The Peer Career Coach program is comprised of a group of student leaders dedicated to serving their peers through the career development process, working alongside full-time staff in the Career Services office. Peer Career Coaches (PCCs) are responsible for providing peers with résumé, cover letter, LinkedIn, Handshake, and other professional advice through walk-in advising. The PCCs will conduct individual appointments Monday through Friday from 12:30–3:30 virtually.
Students meeting with PCCs will experience the same level of professionalism as Career Development Coaches, but with the added benefit of gaining a student perspective on career and job search strategies.
Meet Your Peer Career Coaches
Priscilla Akpabio
Hello! My name is Priscilla! My major is mechanical engineering, and my favorite things to do are hiking and any activities involving nature. I am also very passionate about climate change and a strong advocate for sustainable living and being eco-friendly.
Devyani Gauri
Hello! My name is Devyani, and I am a third-year student majoring in artificial intelligence with a minor in music and a specialization in data science. I am also an international student at Illinois Tech, trying to find my place in the world—literally. On campus, I’m a Peer Career Coach at Career Services and a Hawk Ambassador in the admissions office. I am also involved in RHA as a part of the marketing team. So stop me anywhere and say hi, because chances are I will be happy to talk about almost anything. Along with being a computer science nerd, I am also very involved in music and music-related things. Singing is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m happy to talk about songs and song recommendations. I’m also a Social Justice Ambassador, while also being involved in the Association for Computing Machinery-Women. I love going to conferences, meeting new people, and just overall being creative in any sort of way.
Xochitl Castel
I'm pursuing my bachelor’s of architecture degree here at Illinois Tech. Born and raised in Chicago, I have an enthusiastic interest in the city’s architectural and cultural history and its impact on design across the world. Currently, I am involved with the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS), which aims to improve the lives of minority architecture students in many aspects, and LIFE/HACE, which focuses on providing opportunities to Hispanic students and allies. I enjoy working as a Peer Career Coach because I love to help students prepare for their professional experiences, all while being inspired by their own enthusiasm. One piece of advice I have for students is to remember that life goes on; the only thing to do is learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward!
Zahra Khuwaja
My name is Zahra, and I am a third-year architectural engineering student and minoring in psychology. I absolutely love to travel and box. Being a Peer Career Coach is an excellent way for me to give back to the department that helped me immensely in my professional endeavors, and I am very excited and grateful to take on this new role.
Maira Zamir
My name is Maira Zamir. I am a second year pursuing my bachelor of architecture. My favorite things to do are eat, watch movies, read, spend time with friends and family, be in nature, and pet cats. I believe in taking on life one step at a time. So if you feel stressed or unhappy, know that nobody’s perfect and everybody has their own personal struggles. We all like to portray our lives as perfect, but perfection is something that does not exist!
Contact
Email tdeguzman@iit.edu for any questions about the Peer Career Coach program.