Aileen Perez-Aguilar joined us as a WISCIENCE Peer Leader in spring 2024. Peer Leaders are undergraduate students who support their peers in WISCIENCE programs and courses while learning valuable leadership skills. Find out more about Aileen and her experience as a Peer Leader!
Pronouns: She/her
Peer Leader for: Exploring Biology (INTEGSCI 100)
Major: Neurobiology with certificates in Psychology and Leadership
Hometown: Whitewater, WI
If you could choose anyone to be a mentor to you, who would it be?
My greatest mentor will always be my mom. She is the strongest person I know and I value her and her lessons greatly.
What is your favorite place on campus?
My favorite place on campus will always be Lake Mendota. Skating while it’s frozen or swimming in the Wisconsin heat, I have the best memories there!
What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
I am a Wisconsin Tridelta member, an active CeO scholar participant, Chi Ro member, and PALMA
What do you like most about Madison?
Whether I need a peaceful nature walk on Lakeshore Path or a fun night out on State Street, there is always something to do in Madison. Though, even when I am staying in studying, the amazing friends I have made here are always by my side. It’s the people that make the place, and I will forever be grateful that Madison brought us together.
What are your favorite snacks for a study session?
A large bowl of frozen grapes will get me through my long study nights. But in a desperate cramming session, I give into the kettle cooked chips and nerds gummy clusters.
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I’d be a butterfly, so that I can gracefully fly anywhere I need and be close to all the flowers.
What is your hidden talent?
I can play the flute and violin!
What is an academic accomplishment that you are proud of?
Leaving each semester better than the previous.
What sparked your interest in STEM?
I have always wanted to understand the whole story. The story of how we are here, how we breathe air in our lungs, how our immune system protects us, how plants can migrate, and how it impacts our world. Since being a STEM major, I have learned and have made sense of how our world works, and how to progress as the generations go on.
What is your vision for life after graduation?
After graduation, I hope to secure a placement in a medical program and take a gap year to gain clinical experience before beginning my journey as a medical student!
What advice would you give a friend considering becoming a peer leader?
Becoming a Peer Leader has been one of the most rewarding ways to give back to all that Madison has done for me. Coming from someone who has not had the perfect college experience and still finding ways to thrive, I get the opportunity to reassure incoming students that not all paths are linear, but to enjoy the journey anyway!
Being able to mentor those who are fresh to university life is rewarding in so many ways, for the student but for you as well. Your interpersonal communication skills, interview skills, advice skills, and teamwork abilities will grow and thrive within this program. I am also happy to say I have made some amazing friends thanks to this program!
What have you learned through your experience of being a peer leader?
I have learned that in helping incoming students grow into the “college” versions of themselves, I have grown into a better version of myself in the process. I have gained more experience on what it is like to work as a team, to have difficult conversations with students, to find joy in celebrating students victories with more excitement than if they were my own, and gain confidence in myself as a leader.
Meet the rest of the WISCIENCE Peer Leaders.
Learn more about the WISCIENCE Peer Leader program.