First-Year Counselors (known as FroCos) are seniors in Branford who have been selected by the Dean and the Head of College to serve as residential counselors to first-year students. FroCos reside on Old Campus and are an integral part of the advising structure in Yale College. In addition to serving as an advising resource, they assist with assuring the safety and well-being of the incoming class. Each FroCo is assigned a “FroCo group” of between 15-20 students, but first years are welcome and encouraged to get to know everyone in their FroCo team and to go to any FroCo with questions or concerns.
Nikhe Braimah
Nikhe hails from Brentwood, California, a small, corn-producing town in the Bay Area. He’s a History major on the Social Change and Social Movements track, but he’s floated around ER&M, EP&E, American Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology as possible major choices—ask him about anything humanities, social science, or pre-law!
At Yale, Nikhe has been involved with the Yale Daily News, the Dwight Hall Center for Public Service and Social Justice, the Afro-American Cultural Center, the Department of History, the Yale School of Public Health, and the Institute of Social and Policy Studies, but he’s had the most fun performing poetry with WORD, Yale’s oldest spoken word poetry group. Nikhe has explored creative writing, academia, and public humanities while, and he’s interested in pursuing a post-college path that lets him explore the intersection scholarship, art, and public service.
In his free time, Nikhe loves (pretending) to study in the Branford courtyard, playing pickleball, watching professional tennis, Letterboxd-ing movies, and reading poetry. Most of all, he is excited to serve the incoming squirrels as a FroCo!
Gianna Campillo
Hi Branford class of 2028! My name is Gianna Campillo (she/her) and I am a Cuban Chicana from Los Angeles, California, but my parents moved to Miami a few years ago–so I sometimes claim to be Floridian as well! I am a double major in WGSS (Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies) and History (concentrating in Social Change & Social Movements). On campus, I have enjoyed working at the Women’s Center, writing & editing for DOWN magazine, and advocating for collective liberation with Reproductive Justice Inside! I am passionate about community organizing and fostering social change through art. I am also a huge lover of fashion, photography, and all things creative! Plan to see me around campus with my headphones on (but don’t be afraid to say hi) and always eating a sweet treat!
I can’t wait to meet you all <3
Gavin Guerrette
Hey Branford class of 2028!
My name is Gavin (he/him) and I am one of your Branford FroCos. I am a Humanities major from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. In my time at Yale, I’ve written for a few publications, edited the YDN Magazine, DJed a WYBC show, worked in the Buttery and collections maintenance at Sterling Memorial Library, and side-hustled as a freelance photographer.
In my free time I enjoy reading (I love classic American lit), going to the YUAG and museums in NYC, listening to music (I always have headphones on), playing chess, and spending time with friends. I love hosting in my suite and listening to vinyl records. I’m really passionate about photography and writing. In addition to writing short stories, a favorite hobby of mine, I have become deeply interested in documentary, which will be the focus of my senior thesis.
I’m super excited to meet you all! If you want to get in touch, please email me at gavin.guerrette@yale.edu.
José Marín-Lee
Hi Class of 2028!! Welcome to Branford, and welcome to Yale!
My name is José Tomás Marín-Lee (he/him), an incoming Branford FroCo majoring in Political Science with a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in Spanish. I’m from Matamoros, México, and Brownsville, Texas, located right at the US-México border. I take great pride in my roots, as demonstrated by the activities I’m involved in here at Yale. Recently, I co-founded a student organization, Yalies Fronterizos, to address the experiences of bicultural living in the borderlands. I’ve also formed part of SUBE, Saint Thomas More: The Catholic Center & Chapel at Yale, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Yale, and the Communication and Consent Educator Program. In my free time, I like thrifting, watching fútbol, and playing tennis.
This will be my first year living on Old Campus, so we’ll be in the same boat!! I’m super excited to meet and welcome you to our beautiful Branfordian community (we’re the best college with the best architecture; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). If you have any questions or wish to chat before moving in, please email me at jose.marin-lee@yale.edu.
Cindy Li
Cindy (she/her) is from Houston, Texas and is majoring in Economics with a Data Science Certificate and Chinese Certificate. At Yale, she has served as the President of the Dwight Hall Socially Responsible Investment Fund and Vice President of the Chinese American Student Association, conducted research at the Yale School of Management, worked a student job at the Student Technology Collaborative, and danced her heart out as a member of Danceworks.
During her free time, Cindy enjoys hanging out in the Branford courtyard, going on long walks, being a proud plant mom, and exploring New Haven restaurants (maybe she’ll finally listen to her friends and get a Beli account). If you are also a fellow foodie, Cindy would like to make a PSA that Arethusa’s ice cream is for sure Cindy-certified – she goes there way too frequently and has tried almost all of their flavors (even the seasonal ones).
Cindy is so excited to meet the Branford Class of 2028! Welcome home!
Kalei Memmer
Kalei (She/her) is an almond milk iced latte drinker from Salem, Virginia. She is an Anthropology major and is pursuing certificates in both Chinese language study and Ethnography. When she is not drinking coffee in Willoughby’s, she can be found at the athletic fields where she is a thrower on the Yale Track and Field team. Outside of academics, she is a lifeguard at Payne Whitney Gym and works in the Pacific collections in the Peabody Museum. She is a book lover, stress baker, and avid traveler. The current number one on her bucket list is to go scuba diving in the Philippines!
Kalei is incredibly excited to welcome the class of 2028 to Yale and Branford!
Zach Moynihan
Zach ‘25 is a Neuroscience major and pre-med from northeast Massachusetts. Apart from Neuro, Zach has a certificate in French and is pursuing one in Education Studies. Outside the classroom, Zach volunteers at Connecticut Hospice, tutors at a local middle school, conducts research in a neurosurgery lab at the med school, and sings in the choir at St. Thomas More. He is also the president of YNEURO, Yale’s neuroscience club, and edits for L’Amuse-Bouche, Yale’s undergraduate French-language journal. In his free time, Zach loves to run, play Sudoku, and lounge in the Branford Courtyard.
During the past three years, Zach has gotten to know Branford as a Buttery worker and a college aide. This year, he is very excited to welcome the new class of Branfordians as a FroCo!
Selihom Yosief
My name is Selihom Yosief (she/her), and I am from the illustrious box state, Colorado! Specifically, Aurora. I am majoring in the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health (HSHM) on a pre-med track in hopes of one day doing research in the fields of mental and global health as a psychiatrist.
On campus, I find joy in building spaces of community, and have planned the most recent Black Solidarity Conference, danced on two different dance teams (Dzana & Desta), and have served on the board of the Eritrean and Ethiopian Student Association. Currently, I am working on two research projects at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, I am the lead fellow of ‘Through the Eyes of She’ (TTES), a gender-equity initiative under the Council on African Studies, and I volunteer with various clinics and health organizations in New Haven. I am also doing Directed Independent Language Study (DILS), through which I am studying my native language, Tigrinya!
In my free time, you can find me defending Colorado as the best state in the US, napping (or yapping) in the Branford library, and frolicking around campus on sunny days! I am so happy to welcome you all to Branford, and in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have. Welcome to Yale!