Class of 2027

carson belaire

Hi everyone! My name is Carson Belaire (he/him). I’m a sophomore double majoring in Engineering Studies and Economics and minoring in Español. I was also born and raised in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and love the desert heat, camels, and anything hummus! Outside being a new member of McKelvy, I’m a DYER fellow for entrepreneurship, an RA in the best dorm (Keefe), a Whitman Scholar, and a housing chair for Refugee Action. I am also one of the members of the renowned Beaver People band, in which you can find me playing my guitar and singing. If you ever see me walking or rolling by, give me a wave as I love to meet new people!

katherine jaimes

Holaaa, my name is Katherine Jaimes (she/her). I am Class of 2027 and an International Affairs and Econ double major! I come from New Haven, Connecticut but I am  a proud citizen of the US and Peru and I’ll never shut up about carrying 100% Peruvian blood. I am truly very honored and proud to be part of our Mckelvy community and eager to engage with all my admirable peers. Aside from Mckelvy, I am the Dance Captain for Salsa/Bachata and I say this to SHAMELESSLY plug Salsa/Bachata, it is an amazing opportunity to socialize and meet new people and we are accepting new members of all skill levels! We also have added my own personal workshops/classes to include a more varied selection of Latin Dance Styles (ex: Merengue, Reggaeton, Cha Cha, etc) as well as some Peruvian traditional dances which I teach as well!  All of this is to say that my heart will forever belong to dancing and if you don’t choose to join the Salsa Family, it’s okay! But please come to our shows you WON’T REGRET IT.  Aside from Salsa/Bachata, I form part of many intercultural groups on campus, but I will specially highlight ISA (my true home away from home). Other than that, I am the public relations chair for Spanish Speakers, part of the International Orientation Team, a Conversation partner in Spanish and English, and now an official EAP Tutor (English) on campus. My favorite hobby is procrastinating my homework by chatting (BIG YIKES), so please if you ever see me around campus please stop by as I LOVE meeting new people. Besos <3

Bryan Kibet

What’s up! My name is Bryan Kibet (he/him). I’m a sophomore majoring in Economics and Gov Law (possible Policy studies too) and this is my 1st year in the house. I was born in Maryland (15 minutes out of DC) but frequently travel to Kenya (I’m fluent in Swahili) where my parents and whole extended family are from! So going from a bustling city to a calm environment is quite a change. Besides being a McKelvy scholar, I’m a Posse scholar, part of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Rho Chapter, chair of student organizations and co-chair of the budget committee in Student Government, PR chair of the Lafayette Mar-Keys, Marquis players, and Lafayette activities forum. As you can tell I love to stay busy so you’ll find me ALL over campus! At the house you can find me in the gardens laying flat on the grass, the 3rd floor common area, or in the living room scrolling on tiktok instead of studying. In my free time I love to sleep, yap because apparently I’m a yapper, do anything outdoors, hangout/play sports with friends, don’t ever call me a theatre kid, but I enjoy doing musicals. Being in a community in this setting is totally different then what I’m used to and how I grew up, but I’m excited for this opportunity and the blessings it’ll bring. Also I work at the college store so swing by and say hi…maybe I’ll give you a discount!

nicole lenkiewicz

Hi! My name is Nicole Lenkiewicz (she/her), I am a sophomore from Clark, New Jersey. I am a Biology major so I most definitely spend way more time in RISC than I should…you can find me working as a TA for Biology 111, and in Dr. Ospina-Giraldo’s lab as an EXCEL Scholar! I traveled to Poland this summer, so if you see me on campus, do not hesitate to stop and ask me about my trip (my picture is actually from Poland)! I will for sure yap on and on about it! Fun fact…I am fluent in Polish and it was my first language! I love to play tennis, so I am so excited to be a captain this year for the Club Tennis team! In my free time you will catch me at Mojo drinking way too much coffee, listening to music (especially Harry Styles), playing tennis (favorite tennis player is Hubert Hurkacz), and being my own personal stylist. Please feel free to stop me on campus and say hi, I am always looking to make new friends!

barbara odae

Hi! My name is Barbara (she/her). I’m from The Bronx, NY and this marks my first year as a McKelvy Scholar! I’m an intended Anthropology & Sociology and Spanish double major. On campus, I’m on the executive boards Refugee Action, Alternative School Break, the Lafayette African & Caribbean Student Association (much love from Ghana, thee Gold Coast). Between classes you may also find me speed walking around campus to my shifts as an intern at the Gateway Career Center or a Dean’s Ambassador at Feather House. I love all things jewelry – from making and selling bracelets to finding festivals and slowly building up my arsenal of rings, necklaces and the like! I’m also very into music, books, and movies, so I’m all ears for song recommendations of any kind. Please do say hello if you see me around campus – just give me a moment to take my airpods out <3

 

ava oliphant

Hey! I’m Ava Oliphant (she/her) and I am a sophomore and new member of McKelvy! My hometown is Sellersville, PA, but I also grew up in Marysville, Ohio (go Buckeyes!). I’m a Biology major and Chemistry minor with hopes of applying to dental school eventually. Pray for me. On campus, you’ll find me in RISC at the Bio-Inclusions Committee or working as a TA. I also did research in the biology department over the summer studying birds, so if you ask me about them I will talk your ear off. I can equally ramble about dentistry, and I am so happy to be the secretary of the Pre-Dental Society this year! If I’m not in RISC, you’ll also find me volunteering with the Landis Center, working with elementary school kids or tearing it up to an Elvis song at Gracedale Nursing Home. Dance is such a passion of mine, so I love to perform and choreograph with the Lafayette Dance Company! Outside of academics and clubs, I am an animal lover (with seven pets at home), Hozier enthusiast, crochet amateur, and pretty solid baker. If you see me around campus, come say hi!

lillian sampson

Hi! My name is Lilly Sampson (she/her), I am a sophomore from East Brunswick, New Jersey. I am majoring in history (possibly anthropology & sociology as well tbd) with a minor in architectural studies. I LOVE old styles of architecture which fueled my interest in Mckelvy. It’s only my first year but, within the house I’ve found an amazing community as well. Currently, I’m working as an intern in the Williams Art Center archives for Lehigh Valley 250. I started last year and I’ve loved getting to see the amazing artworks and content we have. I’m also a CaPA scholar because I enjoy making art as well. When I’m not in the coolest room on campus, you can find me attending pilates or yoga classes, talking way too much in all my classes, or getting a lavender iced latte at mojo. Still, my favorite places are the archives (check out the California Whaling Log at Skillman; it’s the coolest thing ever) and Ramer (because I love our history department). I look forward to getting more involved this year and trying some new things as well. If you see me around campus feel free to say hi, I’ll probably be wearing an interesting outfit we can talk about :).

dashawn sheffield

Hi hi! My name is Dashawn (he/him) and this is my first year as a McKelvy Scholar! I’m from Newark, New Jersey and double-majoring in Government and Law and International Affairs. On campus, I’m on the exec board of ABC (Association of Black Collegians), QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) and an Open Education Fellow. When I’m not in Lower Farinon, you can find me either speed-walking to my Pilates class and the gym or to my shifts at Feather House, Pfenning Alumni Center, and Skillman Library. I love everything revolving around the 90s (I’m most likely the biggest Mariah Carey fan you’ll ever meet) and playing badminton in my free time. If you ever see me around campus, feel free to say hi!

audrey weisenberger

Hey mamas! My name is Audrey (any pronouns) and I am a sophomore Physics and Environmental Science double major. I’m from Richmond, Virginia (the best city in the U.S.). This is my first year living in the house and I am already loving living with my baddies so much. I am the Internal Relations Chair and (surprising no one) the Food and Garden Chair. On campus, I volunteer with Easton Garden Works and Easton Urban Farms, work on LaFarm and run our WestWard Market stand, am an Eco-Rep, Co-Chair of climbing club (join LOST!!), and am a soon-to-be sheep farmer/cheese maker. This summer I worked with LaFarm and Easton Garden Works growing and distributing produce, working in food pantries, and doing food systems research with Dr. END and Professor Cohen. If you ever have any questions about food/food systems at Lafayette, I’m your girl! I’m excited to hang out with all of my wonderful McKelvy baes this year <3