First-Year Counselors (FroCos)
The First-Year Counselor Program “affords first-year students access to experienced, mature, and knowledgeable members of the senior class. The program selects exceptional seniors to live among first-year students on Old Campus or in residential colleges and offer oversight, advice, and guidance. First-Year Counselors, colloquially known as ‘FroCos,’ seek to ease the transition of incoming first-years to the academic, social, and cultural life of Yale College.”
Ezra Stiles has 10 FroCos from diverse backgrounds and unique experiences in their time as undergraduates. They are beyond excited to be working with the newest class of first-year moose, and living with them in beautiful Welch Hall on Old Campus!
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Laila Davson is from Stafford, Virginia, a suburb 35 minutes outside of Washington, D.C. (but if you ask her, she originally hails from New Jersey!) She is majoring in Political Science and completing a certificate in Education Studies. She focuses on education politics and equitable educational policy for students of color. At her core, she loves kids and young people, and she hopes to build a career serving them. During her time at Yale, Laila has worked as a Student Assistant at the Afro-American Cultural Center and has been on the executive boards of a few of its student groups, including Yale Steppin’ Out and the Generational African American Students Association. Outside of The House, Laila worked previously as a Research Assistant in the Yale Institute of Social and Policy Studies, and an usher for the Yale School of Music. She was also involved with Camp Yale’s FOCUS program and the Yale Democracy Project. Beyond Yale, she volunteers tutoring students in math and college prep strategies to supplement their education. If there is anything you should know about Laila, it’s that she loves music. She played alto saxophone for eight years and studied music theory in high school. If you ever want to talk music tastes or vinyl record collecting, she’s your girl. She also loves cozy, playful hobbies like needle felting, playing Super Mario games, and painting. Laila is so excited to get to know the next generation of Stiles First-Years! |
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David Gaetano (he/him) is from Milford, Connecticut, where he has lived his whole life. He is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Yale, along with a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in French. His academic interests lie in materials science, where he is currently involved in research and plans to pursue a graduate degree after graduation. On campus, David is an active member of the Yale Aerospace Association, where he led Project Rocket during his junior year, overseeing the design and launch of high-power experimental rockets. He is also a senior staff writer for the Yale Scientific Magazine, where he writes articles about novel research at Yale and beyond. In addition, he served as Program Director for Splash at Yale, a student-run educational outreach initiative that brings local students to campus for a day of classes taught by Yale undergraduates (a program he actually participated in as a middle-schooler). Outside of academics, David enjoys running, traveling on breaks (finding the cheapest flights out of New Haven), and finding the best coffee shops in New Haven—ask him for recs! He is so excited to be a Froco this year and help new Stilesians have a memorable first year at Yale! |
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Jack Griffin (he/him) is a Mechanical Engineering major from San Antonio, Texas who has been waiting to be a FroCo since first year! He is now an Equipment core-head for FOOT, a program he cannot say enough good things about, a member of the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team Superfly, the President of the ASL at Yale club (ASLaY), and a member of Project Liquid, a branch of the Yale Undergraduate Aerospace Association (YUAA) building a 10’ tall liquid rocket from scratch!
He is a lover of live music who is learning to play the bass guitar and enjoys doom/stoner rock, classic rock/blues, and any and all flavors of alternative/indie rock (90s especially). Ask him about mountain biking, food allergies, the foster care system, and secondhand clothes! To the new Stiles frosh, welcome to the Herd!! GFM <3 |
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Alex Monteagudo is a first-generation, Mexican-American student from Jacksonville, Florida. Studying Economics and Political Science, through ROTC he will commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy after graduation. At Yale, he volunteers as a college advisor for Matriculate, was a Co-President of BlackGen Capital at Yale (a finance group for Black and Latino students), served as a Co-Director of Professional Development for the Junior Class Council, and worked as the treasurer for Yale Visual Artists. In his free time, Alex likes to stay active with weightlifting and basketball, reading (mainly biographies/ history), and acrylic painting. He’s excited to give back to Stiles and show the ‘29ers how lucky they got with their residential college!” |
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Irving Morris (he/him) is from Lexington, KY, known for its horses and college basketball team (go cats!). A Chemistry major, Irving is interested in drug discovery and Chemical Biology but also enjoys studying Korean language and Dance. Outside of his studies, he serves as co-president of the hip-hop dance group Rhythmic Blue and is a member of both Yale Movement and Yale Dance Lab. When he’s not in the lab or dancing, you can find Irving ushering at the Yale School of Music or attending Ezra Stiles College Council meetings. A proud Stilesian, he loves hanging out at the buttery, attending Stiles events, and practicing in the dance studio. Irving is excited to meet the Stiles Class of ‘29 and can’t wait to introduce his frosh to the best college at Yale! Welcome to the Herd! |
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Rayhan Negedu is from Stratford, Connecticut, a short Metro-North trip from Yale’s campus. He is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and is passionate about using material science to improve part design and manufacturing. Throughout college, Rayhan has been an active member of the Yale Undergraduate Aerospace Association and conducts research on welding and structural materials for space. When he’s not on Hillhouse Avenue, Rayhan enjoys being part of the Yale Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship and playing trumpet for the Yale Gospel Choir. In his free time, Rayhan loves playing/recording music in Stiles, playing soccer (Go Arsenal!) and basketball (Go Knicks!), and doing photography around New Haven. He is excited to meet the class of 2029 and welcome them all to Ezra Stiles, the best residential college! |
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Lea Papa (she/her) is a first-generation Albanian college student from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is majoring in neuroscience and pursing an Education Studies Certificate, planning to eventually attend medical school. She is interested in infant neurodevelopment and the mechanisms behind childhood neurological disorders. At Yale, she conducts research with the Before and After Baby Lab at the Child Study Center of Yale School of Medicine, studying the neurobiological and cognitive changes that occur during pregnancy and motherhood. Lea is an active member of the Yale Scientific Magazine, having previously served as Scope Editor and currently as a Senior Staff Writer. She serves as the co-chair of Girls in Science and is involved in the Yale Dabke dance group and Yale Albanian Student Society. In her free time, Lea enjoys scrapbooking, tea and Mario Party nights with friends, and baking. She is so excited to meet her frosh and welcome all the new Moose to the Herd! |
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Karla Perdomo Núñez (she/her) is majoring in Global Affairs, with a Spanish and Human Rights Certificate. She was born in the Dominican Republic and then moved to Florida when she was 4, and then to New Jersey where she has lived since. She is on the board of the Dominican Students Association and the Yale Undergraduate Human Rights Journal. She also serves as an interpreter for the Legal Services Clinic at the Yale Law School, co-Head Peer Liaison at La Casa Cultural, and is a Spanish Tutor at Yale’s CLS. Within her role on board of the Yale International Relations Association she has led 4 different international Model UN conferences for high school students abroad! In her free time Karla loves to knit, crochet, spend time outside, thrift, travel, and dance! Her favorite part of Yale has undoubtedly been the amazing people she has met and her favorite season at Yale is the spring, when everyone brings out their blankets and cross-campus becomes a social space, (Yalies thrive in the sun!)! Karla is so excited to meet the new generation of froshmoose!
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Saron Tefera is from Cincinnati, Ohio, but she was born and raised in Harar, Ethiopia. In her free time, she loves making matcha, thrifting, reading, watching really old Ethiopian music videos, and learning niche facts about anything and everything. Saron is majoring in Economics and is passionate about the economic development of emerging markets. Saron is also a devout Christian and spends a lot of time in Bible study! On campus, Saron has been involved with the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY)––from serving as the first-year peer liaison to becoming a co-president. She was also a creative director for Maison, the fashion collective, and works as a student Pedagogical Partner for the Poorvu Center. Outside of class, you’ll probably find Saron in the Elm getting tea or at Lalibela enjoying Ethiopian food (she’s a foodie if you couldn’t tell). She is beyond excited to meet the new members of the Stiles herd :) and show the wonderful frosh just how great Stiles and Yale are. |
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Kaylen Yun is from New Haven, Connecticut—home to the best pizza in the world and soon, all the incoming Stiles meese! She is majoring in Global Affairs and Economics and is interested in international development. At Yale, she has served as the Co-President of Migration Alliance at Yale, the Public School Intern Coordinator, and the Public School Intern at Elm City Montessori School. She has also been part of Yale Students for Christ, Yale Women’s Club Soccer, the Yale Policy Institute, and the Jackson School of Global Affairs as a World Fellow Student Liaison. In her free time, she loves going on runs on the Farmington Canal Trail, thrifting, playing card games, and joining in on literally any pick-up sport. She’s always open to giving New Haven restaurant and activity recs, and she can’t wait to welcome her frosh to the Stiles community!! |
