Chaiken Center peer coaching experience empowers Liberal Arts student

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alexa Sanchez, a fourth-year Penn State student double-majoring in psychology and criminology at Penn State, has transformed early inspiration into a journey of global impact and student advocacy. Through her work with the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success, Sanchez has turned personal experience into mentorship, helping students navigate college with confidence.

Sanchez said she knew she wanted to be a psychologist from the age of 5. Her inspiration came from a movie featuring a family therapist that she watched one random Saturday morning.

That moment, she said, planted a seed that would eventually lead her to Penn State.

“Penn State felt like a place where people were proud to belong,” Sanchez said. “I wanted to be part of that.”

In high school, her fascination with true crime stories and documentaries sparked a further interest in criminology.

“I loved psychology, but I didn’t want it to be the only thing I did,” Sanchez said. “Criminology gave me another lens to understand people.”

This past summer, Sanchez received hands-on experience as an intern at Erimo Abogados, an immigration law firm in Madrid, Spain. Working entirely in Spanish, she assisted with legal documentation and traveled to different government offices to request paperwork. All aspects of the internship worked to the general goal of helping clients navigate Spain’s immigration system. This experience was partially funded by the Chaiken Center Endowment.

It wasn't just her fluency in Spanish that prepared Sanchez for seamless integration. The concepts she learned in her criminology and psychology courses helped her adapt easily and think critically.

“My majors helped me understand systems and people, which made the experience even more meaningful,” she said.

The internship aligned with Sanchez’s long-term goal of working in immigration law and fulfilled her desire to “be a traveler, not a tourist” and “immerse myself in the culture.”

On campus, Sanchez serves as a peer success coach in the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center, a role she described as an honor and a responsibility.

Her drive to take on the role stems from the support she found through the center. When she first arrived at Penn State, she said, she felt fearful while trying to navigate her new surroundings. In the Chaiken Center, she found a “safe place.”

“Sometimes you just want someone to listen to you, help you gather your thoughts,” she said.

The Chaiken Center supported Sanchez in many ways, including financially, socially and professionally. Sanchez received a Chaiken Scholarship upon arriving at Penn State, awarded in recognition of her strong academic performance in high school. Because of the support she received from the center, she wanted to spread the same support to others. 

“I wanted to be the help I received from the coaches and everyone in the center when I first arrived at Penn State,” said Sanchez.

For Sanchez, being a peer success coach is a responsibility she’s honored to have.

“And the fact that there’s trust from superiors to help others, I feel grateful to be entrusted with this role,” she said.

Through her role at the Chaiken Center, she launched “Fundamental Fridays,” a weekly student-led series that gives students practical tools for success through conversations on everything from financial planning and time management to belonging, wellness and personal growth. The idea stemmed from her experience as a New Student Orientation leader, she said, where she discovered a passion for helping students navigate college with confidence and purpose.

Sanchez’s leadership extends across campus. She is also a resident assistant in East Halls and vice president of the Dominican Student Association.

After graduation, Sanchez said she plans to take a gap year working as a paralegal before attending law school — and potentially moving abroad.

Her advice to her fellow students pursuing similar goals?

“Just do it, just be yourself and be open to learning and embracing every little part of the experience,” she said.