First-Year Counselors

Emma Yanai

Hi everyone! My name is Emma (she/her/hers), and I’m so excited to be one of Davenport’s FroCos this year! I’m from Los Angeles, and I’m a big fan of LA’s sports teams (especially the Dodgers!). At Yale, I’m majoring in American Studies and East Asian Studies, and work as a writer for Dwight Hall (the public service and social justice space on campus), and as a tutor for Japanese. I also used to be the director of FOCUS on New Haven, so let me know if you have any questions about picking a Camp Yale program! In my free time, you can find me testing out study spots around campus and drinking Whale Tea. Welcome to Davenport, and I can’t wait to meet you!

Montserrat Rodriguez

Hi Gnomies of ‘28! My name is Montserrat (she/her/ella), and I look forward to being on the FroCo team this year! I’m a proud Mexican-American from Santa Ana, California — the best state, I don’t make the rules. I’m majoring in Psychology, completed my certificate in Education Studies, and love taking religious and philosophy-oriented courses. In Davenport, I’ve had the privilege of working as a Davenport Office Aide and Buttery Worker — Jesús and I can make a mean quesadilla for you. Outside of Gnome Nation, I’ve worked as an FSY Counselor, Education Studies Assistant, and Social Media Manager of way too many Yale Instagram pages. Welcome Gnome <3

Cameron Coyle

Cam Coyle is a rising senior and a FroCo for Davenport College this year. Cam is a history major on the Politics, Law, and Government track from Robbinsville, New Jersey. He plays an active role on the Brief Writing Team for Yale Undergraduate Moot Court. Cam is coming off a summer where he worked at the National Constitution Center and with the Mercer County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office. Cam is an enthusiast of American and presidential history, and is delighted to talk about his project to create a museum for Zachary Taylor, the only president without a public historic site. Athletically, Cam played for a year on the Men’s Lacrosse Team as a goalie, and loves coaching in his free time. He is also a big Spikeball fan. He cannot wait to meet you all and help you make the transition to the Yale and Davenport community!

Jerry Feng

Hey y’all, my name is Jerry, a senior in Davenport double majoring in history and global affairs, and I’m super excited to be one of the Frocos this upcoming year! I am originally from “SoCal” (West Coast Best Coast) from a city called Fontana, about an hour drive outside of Los Angeles; but, I’ve also spent a significant part of my early life in the East Bay and a couple of years in Shanghai. My first few years at Yale, I’ve explored many groups such as the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, Global Research and Consulting, Yale College Council, and the Yale Daily News. Now, I spend my time researching for the Yale Policy Institute, filing taxes for New Haven residents in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, playing spikeball and volleyball (though I’m terrible at both), and writing for the China Hands Magazine. However, outside of class, you can def catch me raging over League, hehe. Love to talk all things Yale and college-related, or just about anything really — super excited to meet everyone! :)

Jesus Ramos

Hello Gnomies!!! My name is Jesús (he/him/él), and I’m super excited to be a part of the Froco team :) I am proud to call Oxnard, California home and identify as Mexican-American. I am majoring in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration on the “pre-law” track. On campus, I have been involved in a lot of mentoring positions having previously been a Peer Liaison for La Casa Cultural, an Academic Strategies Peer Mentor, a Matriculate Advising Fellow (a high school advising program for first-generation, low-income students like myself), and was a First-Year Scholars at Yale (FSY) counselor. I’ve also been actively involved with Mecha de Yale, our Latine advocacy group. In Davenport, I have the immense privilege of being one of the Head Aides for the Davenport College Office and was a previous Buttery Worker. Outside of the academic grind, I love to spend time with friends, binge-watch tv shows, and I am a big coffee fan (Common Grounds supremacy!). Please feel free to reach out if you want to have a quick chat about anything or want to get coffee. Can’t wait to meet you all and WELCOME TO DAVENPORT!

Lauren Okine

Hi everyone! My name is Lauren (she/her) and I’m super excited to be a Davenport FroCo this year! I’m a proud Ghanaian-American who grew up in South Dakota (Midwest, anyone?) and now live in Michigan. At Yale, I am double majoring in Psychology and African Studies as well as completing the Education Studies Certificate. Outside of classes, I work in a developmental psychology research lab, spend lots of time at the Afro-American Cultural Center (aka the House), sing in the Yale Gospel Choir, am involved in the Yale African Students Association and Black Church at Yale, and get slightly competitive about volleyball IMs. I used to lead a tutoring and mentoring organization for K-12 New Haven students called the Urban Improvement Corps, and I also served as a Peer Liaison at the AfAm House for the past two years. Some of my hobbies include reading good books, watching sunrises and sunsets, and drinking kiwi strawberry Snapple. So excited to meet you all and welcome to Davenport

Stephania Chavez- Cisneros

Hi gnomies! I’m Stephanía (she/her) and I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the Davenport FroCo team this year! I am majoring in Ethnicity, Race, & Migration and also pursuing an Education Studies certificate. I am Salvadoran-American, and I grew up in Richmond, Virginia. The South and East Coast will always have a special place in my heart (shout out to Cook-Out). Two communities I am proud to be a part of are the Latine and first-generation low-income (FGLI) communities. I’ve previously worked at La Casa Cultural: Latine Cultural Center as a Peer Liaison, and I’m currently an Academic Strategies Peer Mentor. One of the best jobs I have at Yale is working in the Davenport College Office. It has become like a second home to me, and I hope it can be for y’all as well :) In my free time, I love to get creative with hair—whether it’s haircuts, highlights, or dye jobs, I’m your go-to person. Looking forward to meeting you all soon!

Elijah Bakaleynik

Hello there! At Yale I am a disillusioned physicist and not-quite computer scientist (I major in Applied Physics with the Programming Certificate). I aspire to be a green energy nerd (for that I am in the Energy Studies program) and after college want to go work at a clean fuels startup. I grew up in Switzerland and have inherited a love of verticality in all its forms, which I pursue by being a sporadic member of the Yale Climbing Team. Somewhat less sporadically I also play flute, piano, and Dungeons & Dragons. Ask me about hydrogen, semiconductors, engineering courses, study spots, creative writing, gap years, and avoiding specialization at all costs!