Peer Supporters

Peer Support offers an accessible and informal opportunity to talk through issues which may be concerning you. It can help simply to get things off your chest and know that someone is willing to listen and take time to understand what’s on your mind.

All Peer Supporters are trained to listen effectively, communicate sensitively, maintain confidentiality, respect boundaries, and recognise when and how to refer to professional support services. Peer Supporters attend ongoing fortnightly supervision through the University Counselling Service to consolidate their training. All Peer Supporters abide by a Code of Practice.

You can talk with a Peer Supporter about anything that is troubling you. Common issues include stress, anxiety, uncertainty about the future, homesickness, and family or relationship problems.

If you would like to talk with a Peer Supporter, please email peer.support@kellogg.ox.ac.uk. Peer Supporters will be present at most social welfare events in College so feel free to approach them directly.

You may also contact University Peer Supporters here.

Peer Supporters

Neil Suchak

I’m a first-year DPhil student at Kellogg. I grew up in London and came to Oxford to study an undergraduate degree in history in 2014, after which I spent a year in London working in public relations. I then returned to Oxford for a master’s in history at Kellogg, where I am now completing my DPhil. I am well-versed in the stresses of life at Oxford, whether these be the pressures of exams and submissions, the lingering effects of imposter syndrome, or simply the difficulty of finding your feet in a new social environment. When these pressures became too much, I have relied on the support of those around me in the college community, and have often informally supported friends and colleagues experiencing these very problems. The peer support programme has been a fantastic way to build upon these experiences, as it has given me the tools to provide suitable support to those who need it. Whether you need to talk through a problem (big or small), or want to be pointed to more formal ways to get support, myself and the peer support team are here to help.

Yousef Khalifa Aleghfeli

Before pursuing a DPhil in Education at Oxford, I worked in various international education systems. Working in education taught me the importance of having a strong relationship between emotional wellbeing and academic learning. The Peer Support system interested me from the first time I heard about it. As an international student, I find the diverse backgrounds and intersectional experiences of my Kellogg peers a unique resource that can help us learn and cope during our time here. I see peer support as a tool to help use these shared experiences to create a stable and supportive environment for all.

Deborah Yan Xu

I come from China and have been working at the University for a few years. I am currently studying for a master’s in Taxation. Being a Peer Supporter is a great opportunity for me to be part of the Kellogg community. The Peer Support system is amazing, and I have learned a lot; sometimes we just someone to listen and empathise. I look forward to meeting you.

Sieun Lee

I am a third-year DPhil in Geography and the Environment, exploring night-time nurseries in Kyoto, Japan. I am happy to have confidential chats about anything that might be stressful and worrying related to your studies or not, to lend an ear and/or to help you seek support!

Jessica Richards

I am a doctoral student of Kellogg College and the Department of Computer Science.

Irene Martinez Baquero

I am interested in behavioural ecology, particularly in understanding how birds adapt their behaviour to small-scale environmental variation. My DPhil project investigates the foraging behaviour of birds in phenologically variable landscapes, focusing on how they optimise nest provisioning during the breeding season. To achieve this, I will integrate bio-logging and molecular methods to study the Wytham Woods population of Great Tits (Parus major). By combining data on movement, energetics, and diet, I aim to contribute to shed light on the links between reproductive timing and fitness, especially, on how birds interact with their environment and make decisions based on the landscape they encounter. I hope this research will help us to better understand the consequences of small-scale environmental variation on bird behaviour, and the extent to which birds might be able to cope with climate change through behavioural plasticity.

Jessica Schiff

I am a second-year DPhil candidate in Primary Health Care at Kellogg College with a research focus on climate and health. I is happy to connect with students and to provide a space to talk about any issue, challenge, or stressor they may be experiencing in a confidential space. In my free time, I enjoy baking cookies, hosting reality TV watch parties with friends, running (3 marathons down!), travelling and photography.