Mentor Biography

My name is Kazandra Crisostomo, and this is my second year at UCF as Aerospace Engineering major. I graduated from Wider Horizons School, which is a small private school in Spring Hill, Florida. My favorite class so far has been the Fundamentals of Music class. I’ve played violin for eight years, and even now I still love music. It has been interesting to learn more about music theory than in any of my other instrument lessons. One of my favorite professors is Chris Botelho. I’ve only had him for Calculus III, but I enjoy his style of teaching. During his lessons, he always pauses after finishing a statement or example to see if we have any questions about the material. He also makes sure to talk with us and discuss any problems that we have with our homework. He likes to ask the class for input on how he teaches, such as preparing slides or writing down everything so we can write things down at the same pace. I decided to involve myself with this program because my school was small and graduating with one other person doesn’t give a lot of people you could talk to. This program allows you to interact with so many people. It’s refreshing to know just how many types of people there are in the world. Even if you meet people in the same major, having a common trait can be comforting for those that don’t like too much variety. I spend my free time singing my lungs away, playing games with my friends, and watching anime.

Words of advice: Don’t be afraid to speak to others. Just talking to one new person could bring about an amazing relationship.