PIT Mentor Biographies
The Ware Institute and the PIT Planning Intern organize PIT program. Each spring and during the summer the PIT planning intern and the Ware Institute staff review all applications and make selections for the incoming PIT cohort. The PIT Planning intern organizes the programs for each work group with the community partners, ensures that transportation is provided when needed, orders food and purchases tickets to the many venues that the PITers will visit. This is an eight-week paid internship.
2013 PIT Planning Intern:
Kyle Seelig '15
Hometown: Medford, NJ
Major/ Minor: intended BOS/Cognitive Science Joint major, Philosophy minor
PIT Group: H4H
Previous PIT Experience: H4H
Service at F&M: Work through my fraternity with the Hole in the Wall organization, founded by Paul Newman as well as contributed to the fundraising of over $36,000 for Relay for Life.
Other Activities: Club Lacrosse, Ware Talks w/ Professor Eigen, Phi Kappa Tau brother, campus catering service
College House Affiliation: Ware College House
Favorite Book: Stranger In a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein
Favorite Food: Swedish Meatballs, homemade by my mom
Favorite Movie: Life Is Beautiful
Something Interesting About Me: This summer I will be going backpacking in the Wyoming wilderness/natural park area for 30 days!
Dream Travel Destination: Paris, France
Best PIT Memory: Central Market. It’s unreal
Elizabeth Donahoe '13
Home Town: Ardsley, PA
Major/Minor: Biology/Pre-Vet/Science, Technology, and Society
PIT Group: OPIT
Previous PIT Experience: 2009 OPITter, 2010 PIT Planning Intern Assistant, 2011 PIT PA
Service at F&M: F&M Cares
Other Activities: Mi Gente Latina, Primate Lab Trainer, Buddhist Meditation
College House Affiliation: Weis
Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice
Favorite Food: My mom's macaroni and cheese
Favorite Movie: IQ
Something Interesting About Me: I helped build a school in rural Nicaragua!
Dream Travel Destination: Giraffe Manor in Kenya
Best PIT Memory: Spending the day at Cherry Crest Farm with my OPIT group and all of our student buddies!!
Ashley Geleta '15
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Major/ Minor: Undecided
PIT Group: OPIT 1
Previous PIT Experience: FFL 2!!!
Service at F&M: F&M Cares
Other Activities: Kappa Delta Sorority, Brooks House Congress Representative, Secretary/Vice President of F&M Cares; F&M Dip Dialer
College House Affiliation: Brooks House
Favorite Book: Harry Potter series!
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Movie: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Something Interesting About Me: I really dislike pants and am a firm believer that leggings are an acceptable replacement.
Dream Travel Destination: Italy
Best PIT Memory: Rose giving us her homemade necklaces at Lancaster Generations.
Rhya Ghose '15
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Major/ Minor: Undeclared
PIT Group: OPIT2
Previous PIT Experience: CACW PITer!
Service at F&M: F&M Cares, THRI
Other Activities: Kappa Delta, Epilogue, F&M yoga
College House Affiliation: New College House
Favorite Book: Love Medicine
Favorite Food: I’m really excited about kiwi right now
Favorite Movie: Can’t go wrong with Disney!
Something Interesting About Me: One of my eyes is lighter than the other
Dream Travel Destination: Outer space
Best PIT Memory: On the last day of PIT, my group was painting a fence and we all agreed to wear white and “accidentally” paint each other’s shirts. Now our shirts serve as a reminder of what a great week we had (but they’re pretty much only socially acceptable to sleep in).
Rebecca Green '14
Hometown: Essex, VT
Major/ Minor: intended Government/ Women Gender Studies
PIT Group:
Previous PIT Experience: As a rising freshman I did OPIT and LOVED it.
Service at F&M: Field Leader of The Human Rights Initiative THRI, which has included volunteering at Reynolds Middle School.
Other Activities: Working at the Admission Office, yoga, playing the piano, exploring Central Market!
College House Affiliation: Ware
Favorite Book: Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof
Favorite Food: Anything with hummus!
Favorite Movie: My Fair Lady
Something Interesting About Me: I am going to South Africa this summer.
Dream Travel Destination: India
Best PIT Memory: Winning color wars and forming long-lasting friendships with my fellow PITters!
Maria Hower '13
Hometown: Skillman, NJ
Major/ Minor: Joint Major in Government and Environmental Studies
PIT Group: Friends For Life- Country Meadows
Previous PIT Experience: PITer (09’) Friends For Life- Lancaster Generations
Service at F&M: SECA (Students for the Environmental Conservation of Animals)
Other Activities: Kappa Delta, Weis House Advisor, Weis House Improvements Committee, Siblings of Weis, and Jasna Polana Outside Operations
College House Affiliation: Weis College House
Favorite Book: To Kill A Mockingbird
Favorite Food: Molasses “Crinkles” Cookies
Favorite Movie: Titanic
Something Interesting About Me: I love to play golf and bake in my free time.
Dream Travel Destination: Maldives
Best PIT Memory: Convincing a friend from my PIT group in 09’ to ride a roller coaster at Hershey Park.
Arielle Leider '14
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Major/ Minor: Math
PIT Group: FFL 1 (Friends for Life)
Previous PIT Experience: FFL Pitter 2010, FFL PA 2011
Service at F&M: : F & M Cares, VITA, THRI, Volunteering at Reynolds Middle School
Other Activities: Tour Guide, Alpha Phi
College House Affiliation: Brooks
Favorite Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain
Favorite Food: Mac n’ Cheese (preferably in spongebob shapes)
Favorite Movie: Wall-e, Mean Girls, Up, and Crazy Stupid Love
Something Interesting About Me: I like to drink small amounts of soy sauce plain…
Dream Travel Destination: London (studying abroad there this Fall!)
Best PIT Memory: Getting to know the PITters and making life-long friends (cheesy but true)
Amanda Loh '13
Home Town: Oradell, NJ
Major/Minor: American Studies
PIT Group: FFL 2 Friends for Life
Previous PIT Experience: 2009 PITer, 2010, 2011 FFL 2 PA
Service at F&M: Director of Philanthropy for Alpha Phi, F&M Cares, Volunteering at Wharton Elementary School
Other Activities: Senior Class President, Weis Assembly of Peers, Writing Center Tutor, Alpha Phi, Black Pyramid Honor Society, Diplomatic Congress
College House Affiliation: WEIS!!
Favorite Book: The Phantom Tollbooth
Favorite Food: Mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese, or anything particularly unhealthy
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans, You've Got Mail
Something Interesting About Me: Nothing says summer like a country music concert.
Dream Travel Destination: Australia
Best PIT Memory: Performing the Party Rock shuffle throughout PIT week, especially at Hershey Park.
Katie Machen '14
Hometown: Monkton, MD
Major/ Minor: Undecided
PIT Group: Habitat for Humanity
Previous PIT Experience: Habitat PITer 2011
Service at F&M: Field leader of The Human Rights Initiative (THRI), including working with Church World Service on a refugee conference; tutoring ESL at St. Peter’s Church; Catastrophic Relief Alliance (CRA)
Other Activities: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Ware Sustainability, Quidditch, Babysitting
College House Affiliation: Ware
Favorite Book: The Little White Bird by J. M. Barrie (other than Harry Potter of course)
Favorite Food: steamed crabs and watermelon
Favorite Movie: Love Actually
Something Interesting About Me: I have big big love almost all things musical theatre and plan to be one of those old people at all the Broadway matinees when I retire
Dream Travel Destination: Backpacking through Europe! Also Peru.
Best PIT Memory: Making music while scraping paint off the floor on our last day at SACA, karaoke in the van every morning, and making some of my best friends at F&M!
P.J. McGinnis '15
Hometown: Collegeville, PA
Major/Minor: Intended BOS/Spanish
PIT Group: FFL 1
Previous PIT Experience: FFL 1
Service at F&M: PIT, Colleges Against Cancer
Other Activities: Equestrian Club
College House Affiliation: Ware
Favorite Book: The Eighty-Dollar Champion
Favorite Food: Brownies
Favorite Movie: Seabiscuit
Something Interesting About Me: I own two show jumping horses and compete along the East Coast throughout the entire year.
Dream Travel Destination: Ireland
Best PIT Memory: Putting on a talent show for the residents at Country Meadows!
Nancy Presnick '14
Hometown: Hamden, CT
Major/ Minor: Neuroscience, Spanish minor
PIT Group: CACW
Previous PIT Experience: 2010 pitter in LRC group and 2011 CACW PA
Service at F&M: Workers Advocacy Group Vice President, Human Rights Initiative member, .08 member, VITA volunteer
Other Activities: Swim Team
College House Affiliation: Brooks
Favorite Book: lots! I’m currently reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
Favorite Food: any dessert
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans
Something Interesting About Me: I’m a pretty artsy person, I like to paint a lot
Dream Travel Destination: I’d like to visit every continent but right now I’d really like to tour South America
Best PIT Memory: Swimming in the pond at Millport last year, some of the pitters were throwing algae at each other while others were in the canoe.
Sarah Rothman '15
Hometown: Bethlehem, PA
Major/ Minor: Undeclared; potential double major, English and Environmental Studies
PIT Group: OPIT 2!
Previous PIT Experience: CACW!
Service at F&M: Various events with F&M Cares and Kappa Delta Sorority, as well as Relay for Life
Other Activities: Hillel, Dance Team, Dance Company, Kappa Delta, Ware Sustainability Committee
College House Affiliation: Ware!
Favorite Book: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Favorite Food: Ice cream
Favorite Movie: Big Fish
Something Interesting About Me: I went to Hawai'i with Brown University on a program to study volcanoes
Dream Travel Destination: Spain
Best PIT Memory: Swimming in the pond at Millport Conservancy, trying to get rid of the overwhelming amount of algae!
Nate Soule '15
Hometown: Chappaqua, NY
Major/ Minor: Double major in Government and French
PIT Group: ONE-CWS
Previous PIT Experience: I was a PITer last year and worked with FFL 2
Service at F&M: Volunteering at Reynolds Middle School, Catastrophic Relief Alliance
Other Activities: Ware College House Parliament, Diplomatic Congress, John Newman Association
College House Affiliation: Ware College House
Favorite Book: Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle
Favorite Food: Anything Italian
Favorite Movie: Batman: The Dark Knight
Something Interesting About Me: I lived in Switzerland for the first 11 years of my life and attended an international school there
Dream Travel Destination: A tour of Italy, starting in Milan and ending in Sicily with stops in Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Rome.
Best PIT Memory: I’d have to say that serving the folks at Lancaster Generations and seeing the genuine joy on their faces each day when we walked in was probably my favorite memory, but I also can’t count out Color Wars and Hershey Park.
Ryan Sukley '15
Hometown: Abington, PA
Major/ Minor: Business / Spanish or International Studies
PIT Group: Clean Air, Clean Water
Previous PIT Experience: H4H PITter ‘11
Service at F&M: F&M Cares, Catastrophic Relief Alliance
Other Activities: Rowing, Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
College House Affiliation: New
Favorite Book: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Favorite Food: Ribs, Corn Bread and Cole Slaw
Favorite Movie: The Boondock Saints
Something Interesting About Me: I used to do science demonstrations at the Franklin Institute in Philly.
Dream Travel Destination: Seville, Spain
Best PIT Memory: Riding the log flume at Hershey Park with ten minutes until we had to leave… then pulling in at the end, soaking wet and cold, and seeing nobody ahead of us in line. So we decided to do it again. And a third time couldn’t hurt. As we realized the time, we jumped out, threw on our shirts, socks and shoes, and sprinted to the entrance. We arrived just in time to dance the Party Rock Anthem for everyone who was still at the park.
Sarah Strong '14
Hometown: Scotch Plains, NJ
Major/ Minor: Joint Major in Biology and Dance
PIT Group: OPIT
Previous PIT Experience: Friends For Life 2010!!
Service at F&M: PITer 2010, United Way Day of Caring 2010, Swab to Save: Bone Marrow Donor Drive Coordinator, Schreiber Pediatrics swim buddy, co-Director of Philanthropy for Alpha Phi, F&M Cares
Other Activities: F&M Dance Company, Alpha Phi
College House Affiliation: Ware
Favorite Book: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Favorite Food: strawberries
Favorite Movie: Dirty Dancing
Something Interesting About Me: I lived in London for three years!
Dream Travel Destination: Backpacking across Europe with my best friend
Best PIT Memory: Playing Wii Bowling at Country Meadows
Jessica Tynes '15
Hometown: Melville, NY
Major/ Minor: Intended Double Major in Math & Economics
PIT Group: FFL2!
Previous PIT Experience: 2011 PITer
Service at F&M: Director of Philanthropy for Alpha Phi, VITA Tax Preparer, Catastrophic Relief Alliance, Brooks Buddies
Other Activities: Alpha Phi, Blue & White Society, Shadow-a-Student Host, Brooks House Public Relations Committee
College House Affiliation: Brooks!
Favorite Book: Pride & Prejudice, The Catcher in the Rye
Favorite Food: Raisinets & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Favorite Movie: Almost Famous, The Breakfast Club, Beauty & the Beast
Something Interesting About Me: I once stalked my favorite band and met them in their hotel’s lobby..
Dream Travel Destination: Greece
Best PIT Memory: Laserdome & stealing the red team’s totem pole during color wars!
