Meet the SHIP Mentors for 2008-09

SHIP mentors are here to help new students get on board! Our student mentors have a year of experience in SHIP and know what new students will be going through. They are here to help incoming students become acclimated to the SHIP program and the university. SHIP mentors serve as academic role models, as great resources, and as friends.

As you'll see below, these students are dynamic and we hope their positive energy will motivate new first year students to become involved in many activities - conversation and culture corners, sports, volunteering, international travel, and meeting new people.

Katie O'Block - SHIP Senior Mentor 2008-09

Hello SHIPsters! 
Welcome to college! My name is Katie. I have red hair, that pretty much explains me. I love, LOVE the outdoors. I need a daily dose of sunshine to avoid going crazy. I grew up in Durango, CO. I ride bikes in the summer and ski in the winter, I just picked up telemark skiing and it's a BLAST! I am a News Broadcast Major here at CU and frequently bust out dance moves. If you ever want to jam with me, stop by the SHIP office. I love all kinds of music and am slowly learning how to play the piano. I love french toast and am horrible at sitting still for long periods of time. Stop by anytime and talk, I would love to hear all about you. I can't wait for a wonderful year!

Avery Balsiger - SHIP Mentor 2008-09

Hey there! My name is Avery Balsiger and I`m one of your new mentors! I can`t express how excited I am! What about me? Well, I am from El Paso, TX. I came to Colorado because I am a big outdoors person! I love to play tennis, ski, snowboard, climb, etc.

Right now I am a double major in French and International Affairs, but I am sensing a change in the winds. I absolutely love traveling to other countries and learning about other cultures and experiencing them. If you love that too, then you are definitely in the right place. I have completed one study abroad program through CU and definitely will be looking into more. I am also involved in FOCUS (Foundation of Catholic University Students) here on campus so if you are looking for a buddy to go to mass with, let me know!!

I totally understand the difficulties and challenges of being a freshman in college. Please don`t hesitate to come to me for anything. Whether it`s help with locating your classes, doing laundry, or help with French homework feel free to come to me!! I love to talk, but if you just need a silent friend I love to do that as well.

Welcome to SHIP!! I can`t wait to get to know every single one of you!!

Eric Magnuson - SHIP Mentor 2008-09

Hey, everyone! My name's Eric Magnuson, and I'm excited to be one of your mentors for the upcoming year! To give you a little background about myself, I was born in Boulder, but I grew up in Granby, Colorado and have lived there all my life. I love to play soccer and pool, but I also have a geeky side. In my free time, I love web design, photography, and surfin' the net.

At CU, I'm studying French and computer science. I'm hoping that a computer science degree will help me find a good job and that a French degree will allow me to work abroad. I'm also involved in a few clubs around campus, including the ONE Campaign, STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur), and our very own SHIP French club.

When it comes to learning about the world around me, my big interest is foreign language. I love learning other languages even if its only a few phrases. Like I said, I'm majoring in French, but I'm also studying Russian. In the future, I'd love to learn Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili.

Anyway, don't hesitate to come talk to me! I love meeting new people, and if you need any help with college stuff, I'd be glad to help. I always have an open door, so just drop by.

Heather Fischer - SHIP Mentor 2008-09

My name is Heather and I am your West wing mentor. I am very excited about this upcoming year and reassure you that you have chosen an amazing residential academic program when you signed up for SHIP. Having been apart of SHIP last year, I can tell you that we are going to have a great time eating, and exploring Boulder and all that the CU campus has to offer. I emphasize “eating” because it is one of my favorite things to do and fortunately it is what we spend the majority of our time doing here in SHIP while we learn of different places and cultures around the world. I am an international affairs major who is in love with the French language and am working towards a certificate in peace and conflict studies. Born in San Diego and raised in Colorado I love to travel and have a special interest in Africa. I love to talk about many issues concerning this region so come and find me if you’re of a like mind. As for my hobbies they include but are not limited to Frisbee, running, hiking, cycling and climbing on rocks. I also love to read and would be up for book discussions, preferably fiction but I have been known to wander into the dewy decimal section of the library. I come from a big Irish Catholic family on my mom’s side but my physical characteristics are more thought of as deutsch thanks to my dad. Suffice to say I love cabbage, corned beef and German chocolate cake which is served every Christmas at my Grandma’s. I admit to being addicted to chocolate…yum and I am learning to play the penny whistle (I also play the flute). I know Boulder rather well from the seat of my road bike and would love to introduce you to the many trails and bike paths in the area. I am proud to declare myself a survivor of freshman year and admit to being older and wiser so I am here for anyone who has questions or just needs to talk or hang out. I wish you all a successful year at CU Boulder and can’t wait to meet you. See you this fall!

Kerrie Dochen - SHIP Mentor 2008-09

Hey everyone! I’m Kerrie Dochen and I’m extremely excited to be a mentor this year! I’m from Austin, Texas so I got to go through all of the fun-filled struggles of moving far away from home. I’m so glad I was part of the SHIP community last year, though, since it was one of the main things that actually kept me at CU, and I’m really grateful it did because now I feel at home here! I am currently working on a Psychology major, a Physics minor, and I’m also really interested in learning Spanish, so if ever you need help with any of that stuff, feel free to ask me! I’ll always try to keep my door open and suggest you do the same because that is one of the best ways to get to know everyone you’re going to be living with for the next year. Also, I can’t stress enough how important it is to actually participate in the SHIP events, as well as the other things that are constantly going on around campus. I don’t think I was ever bored at all last year because there’s never a weekend (or many weekdays) when something isn’t happening. I look forward to getting to know all of you and I hope the other mentors and I can help you to make CU your home for the next four (or five) years. Remember, once you’re in SHIP, you’re a SHIPster for life!'

Matt Evett - SHIP Mentor 2008-09

Hello!

My name’s Matthew (call me Matt) Evett. I was born in Tucson, Arizona, but my parents and I have lived in Amarillo, Texas since I was about one year old. I’m a linguistics major, am learning German, and play the cello in the Campus Concert Orchestra (that being the orchestra for non-music majors). I’ve no real idea about what I’m going to do with my major, but I find just about everything about languages fascinating, so eventually I’ll figure something out! (I’m actually inventing my own language, I’ve got about ten words so far!) I also enjoy reading, drawing and hiking.

Several years ago I went to Austria for two weeks, and I plan on studying abroad in Germany my junior year. I also want to visit a lot of other countries around the world (the list’s way too long to put in here). I love SHIP (especially the good food) and love learning about other cultures, no matter where in the world they are. I try to keep my door open a lot, so never hesitate to stop by my room to talk about anything, or just to say hi. This is going to be an amazing year!