Student Ambassador Profiles

Vivan Albelda
Howdy, I’m Vivian Albelda, and I am a third year Biological Sciences major and Education minor at UC Davis. I am planning on becoming a high school biology teacher, and I am so grateful to CalTeach/MAST for helping me to discover my love for teaching. I have been involved with several CalTeach programs, learning to teach in science classrooms from the middle school to undergraduate level. Some of my favorite things to teach have been marine ecology as a BIS 2C Learning Assistant and fetal pig anatomy as an intern in a grade 9 biology class. I’m very excited to be a CalTeach ambassador this year and to help other students interested in education make connections with mentors and gain practical teaching experience.

Aylin Andrade
My name is Aylin Andrade! I’m a third-year Math major with a minor in Education at UC Davis. Even though that wasn’t my first choice, I had always thought about a career as a math teacher. I first got involved with CalTeach/MAST through GEL 181, where I interned in a 7th-grade math class. That experience helped me realize how much I enjoy teaching and showed me what it takes to be an educator. Through the program, I’ve met amazing mentors and students who’ve guided me along the way. As an Ambassador, I hope to share my experience and help others find their path in education just like CalTeach/MAST has helped me!

Christine Arakkal
Hi! My name is Christine Arakkal, and I'm a third-year Biomedical Engineering major and Education minor. I first got involved with the CalTeach/MAST Program after taking EDU 183 with Susann Pinter, and it quickly became one of the highlights of my college experience. I’ve always loved teaching and collaborating with other students, and as a CalTeach/MAST Ambassador, I’m excited to share these experiences, connect with other students, and encourage them to discover how teaching can shape their academic and professional journeys.

Alexandria Shick
Hi! My name is Alexandria Shick, and I am a third-year student majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in education. I was introduced to the CalTeach/MAST program in my first quarter at UCD through EDU 081, teaching math and science in elementary school. I loved being able to go out into the community and work with students in a classroom setting. One of my favorite things about teaching and tutoring is working through questions with students and seeing them grow as learners. After EDU 081, I continued to take EDU 181 and 183, middle and high school, respectively. As an ambassador, I love helping other undergrads to discover this unique opportunity. Additionally, I play club water polo, am part of the club Project Catalyst (science experiments with local elementary schoolers!), and do research on RNA binding proteins.

Michelle Yu
My name is Michelle, and I’m a second year Mathematics major and Education minor at UC Davis. I want to become a high school math teacher in the future. I know a lot of people feel intimidated by math, but I truly believe that everyone is capable of learning the subject. More than anything, I want my students to enjoy the process of learning and feel supported both in and out of the classroom. I took EDU 081 during the first quarter of my freshman year, and loved forming meaningful connections with the students and watching them grow throughout the quarter. I hope to take all of the other CalTeach courses as well! As an ambassador, I can’t wait to tell more people about CalTeach and introduce them to the world of teaching!

Eleni Chatzigeouriou
My name is Eleni and I am a 3rd year computer science student at UC Davis. I'm really interested in computer science and math education! I have also been exploring Machine Learning and web design. Most importantly, I really love interacting with students because I always have something new to take away. I first started out with teaching while tutoring in high school and continued at the math center in my community college. Since last year, I have decided that I really like teaching and I joined the CalTeach/MAST program! Outside of education, I really love to play the violin and to read books.