Simmons Academic Mentors (SAMs)
Simmons Academic Mentors (or SAMs) are current Simmons students who assist first-year students with academic acclimation to Simmons University. In this role, SAMs provide peer academic support to first-year students throughout the summer leading up to and during your first year at Simmons University.
SAMs will hold weekly drop in hours throughout the year to answer any questions you might have. SAMs also facilitate programming to support you throughout your first year at Simmons. If you think you might have something in common with any SAM or have a question about one of their majors, please feel free to reach out.
Are you undecided? The SAMs can help! They can help you narrow down which courses to take and help you fill your PLAN requirements along the way. Please feel free to reach out via email to the SAM program, email an individual SAM, or follow them on social media @samsatsimmons!
If you have questions about the Simmons Academic Mentor Program, please reach out to [email protected].
| Name | Role | Pronouns | Graduation Year | Major(s) | Minor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeena Acharya | Senior SAM | she/her | 2025 | Neuroscience & Behavior with a focus in Neurobiology | Chemistry and Pre-Med |
| Emily Brown | SAM | she/her | 2025 | Biochemistry | Psychology and Pre-Med |
| Hamdi Dakane | SAM | she/her | 2025 | Finance | Africana Studies, Data Science |
| Micah Joyce Guillermo | SAM | 2026 | Political Science, Honors, and Communications (Journalism Track) | ||
| Sienna Jeffries | SAM | 2027 | Political Science | ||
| Sam Mills | SAM | she/her | 2025 | Writing & History | |
| Maebon Puleio | SAM | 2026 | Nursing |
Get to know our SAMs
Zeena Acharya
Zeena is a junior and uses she/her pronouns. She is a Neuroscience and Behavior major focusing in Neurobiology with a minor in Chemistry on the Pre-Med track in the Honors Program. Zeena is a commuter student from Marlborough, MA. She enjoys trying new restaurants, singing and playing the piano, martial arts, bringing her adorable dog to the park, and traveling to explore new cities! Zeena is highly involved in Student Government Association (SGA) and this will be her second year serving as a Senator. She is also a Honors Peer Mentor for first year honors students. This is Zeena’s first year as a SAM and she is thrilled to help her peers in any way that she can!
Emily Brown
Emily is a junior and uses she/her pronouns. She is from Leominster, MA and is a biochemistry major with a minor in psychology on the Pre-Med track. She is also part of the Honors Program. At Simmons, she is involved in research with Dr. Luth and is an organic chemistry TA! She works in the Surgical and Neuroscience ICU at Boston Medical Center as a CNA. She is part of a dance company, DanceWorks Boston and has been dancing since she was 4. In her free time, she likes to go to concerts with her friends and check out the local Boston music scene! This will be Emily’s first year as a SAM and she is so excited to help guide and support the first-year class!
Hamdi Dakane
Hamdi is a junior and she uses she/her pronouns. She is from Lewiston, Maine. She is a Finance major with a minor in Data Science and Africana Studies. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city, finding new restaurants to try, and going to concerts. She also loves music, cooking, poetry, drawing, and watching movies and tv shows. Hamdi served as the Student Government Representative for Simmons Black Student Organization. She is now the current Treasurer for Simmons Black Muslim Union. This is Hamdi’s first year as a SAM, and she is so excited to support and contribute to the success of her peers!
Sam Mills
Sam is a third year student and uses she/her pronouns. She grew up in southern Vermont. She is a writing major who plans on getting her master's in Library Sciences. She enjoys skiing, dancing, reading, and writing. You may find her exploring vintage fashion pop-ups around the city or at any halfway decent brunch spot. She is the president of the Literature and Writing liaisons. Sam hopes to meet with students to help them become their most successful selves!
Who Are The SAMs?
Learn more about the Simmons Academic Mentors.