River with her team, or on a walk in the beautiful Fenway neighborhood listening to The Daily podcast by the New York Times!

Sydney Iannantuono

Sydney is a junior and uses she/her pronouns. Her original home is East Lyme, CT which is the southeast corner of Connecticut. She is currently an Exercise Science major on a pre-PA track and double minoring in Psychology and Nutrition. Sydney also plays on the Simmons volleyball team as an outside hitter. Her passions also include working out, baking and doing anything outside. She loves being a SAM because she knows how hard it is to transition to college and wants to be here to make it a little easier. She has changed her career path a few times and hopes to help other students discover what they really love. She also has used a lot of resources that Simmons offers and can point you in the right direction.

Brianna Neptune

Brianna is a junior and uses the she series. Her original home is Billerica, MA but she has moved from around six towns in the surrounding area. She is currently a Neuroscience and Behavior major (bio track) on the Pre-Med track and is minoring in Biostatistics. Brianna plays for the COF Orchestra in the fall and acts for the COF Theatre troop in the spring. She loves to bake, play instruments, and listen to music. Being a Pre-med student, Brianna's purpose as a SAM is to help students navigate the complicated world as a Pre-Health student, as well as helping students manage their school-work-life balance.Typically you can find Brianna in the library or at the Fens when she isn't commuting to and from home.

Ganad Neka

Ganad is a junior and uses she/her/hers pronouns. She was born and raised in Kenya but currently lives in Beverly, Massachusetts. She is a Biochemistry major and Spanish minor on the Pre-Med track. Ganad is the vice president for the Undergraduate Research Club and the Historian for the CHEM/PHYS Liasson. Her favorite activities include playing tennis, cooking, and exploring new artists on Spotify. As a first generation-college student, she understands the pressure and importance of her education and academic success and wishes to pass down her knowledge to those in a similar position as herself. She is very excited to meet and connect with the new Freshmen and Sophomores that will be attending Simmons this Fall.

Olivia Beauchesne

Olivia is a junior and she uses she/her pronouns. She is from New Hampshire, but has been living in Boston for the past year. Olivia is a nursing student and will be starting her second year as a SAM. In her free time she likes to cook and bake, garden, and run. Olivia is very excited to welcome freshmen and sophomores onto campus and help them navigate the new environment. Olivia's favorite thing about Simmons is the vibrant nursing community that is full of support. She, like many nursing students, has felt lost and confused during classes and has always found support from other nursing students. She encourages students to reach out with any questions about nursing school and looks forward to meeting everyone!

Estela Raya-Fouts

Estela is a sophomore and uses she/her/hers pronouns. She is from Manchester, New Hampshire, and is double majoring in Political Science and Spanish with a COF minor in Migration Studies. As Co-President of Democracy Matters on campus, Estela spends her time organizing action campaigns and talking about current events. She also loves to read, find new shows on Netflix, and drink lattes from Tatte! As a SAM, Estela is excited to get to know the incoming class and share her experience in choosing majors/minors. Since she is also a sophomore who will be living on campus for the first time, she understands the pressure first years and sophomores are feeling after a year of online learning. She is looking forward to meeting everyone!

Suha Elsheikh

Suha is a sophomore and uses she/her/hers pronouns. She is originally from Manchester, New Hampshire and is majoring in Nursing with a minor in Psychology. Some of her hobbies include cooking, baking, knitting, reading, and playing sports, specifically field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. She also enjoys exploring new places, especially if those places happen to be restaurants. This will be her first year as a SAM but she is happy to be on campus and welcoming everyone back for what is sure to be an eventful and thrilling year. She is so excited to meet as many people as possible and is always looking to make new friends.