John P. Chesick Scholars Program forFirst-Generation/Low-Income Students
Contact & Staff
FLI Student Leaders

Alvaro Aguilar '23
Hey y’all! My name is Alvaro Aguilar (he/him/his) and I’m from Burleson, Texas. I’m majoring in sociology with a double minor in education and child & family studies. I’m thinking of either going into teaching or immigration law, but whatever I end up doing I want to make meaningful change. On campus you can find me working in the dining center as a supervisor, dancing with Bounce Hip Hop, performing with Greasepaint Productions, or organizing events with ALAS! In my free time I like to hike, go thrifting, work out at the gym, and have movie nights with friends. Haverford has been an amazing experience so far, and I have to credit Horizons! This is where I met some of my closest friends. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all and helping you throughout your first year of college!!

Nada Aly '24
Hey everyone! My name is Nada Aly, I’m a rising sophomore (class of 2024 baby!), and I go by she/they pronouns. I’m interested in declaring a Neuroscience major with an Anthropology minor; two of my favorite subjects! I’m from Paterson, New Jersey, but originally from Giza, Egypt. My current hobbies include writing, painting, reading, and binge watching shows (mainly anime, kdramas, and jdramas), but I’m hoping to add on a few more hobbies! My interests include sci-fi, astrology, movie analysis, and probably a few more things I can’t remember at the moment. On campus I’m the Questbridge Chapter President from '21-’22, an FLI Leader, a member of the Bi-Co Ignite Collective, a Coop worker, and I help out with Burrow activities from time to time. Some random facts about me are that I’m bad at cooking, I have a super bad memory but I always remember tiny details my friends mention to me, I’m currently fostering a cat named Gigi, I was a huge Percy Jackson fan in middle school, and I speak very rapidly in almost all situations. I genuinely look forward to meeting all of you and getting to know you better, and I hope we can become good friends as we navigate through your journey at Haverford! As someone who was very anxious coming here, I want to assure you that it always feels scary at the beginning, but you’ll eventually find places and people to settle in with, just like I did! Hopefully I’ll see you all in First-In and hopefully Horizons as well!
Vic Brown '23
Hi, I’m Vic Brown(he/him)! I’m a rising junior majoring in English and minoring in Education. I’m from Los Angeles, CA. I love reading and watching cartoons(huge part of my identity is Spongebob memes). On campus, I work in Lutnick Library and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and I’m involved in the Black Student League as well as the theater group Greasepaint. And off campus I do work with my scholars’ program, Thrive Scholars, as a counselor to high school seniors and incoming college freshmen. Looking forward to working with y’all!

Seun Eisape '24
Hi! My name is Seun Eisape (He/Him/His), I am from New Jersey, and I am in the class of ‘24. I am an intended Computer Science major, Theater minor, and interested in Linguistics/Neuroscience. On campus, I am on BSL (Black Student League), AOCC (Athletes of Color Coalition), and the Men’s fencing team. I also work as an Access and Diversity intern for the Admissions Office, as a BLAST Technician, and in the Campus Center. In my free time, I love hanging out with my friends and being active. I am excited to get to know everyone during First In and Horizons!!! Please feel free to reach out!

Boahen Kwakye '24
Hello, my name is Boahen Kwakye. My pronouns are He/Him and I am a member for Haverford’s Class of 2024. My family is from Ghana in West Africa but I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. I am currently planning on being a Biology major here at Haverford with a potential public health minor. I am a QuestBridge student as well as a member of the Ninth Cohort of Chesick Scholars. Outside of academics, I am a member of the Track and Field Varsity Team and I really enjoy Photography. I’m hoping to join more affinity groups at Haverford such as ALAS and BSL this year as well! Welcome to the Class of 2025, I look forward to getting to know you all in the years to come.

Junior Nguyen '22
People of the World,
My name is Junior Nguyen, he/him/his, and I am a part of the Class of 2022. To the incoming first years of the Chesick Program, I look forward to getting to know all of you and making the program a place for you to be comfortable in being your best self, so that you may all use your gifts and talents in a community like Haverford!
About me: what I like to do everyday is to be physically and mentally active through biking, yoga, weightlifting, and meditation. My hobbies include video games (League, FFXIV, Destiny 2, Maplestory...), manga, anime, and chess. I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specifically from Kensington and North Philadelphia. Academically, I am interested in both biology and chemistry, with more of a focus on bio. I am unsure of my post-graduation plans, but I am interested in graduate school for biology.
Extracurriculars that I am a part of on campus are Chess Club (I run it), the Joe Schwartz 3K Committee, and helping lead the national FLI conference 1vyG. More extracurriculars on the resume.

Brandon Pita '22
Hi everyone! I’m Brandon (he/him) and I’m a senior majoring in Sociology with a minor in Growth and Structure of Cities. I’m originally from Chicago’s southwest side and in my free time, I enjoy watching movies with friends and listening to music. My favorite artists at the moment are probably Lil Durk, Polo G, LA Tone, 22Gz, and Lil Tjay. On campus, I’m heavily involved in the Alliance of Latin American Students and Black x Brown but I’ve been involved in Honor Council, the Community Outreach Multicultural Liaisons, and the Summer Social Justice Institute in the past. I’m a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and I work at The Nest, the Office of Admissions, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and I’m also a research assistant. In the future, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Sociology and conduct research with grassroots community organizations in urban environments. Please feel free to hit my line if you have any questions or concerns about academics, personal organization and time management, organizations on and off-campus, student life, really anything else, or even just to introduce yourself. I’m very excited to get to know you all in the coming year!

Shiza Ranamagar '24
Hello! My name is Shiza (she/her/hers). I was born in Nepal, where I spent a small chunk of my childhood before immigrating to Queens, NY with my family. I recently took some time away from Haverford, during which I worked at my local Nepali and AAPI organizations. Due to the meaningful interactions I had here, I’m planning on majoring in Sociology and I aspire to become a physician assistant somewhere down the road. This past year, I’ve been having lots of fun working in the Fairman biology lab. I’m also excited to work in the Admissions Office as an Access and Diversity Intern soon and explore the multitudes of opportunities available at Haverford. Aside from that, my friends know me as a plant mom. Plants make me very happy! I also enjoy lifting and recently discovered the world of CrossFit. I find joy in cooking, going on evening walks, biking around campus during sunset, and exploring Philly with friends. As a FLI student, I found it daunting to start a new journey in a very unfamiliar setting but I’ve been learning and growing. Now, I’m excited to work with you to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels seen and heard.

Rubi Rivas '23
Hello! My name is Rubi Rivas (she/her) and I am a part of class of 2023. I like looking for fun workouts and am currently loving kickboxing and yoga. I describe myself as a jack of all trades kind of person because I have passions in very different areas. I am from Ewing, New Jersey. I am a Biology major. Some of my hobbies include playing the violin, playing the ukulele, drawing, coding, dance, and working out. I love robotics and the potential technology has to help people. My goal is to be an orthotics and prosthetics practitioner! I have enjoyed taking biology courses, psychology courses, math courses, anthropology courses, art courses, and spanish courses. I am passionate about a lot of things and love to learn new things so I am trying to take advantage of the liberal arts education at Haverford to expand my knowledge and find various more passions. I am a board member of the Alliance of Latin American Students (ALAS), a part of theater, and the Haverford High Intensity Fitness Club. I am a Questbridge Scholar and am a part of Chesick Cohort 8. I am currently working with a Spanish professor to create a Spanish course around race. Additionally, I work for the Center for Gender Resources and Sexual Education (GRASE) as the social media and publicity manager. I also work for the Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA) as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Intern.
Welcome class of 2025! I am excited to get to know you! College is a great time to not only get to know your academic and extracurricular interests, but it is also a time that you grow as a person. Allow yourself to make mistakes as they will be lessons to learn from. I look forward to sharing my experiences so that you may understand that everyone’s path is unique. You are in the driver’s seat on this adventure so really allow yourself to explore and make your time enjoyable! I am hoping to make your transition to Haverford as smooth as it can be!

Anubhav Sharma '23
Namaste! I am Anubhav Sharma (he/him) and I am a Junior ('23) at Haverford majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. I am from Nepal&emdash;a beautiful small country in South Asia. On campus, I work in the Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA) as Employer Relations Intern and as Teaching Assistant (TA) for introductory computer science courses. I am also involved in Astrophysics and Mathematics research. I have been a board member of International Students Association (ISA) and South Asian Society (SAS). I love traveling so I bike and walk a lot&emdash;I also like getting lost! As you might guess, the nature trail is my favorite spot on campus. I enjoy playing board games as well. It is my privilege to welcome you all to Chesick and I look forward to meeting you as well as hearing your incredible stories:)

Zakiyyah Winston '22
Hello! My name is Zakiyyah (she/her), and I’m a senior from Lee’s Summit, MO, pursuing a major in Biology with a Health Studies minor on the pre-med track. In the future, I hope to obtain an MD/MPH degree to study and practice medicine with a focus on community health care. On campus, I am involved with Haverford’s QuestBridge chapter, the Mentoring and Student Teaching (MAST) Program, and the Biology Student Group; I also work in the Office of Academic Resources, Office of Admissions, and Lutnick Library. In my free time, I enjoy cross-stitching, crossword puzzles, spending time with loved ones, and listening to music—specifically Omar Apollo, Brockhampton, and movie soundtracks. I’m looking forward to being in community with you all soon; I hope y’all are ready for a great year :)