Meet the Counselors

Meet the Counselors

2025 Summer Counselors Team

	Meet Alexis (they/them), peer counselor for STP summer 2025! Alexis is a rising senior majoring in Sociology and minoring in Urban Studies and Social Justice. They are a current member of Radical Student Union and Students for Justice in Palestine. They have also received honors as a member of the Sociology Honors Society and was recently inducted into the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honors Society for first-generation college students. As a second-year STP counselor, Alexis hopes to help you make the transition to college seem less intimidating. Alexis was also a part of STP their freshman year and credits the program for where they met one of their closest friends. When they are not in Fredericksburg, they reside in Falls Church, Virginia with their mom, twin, and younger sibling. A fun fact about Alexis is that they dye and cut their siblings’ hair. They have also dyed their hair to match with their friend who recently graduated.
	Meet Asia Lockett, peer counselor for STP summer 2025! Asia is a rising junior majoring in Biomedical Sciences and is a student athlete at Mary Wash (i.e., Rugby). She is deeply involved in the STARS Center and is passionate about supporting underrepresented students through mentorship and advocacy. When she is not in Fredericksburg, she resides in Warsaw, Virginia, with her mother and siblings. On campus, Asia has served as a campus liaison for her rugby team, an ambassador for the STARS program, and is committed to creating inclusive spaces wherever she goes. Being a former STP participant herself, Asia is excited to complete the cycle by now stepping into the role of peer counselor. She credits the program with helping her build lasting friendships and teaching her what it means to thrive in an environment away from home, both academically and personally. A fun fact about Asia: She’s currently studying phlebotomy on the side, and when she is not studying, she is giving her 3 nieces her undivided attention!
	Meet Valerie Palomares Torres, peer counselor for STP summer 2025! Valerie is a rising junior majoring in Political Science and Spanish and is active in the UMW community through clubs and events like Women of Color and Sabor Latino! Originally from Richmond, VA, she lives with her brother and her parents, when she isn’t with her roommates or in the Stars office at UMW. She is excited to be back for STP as she participated in the program her freshman year and found some of her best friends through the program. Valerie believes STP’s directors and counselors passed on valuable knowledge about university life and personal connections, and she hopes to do the same to the incoming freshman class.   Because of her Mexican upbringing in Richmond, she dedicates herself to giving back to the community and helping various clubs at UMW. She has been the President of the Latino Student Association ever since Fall 2024 and does everything to make sure the club represents the Latino community properly and hosts great events as well. Valerie also loves to take part in the arts world, as she enjoys working with different mediums such as painting and printmaking. Her favorite is graphite! This love for arts and crafts has grown while at UMW, starting in her freshman year when she learned to crochet with the Yarnworks Club, eventually becoming the club’s Treasurer!
	Meet Sarah Moon, peer counselor for STP Summer 2025! Sarah is a rising junior majoring in English. She serves as the Secretary of Women of Color, Team Leader for the STARS Ambassadors, and a student intern for the English & Linguistics Department. She is also an active member of the Latino Student Association and the Asian Student Association, where she engages with UMW’s diverse communities and works to promote inclusivity and empathy for underrepresented groups. This summer, Sarah hopes to create not only a valuable learning experience for incoming UMW students but also a fun and welcoming environment—complete with community-building and maybe even a few Just Dance sessions. STP was once a space where she felt safe to be herself and form new friendships, and she hopes to help offer that same experience to the new class.   When she’s not at school in Fredericksburg, Sarah lives in Loudoun County, Virginia, with her mother and two siblings (fun fact: she’s a triplet). In her free time, she enjoys reading contemporary fiction and is often found immersed in the works of authors like Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro.
	Meet Destiny Ward, peer counselor for STP Summer 2025! Destiny is a rising Junior majoring in Psychology and is an active volunteer at the Gwen Hale Resource Center on campus. She also is a leader of several campus clubs and organizations including POTS club. In connection with POTS club, she is a student representative for councils that support students with disabilities and disability awareness month. She is also a proud member of the first-generation national honors society, Alpha Alpha Alpha, the UMW honors program, and Delta Alpha Pi. Some clubs that she takes part in leisurely are Voices of Praise, Bee Club, and Women of Color.   When she is not in Fredericksburg, she travels to see loved ones in Richmond and Portsmouth, Virginia. Destiny is a former participant of STP is looking forward to supporting incoming students through their transition. She feels as if the STP program is one of the most supportive, fun, and beneficial programs offered on campus. In her free time, she enjoys trying new eateries, doing puzzles, and playing video games. Over time she has developed a keen interest in the study of individuals with disabilities along with Asian culture and languages. In the future she hopes to combine her interest and develop criminal profiling systems, and advocate for minorities with disabilities.
	Meet Teresa Larrea-Santillan, peer counselor for STP summer 2025! Teresa is a rising senior double majoring in Philosophy and Spanish and the social media manager for the French Language and Culture Club. When she is not in Fredericksburg she resides in Lorton, Virginia with her father. She has been an active member of the Latino Student Association, Pre-Law Club and French Language and Culture Club for the past two years. Teresa was a part of the STP class of summer 2022. She feels that being a part of STP helped her start her college career successfully both academically and socially.   Teresa is eager to be able to pass on the knowledge she has gained in her past three years at UMW to incoming freshmen. Two fun facts about Teresa are that she has a dog named Chico and she studied abroad in Spain last summer.
	Meet Sienna Sandiford (she/her), peer counselor for STP summer 2025! Sienna is a rising sophomore majoring in International Affairs and currently serves as the treasurer of the UMW Black Student Association. Residing in Manassas, Virginia, Sienna lives with her parents, brother, and their family dog. Her Caribbean upbringing and life just outside Washington, D.C. have strongly shaped her experience at UMW, fueling her appreciation for cultural identity through her work in BSA and sparking her interest in political studies through her coursework. On campus, she co-hosts On The Mic on WMWC Radio, is an Honors Scholar, Impact Program member, a Phi Eta Sigma inductee, and has been a Fellow for a successful congressional campaign within the past year. This coming year, Sienna will serve as a RISE (Resources Inspiring Student Excellence) Peer Mentor, supporting first-year students from diverse backgrounds, and will also step into a new leadership role as Vice President of BSA.   Sienna is especially excited to return to STP this summer as a peer counselor after participating in the program herself last year. She credits STP with helping her get acclimated to college life—especially campus living—and most of all, with helping her meet amazing people who made her transition to UMW smoother and more enjoyable. A fun fact about Sienna: during the pandemic, she listened to a new album daily. When she’s not studying or volunteering, you can usually find her curating music playlists or spending time with friends.
	Meet Meredith Walburn, peer counselor for STP Summer 2025! Meredith is a rising junior majoring in Music and Art History, and is a local from Spotsylvania, County Virginia. She plays cello in the UMW Philharmonic and the Virginia Cello Ensembles, double bass in the UMW String Ensemble, and is the electric bassist for the UMW Pep Band, as well as playing numerous concerts with the UMW Choirs. She is a music department employee, and spends her free time going to many concerts and plays.   On campus, she is a mentor for the Soft Landing Program, on the ministry team for the House Episcopal Lutheran Campus Ministries, takes part in the Renaissance and Neurodiversity clubs, and is about to be a mentor for the RISE program.   She is a former STP program participant, as well as the Impact program her freshman year, and has been on a volunteering trip with ASB to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with Habitat for Humanity. She has studied abroad in Austria, and now the Czech Republic.