Staff Peer Counselor
Phillip Diouf (he/him)
Major and Year
Psychology and Social Sciences, Third-year student
Other Campus Roles
Sustainability Council Student Member; Developing Native Pollinator Garden on campus; Former Editor for Abington Review
Hobbies/Interests
Gaming, playing piano, exercise, meditation, mindfulness, and collecting gemstones
Why I Became a Peer Counselor
I have some experience with counseling in the past, deeply enjoy helping other people live their lives, and consider myself qualified to help.
Languages in Addition to English
Russian, some German
Senior Peer Counselors
Molaéa-Rene Goodman (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Fourth-year student
Other Campus Roles
SEAL student worker
Hobbies/Interests
I'm the former president of the Black Student Union and have goals to be accepted into a Psy.D. program, in which I will receive my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. I am also the current Miss Black Pennsylvania 2023 and will compete for Miss Black USA in 2023
Abington senior named Miss Black Pennsylvania, platform highlights mental health
Why I Became a Peer Counselor
I became a peer counselor to help my community in a positive way. Also, I became a peer counselor in order to gain experiences with counseling. My main career goal is to become a clinical psychologist so, having this experience prepares me for my career progression and helps me to achieve my career goals. I think the mental health of the students at any institution should be of importance. This role gives me the opportunity to be someone who can be of support to someone in need.
Lexie Williams (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Fourth-year student
Other Campus Roles
This past year I worked as a research assistant on campus, in which I ran studies in the Psychology Laboratory. I will happily be continuing my role as a research assistant in my senior year!
Hobbies/Interests
I love to read, thrift, take my dog to the park, do dog training, research, work as a nanny, and of course— be overwhelmingly passionate about all things psychology. I am finishing my final year at Penn State before moving onto graduate school— in which I plan to expand both my research and clinical experience as a doctoral student in a Clinical Psychology PhD program.
Why I Became a Peer Counselor
Psychology is a discipline that completely captivates me, and has been an area I have dreamed to work in since I was 4 years old (yes, 4 years old). Mental health is incredibly important— yet often very stigmatized— so I jumped at the opportunity to become involved and offer support to other students looking for someone to talk to.
Peer Counselors
Ja’nasia Hansome (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Criminal Justice minor, Second-year student
Other Campus Roles
First Generation Scholar and member of National Society of Leadership and Success
Hobbies/Interests
I love being outdoors and enjoying nature. I enjoy going on hikes, especially to find rivers, waterfalls, or anything with a nice view. I also enjoy photography, trying new things, and journaling/blogging!
Why I became a Peer Counselor
I’ve always had an interest in understanding and connecting with others on a deeper level. I also enjoy helping those in the best way I can! I believe being a Peer Counselor would allow me to connect with peers, as well as prepare me for becoming a Forensic Psychologist.
Lamar Robinson (he/him)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Second-year student
Other Campus Roles
Resident Assistant at Lion's Gate and Peer Career Advisor at Career and Professional Development
Hobbies/Interests
Trumpet player in the concert band, loves video games and anime
Languages in Addition to English
Proficient in French
Why I became a Peer Counselor
I became a peer counselor to gain the experience that I need to be an effective clinical therapist for adolescents as my future career.
Cat Sabatini (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Fourth-year student
Hobbies/Interests
I am a registered behavior technician and ESL tutor outside of PSU! I am very passionate about social work and like to spend my free time learning new rubix cube algorithms or playing piano
Why I became a Peer Counselor
Managing college life isn't easy for many students who sometimes don't know where to turn to for support. I want to be able to show students how much peer counselors care about the mental health of everyone on campus and how easy it is to get in touch with someone who is advocating for your success.
Cay Smith (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, English minor, Third-year student
Other Campus Roles
This past year I’ve been working as a research assistant on campus and will hopefully continue throughout my remaining semesters! As well as, working on my own research project with one of my professors!
Hobbies/Interests
I absolutely LOVE trying new coffee shops, especially if I have a great book to read. Although, when it’s really nice out, I adore the park and will spend hours upon hours outside. I’ve also just recently been learning to crochet!
Why I became a Peer Counselor
After college and graduate school, my career goal is to work with individuals struggling with eating disorders and helping through not only a traditional psychological approach, but also through understanding nutrition. By becoming a Peer Counselor, I hope to be able to connect with those around me, helping them have the best experience on campus possible, and learn alongside my peers the best methods to help those for when I graduate and practice independently.
Darya Volchik (she/her)
Major and Year
Psychological and Social Sciences, Second-year student
Other Campus Roles
I am currently working as an administrative support at the transportation and ID department at Penn State Abington. I also became a part of Schreyer Honors College last semester and continue to work hard in that field.
Hobbies/Interests
I love art, I've been drawing/painting ever since I was 10 years old. I am also passionate about ice skating since I used to play ice hockey when I was in middle school. I love to read books and I also like to travel; I’ve visited many countries around Europe.
Why I became a Peer Counselor
Most of my life I have been absolutely fascinated by all of the aspects of psychology and everything that gets involved with it. Becoming a peer counselor is a dream come true; I am very excited to have the opportunity to help anyone who is looking for support.
Languages in Addition to English
Russian and Belarussian