Raymond Luong
Hello, I'm Ray and I’m in my fourth year of Biology. During my first year at York, I had a lot of random questions but I wasn’t sure who to ask. I always seemed to have asked the wrong people and therefore getting myself into awkward situations. Being a part of SOS, I’m looking forward to helping students with my experiences; I’ve been in their shoes.

Feel free to drop by the SOS office in Bethune anytime!

Bahar Madani

Hey, my name is Bahar and I'm a 3rd year Honours Biology major pursuing a career in dentistry and orthodontics. My non-science interests include stand-up comedy and improv, movies, fashion design, zombies, and kittens. I'm a firm believer in enjoying life to the fullest extent; as Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it." So my advice is to get involved, and work hard to get where you want to go...but don't forget to make friends and enjoy the journey.

This is my first year on SOS and I'm really excited to be involved, so don't
hesitate to approach me with any questions or advice you may need. You can often find me in the Bethune study hall (102F) or just hit me up at
baharm@yorku.ca, I'd be glad to hear from you!

Chris Crawford

Hey guys, my name is Chris and I'm a fourth year Biology major here at York. In my spare time, I like to read, play sports, and watch movies. During the summer, I train and compete in Olympic weightlifting. I've had experience as both a peer tutor and a PASS Leader for classes like Bio and Chem, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions when it comes to courses, studying, or anything else. My email is crawf22@yorku.ca. Best of luck for this year, and I hope to see you around.

Michael Marianovsky

Hey, my name is Michael and I’m in my 3rd year of a Biomedical Science major. I got involved in SOS because I was interested in getting more involved, which is something I would recommend for anyone at York. Getting involved in activities other than going to classes really helps take your mind off things.  Personally, to rid of stress I like playing basketball at Tait McKenzie or pool at Calumet whenever I have free time. If you have any questions at all I’ll be glad to answer them, just send me an email at marimich@yorku.ca. See you around.

Justin Sanderson

What’s up everyone!

My name is Justin Sanderson and I’m a fourth year Kinesiology major. During my time at York, I have challenged what most students think is “impossible” - remaining a dedicated student while increasing responsibilities in the school community. What I want out of you? GET INVOLVED! There are so many ways to get involved here at Bethune, whether through intramurals or even applying to be an SOS member yourself. University is so much more than just academics and I challenge you as fellow Bethune students to use your unique skill sets to contribute to YOUR college community. There are so many fantastic people here in the SOS office willing to help you out – let’s do the “impossible” together!

Any questions? You’ll usually catch me at Tait, hanging out around Bethune, or in the SOS office.

Swing by just to talk or drop me a line at jms88@yorku.ca

Andrei Szigiato
My name is Andrei Szigiato and I'm a 4th year Kinesiology Major. My life is pretty much split into 3 parts: music, sports, and academics. I love to play my guitar and share my knowledge by teaching others. I try to get my daily bout of exercise by running, biking and playing squash. In the academic world, I dabble with research in the summer, tutor first year Chemistry, and am now part of the SOS - ready to lend a hand to those who need it. This year is going to be a great one and I wish everyone the best of luck for the 2011-12 FW term! 

Anjali Lobo

Hi everyone! My name is Anjali and I am a fourth year BioMed student.  This is my third year on SOS and I am really looking forward to all the new and fun experiences this year will hold.  I am planning on pursuing a career in Medicine and I have spent the last few years volunteering at various hospitals in Toronto. In my spare time I like to bake, read, watch movies, fish and play scrabble.  I'm usually in the SOS office during my office hours, and I am more than happy to offer any advice about university life (both academic and not), study tips, volunteering etc.   If you have any questions or just wanna chat, email me at alobo01@yorku.ca ! Best wishes for this year!  

Hey everyone! My name is Max Weisbrod and I am a third year kinesiology student. This is currently my second year with the SOS peer advising group and I'm looking forward to another great year. I hope to one day get into medical school and go on to be an ophthalmologist. I enjoy all sports and hope to see many of you out at any of the intramural sports offered.  Please drop by the SOS office in Bethune anytime if you ever have any questions or need any advising. I can also be reached on my york email at mjw417@yorku.ca. I also want to wish everyone the best of luck with their up coming years!

Muhammad Usama Zia
Hello everyone, my name is Usama and I am currently majoring in specialized  biology.  I am excited to have finished my 2nd year here at York (It was loads of fun but A-LOT of work), I am looking forward to my 3rd.  I am more than  happy to help out, just make sure to ask. Things i enjoy: all kinds of sports, homework (just kidding... but really sometimes it’s fun) and anything that keeps my life exciting. Things I do not enjoy: waiting at bus stop, riding the bus to the next bus stop, then the next and then the next and so on and so forth. Hope to see you sometime. 

Your friendly neighbourhood SOS member...Usama : D 

Ali-Reza Sadri

Hey everyone! That crazy looking guy on the left is Ali (me). Before York, I was a competitive boxer with several official bouts under my belt. I loved to train and push myself to my highest potential. Now as a York student, I still push myself to my highest potential but in academics. I have learned a lot in my first year. Also, I love to share what I've learned so please ask me anything that's your mind. I can be contacted at arsadri@yorku.ca. I leave you all with one of my favourite quotes “Champions aren´t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” - Muhammad Ali

Edwin Leong

Hi! My name is Edwin and I am a second year student at York majoring in Honours Biology. It's also my first year in SOS, but I have a lot of experience and there are many fun things I have learned during my first year. I would be more than willing to share my experiences with you to make your days at York much easier and fun-filled!! I like playing all kinds of sports, I LOVE SWIMMING, and in my spare time I also play video games :) By the way, I also have friends to hang out with at the movies, or going out to eat with them and such. I'm a very social person, so do not be afraid to stop by the SOS Office or email me at edwin92@yorku.ca. Here's to a fun-filled and amazing 2011-2012 year at YorkU! =)

Max May

Hey guys, I’m Max (Maximillian) May, and I’m going into my second year in Biophysics. I’m probably one of the few Physics majors in SOS, which makes my presence at SOS even more valuable than normal (lol). Right off the bat, I can say with confidence that it is actually possible to work a part-time job, be in an Honours Science program, go out to concerts and still pull off a GPA that’s not below zero... Regardless of how many times you’ve probably heard this, keep your head up and make sure you manage your time wisely. You can probably catch me loafing around campus, wearing the typical black band shirt; don’t let my appearance fool you – feel free to talk to me at any time, be it for important issues or just to relax for a while. You can get a hold of me through email: maxmay9@hotmail.com or mmay@yorku.ca. Remember what I’ve said, because some day it might actually be worth something (no it won't, maybe).

Nadina Abdullayeva

 “La vida es un Carnaval!” [Life is a Carnival!] by Celia Cruz is probably one of my most favourite songs. This tells you a few things about me: I love music; I’m a big fan of the Latin American culture; and most importantly, I think life is too short to take it too seriously – have fun with it instead! Guys, York is full of amazing opportunities – for example, in the summer of 2010 I volunteered in Peru for 3 months, and York played a huge role in providing me with that opportunity. Similarly, you can find things that will interest you, and if not, drop by the office for some guidance. The only thing I ask you to do is don’t just sit there and let university life slip by you! Remember, la vida es un Carnaval!  (And here’s some trivia about me: I speak Russian, Azeri [and thus a little of Turkish], Spanish, French and English. I have a cat named “Amour” and I absolutely love cooking! For more, just come by the SOS office!)

Sarah Hanif

 Hi everyone, my name is Sarah. I am a second year Kinesiology student and this is my first year with SOS.  I had a wonderful first year at York - mainly because I stayed quite active within the York community. I am involved with several different clubs and services on campus and that has helped me learn a lot about York. Besides these extra-curricular activities, I am also quite studious. I have taken the usual first year courses (CHEM, BIOL, PSYCH, CSE) and I will definitely be able to share my experience with anyone planning on taking these courses. Also, I plan to apply for Med School after graduation and know of several useful resources on campus for anyone else interested. In all, I am more than happy to share with you the things that have and continue to help me as a student here.  Good luck and looking forward to meeting many of you this year :)

Sneha Lohan

Hi All! My name is Sneha Lohan and I am about to enter my third year in the Biomedical Science program here at York. In my spare time, I like to go to the gym, listen to music and log in on Facebook (who doesn’t?) This will be my first year on the SOS and I hope to reach out to as many students as possible. Be it academics, varsity sports, intramurals, clubs, research opportunities or residence related questions, I think the past two years have enabled me to experience all facets of university life, which put me in a good position to answer most queries. So come out and seek help, advice or just talk in general!

Syed Abdul

Hello. This is (hopefully) my final year at York, although I have mixed feelings about this. Throughout my time here, I have learned a lot, and personally feel that I have become an entirely different person since my first year. I am a television junkie, but much of what I watch is international news. I am hoping to attend medical or dental school next year, and so my interests are aligned with this goal. For instance, my research interests include osteology and angiogenesis, although I am currently doing research in neuroscience. This is my first year on the SOS, and my reason for joining is quite simple – to pass down the advice I received from past SOS members. So, if you have ANY questions or need advice, please feel free to give me a shout during my office hours. I especially enjoy questions to which I don’t already know the answer, as finding the answer will be a learning experience. =)