My name is Robin Parente and I am a Statistics major in my sophomore year at UCF. In 2011, I graduated from West Shore Jr./Sr. High School in Melbourne, FL. One of my favorite classes at UCF has been Cinema Survey. It was a class my GEMS mentor suggested to me as a freshman and it turned out to be something I was extremely interested in. We watched a movie every week so it was a nice break from my other courses. One of my favorite professors is Professor Worcester. I had him for Statistic Methods 2. He was great about explaining the topics he taught in a detailed way that I was able to understand. Not only was he great in class but he was always there after hours for any student who needed him. He even wrote a letter of recommendation for me. Because of the amazing experience I had with the GEMS program my freshman year, I become a GEMS mentor so that I can provide the same support to new freshman students participating in the Excel program. As a mentor, I want to help my students better connect to the UCF community by answering any questions they may have. In my free time I like to watch movies with my roommates, visit my family, and go to on campus events such as Late Knights and CAB events. Words of advice for the GEMS freshman students: Don't worry about getting the “”best”” teacher or an easy class. If you take something you're interested in, it will come easy to you.