Meet the Peer Mentors

Peer mentors are upper-level Software Engineering students who guide the SE Learning Community’s learning teams. Mentors facilitate study groups, workshops, and special events, and they assist students with the transition to college life.

Hi, my name is Jawad Ali, and I’m a junior here at Iowa State from Des Moines, Iowa, with a minor in Cybersecurity. When I’m not coding or working on projects, you’ll find me at the gym, on the soccer field, or competing with ISU’s varsity esports Call of Duty team. I’m also heavily involved with Science Bound, which is Iowa State’s pre-college through college program that engages students from middle school through graduation in ASTEM fields. I wanted to be a peer mentor because I know firsthand how challenging the software engineering journey can be, and I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors along the way who helped me grow both academically and personally. Now I want to pay it forward and help fellow students navigate their own paths through the program. Looking ahead, I’m excited to break into the embedded systems field where I can combine my passion for both hardware and software development.

Hey, my name is Jeremiah Baccam, and I’m a junior here at Iowa State. When I’m not working or buried in homework, you’ll probably catch me outside by the grill making big steaks or inside using my pizza steel to bake pizzas. I wanted to be a peer mentor because I went through the same ups and downs many of you will face, and I had a lot of people help me find my way. Now I feel like I’m in a position to do the same and help you navigate your own path. Looking ahead,
I’d love to work in backend development or something infrastructure-related.

Hello, my name is Sierra Izumi Brown. I am a Senior, and have gotten a minor in Music Technology. I chose to peer mentor starting my sophomore year because the peer mentors I had my freshman year were very impactful to me. I wanted to return the favor of helping students who may be struggling with the difficult transition from high school to college, and to be someone they can be reliant upon. I’ve got hobbies in video games (mainly Xbox), martial arts, and working out. My current plan for the future is to go into the USMC as an officer to go fly planes, and later, become a test pilot and/or work on the software systems used in modern aircraft.

Hi! My name is Patrick Lenahan and I’m a senior in software engineering at Iowa State! I’m from Ashburn, VA, a suburb of Washington D.C., and I’m a big D.C. sports fan. I came to Iowa State because I wanted to go out-of-state and Iowa State has a great software engineering program. In addition to classes, I currently work as a part-time software engineer intern in Ames during the semester. I wanted to become a peer mentor because I have learned so much throughout my time at Iowa State and want to share with the incoming class!

Hi, my name is Claire Miller, and I’m a senior in Software Engineering with a minor in Hospitality Management. I’m originally from Iowa but spent the last year in Atlanta working in the commercial airline industry, which I hope to continue in after graduation. Outside of school, I enjoy rock climbing and playing intramurals like volleyball and soccer. I chose to be a peer mentor because being in a learning community my freshman year helped me build friendships that have lasted throughout college, and I want to provide that same support for others.

Hey, my name is Aisha Mohamed, and I’m a senior in Software Engineering with a minor in applied Artificial Intelligence. Outside of school and coding, I enjoy reading and planning events with family and friends. I chose to be a peer mentor because I love helping people and interacting with others. I know I struggled with a lack of support, so I wish to be that support for others. And as my time at Iowa State University is coming to an end, I’ve been looking for post-grad positions and am considering pursuing a master’s. Not sure what my future holds, but we’ll see when the time comes!

Brandon is a sophomore from Lincolnwood, Illinois studying Software Engineering. Outside of schoolwork, he enjoys going to the gym, playing sports like Soccer and Volleyball, and playing video games. Brandon wanted to be a peer mentor to help people through their Software Engineering path, as it could be a complex field to navigate alone.