College Success Mentors is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and maintaining student excellence through individualized one-on-one student-mentor interactions. Our mission is to provide personalized guidance and support to help students achieve their academic and personal goals. We believe that every student has the potential to succeed with the right mentorship and resources. Our mentors are committed to making a positive impact on students’ lives. We offer a variety of services, including academic tutoring, career advice, and personal development coaching. By partnering with schools and community organizations, we strive to reach as many students as possible. Our program is designed to be flexible and adaptable to meet the unique needs of each student. We are passionate about empowering students to realize their full potential and succeed in their academic pursuits. Join us in our mission to create a brighter future for students through dedicated mentorship.

Board of Directors

President

Junaid Mohammed

junaid.m@csmchicago.org

Junaid holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago in Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience. He has held various leadership positions throughout college and has worked on a variety of projects ranging from mental health to student development. In addition to being the founder and Mentor of College Success Mentors, Junaid is the Chief Writer and Editor at TheScienceDecoder.com, a website dedicated to making complex science topics accessible to all. Junaid’s future plans include pursuing a Masters in Physiology and attending medical school.

Vice President

Natalie Shamon

natalie.s@csmchicago.org

Natalie holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Loyola University Chicago with a double minor in Neuroscience and Arabic. Natalie has experience serving in various student organizations on campus and has extensive work as a researcher on circadian rhythms. Natalie currently works at the Pape Lab for Neurodegenerative Research at Northwestern and plans on pursuing a PhD focused on neurodegenerative disease research.

Treasurer

Ricky Rivera

Ricky Rivera is a senior at Loyola University Chicago, double majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science. He developed an interest in research while working as a high school summer intern in Dr. Cho’s organic chemistry lab. His passion for research led him to work alongside Dr. Wang on improving graph neural networks and with Dr. Grella’s MNEME lab, examining PTSD in mice models. Furthermore, he works as a Software Engineer intern at CCC Intelligent Solutions. In his downtime, he enjoys hiking, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, powerlifting and photography. Future plans for Ricky include pursuing a Masters in Computer Science.

Secretary

Sara Sadok

Sara Sadok, a recent Biology graduate from Loyola University Chicago, has held roles such as Director of DOP Film and Arts, Founder/President of the LUC Book Club, and VP of the Wellness Advocates. Sara has a passion for mental health and its advocacy, which led her to be involved in these various programs due to their connection with promoting mental well-being in some capacity. She is also a research assistant with Dr. Conley’s IMPACT Lab, focusing on mental health research. Sara enjoys reading, biking, and pretending to be a dessert food critic with her friends. Her future plans include attending medical school.

Strategic Development

Wisam Achmar

Wisam is a senior at Loyola University of Chicago majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Arabic. Wisam is passionate about dentistry with plans to attend dental school and works as a dental assistant in addition to school. In his free time, Wisam enjoys socializing with friends and family, playing video games, working in dental offices, and managing several e-commerce stores specializing in medical-industrial products. Wisam is also the eldest of 5 siblings and loves playing with his 3-year old brother.

Board Member

J. William Rogers

Jerell, who goes by ‘JR’, is a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Political Science. JR has extensive experience working in student organizations on campus including serving as the Chief Diversity Officer for Loyola’s Student Government and being a part of the Leadership Council for the Rambler Brotherhood Project. JR is interested in comprehensive business management and public service.

Officers

Mentorship Program Director

Jessica (Jessie) Zovak

Jessie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global Studies and a minor in Arabic from Loyola University Chicago. In college, Jessie held tutoring positions at local public schools and for adult refugees. Currently, she is an Intern at the International Rescue Committee, where she develops lesson plans and teaches adult refugees. Jessie is passionate about peace and conflict resolution studies and hopes to continue developing her academic knowledge and foreign language skills to best serve her local and international communities. She enjoys reading, playing sports, and playing music with her family. Her future plans include traveling and studying languages.

Assistant Program Director

Danish Kadri

Danish Kadri is a senior at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School for Journalism and Mass Communication. Inspired by a lack of diverse voices in media he hopes to represent his community. Danish aims to use his writing skills and journalistic integrity to combat misinformation and report the facts. In his off time he is a UCF rated chess player and authors the newsletter A Young Man’s Guide To Navigating The Modern Era.

Social Media Manager

Syed Majeed

Syed is a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Computer Science with a passion for technology and digital marketing. Syed has lived in Rogers Park for most of his life and is eager to help pave the way for students from his community to attain a college education. Syed has experience as a content manager for Arrupe Student Services and the Arrupe Muslims Student Association, where he played a key role in enhancing their digital presence. Syed enjoys soccer and photography and runs an Instagram page where he shares his work.