Meet Your Counselors! | UC Berkeley ATDP

Although the ATDP office has moved to University Hall, your handy dandy counselors will be stationed conveniently in 4320 Tolman Hall, where many of our Secondary Division classes are located.

Jesse Erwin, Christine Gerchow, and Crystal Simmons are eager to meet you and here to help, so please get to know them!

Hi there. I’m Jesse Erwin. I’m one of the counselors at ATDP this summer so I thought I’d take a moment to tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, spending most of my childhood riding my skateboard around Marin County. Upon graduating from UC Davis with degrees in psychology and education, I moved to Washington, DC where I earned my masters degree in experimental psychology. After enduring several long, unbearably hot summers, I returned home to California.

I am currently entering my fourth year in the school psychology program at UC Berkeley. This is the third year I have worked with ATDP but my relationship with the program goes much further back. As a junior in high school, I was fortunate enough to take Writing for College at ATDP and I have many fond memories of my experience. This year, I have the pleasure working at both Secondary and Elementary Division sites this summer. I always look forward to working with such diverse, motivated, and thoughtful students and this year will be no different. I also look forward to meeting the parents of our students so please don’t hesitate to come by and chat.

You can reach Jesse at atdpcounselor1@gmail.com.

Hello everyone! My name is Christine Gerchow and this August I will enter my second year of Berkeley’s School Psych. Ph.D. program. In addition to being a student at Berkeley I am also a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) for ATDP, a job I absolutely love! During the academic year I also work as an instructor for UCLA where I teach an online course about counseling college-bound students.

Before enrolling at Berkeley I earned my teaching credential and taught in a bilingual first grade classroom. I also taught at the Girls Leadership Institute. Outside of teaching I have worked as a high school counselor in Richmond, CA, and as as after-school program curriculum coordinator in Oakland, CA. My favorite way to spend a day of work is to do everything in my power to make learning and schooling accessible, fun, and rewarding for students. So whether it’s helping a student through a tough problem, proofreading an essay, talking about friendships, family, college, stress (and pretty much everything else!), I am available to help! My greatest passion is uplifting young people and providing them with the tools and support to succeed. I look forward to working with you this summer!

You can reach Christine at atdpcounselor2@gmail.com.

Hello everyone, my name is Crystal Simmons and I will be working as a counselor of the secondary division during the last 3 weeks of the program. I am a graduate from the UC Berkeley School Psychology Program and worked for the secondary division of ATDP 2 summers ago. I also work as a School Psychologist in a Bay Area school district. The most important thing that I want students and staff to know is that I am here to support you in being successful this summer.

I am here to consult with teachers to help them make the learning experience in their class fun and supportive for all students. I am available to help students with a variety of skills including time management, organization, test taking, and study skills. Knowing that this program can be stressful, I am also available to help students and teachers manage their stress and anxiety. I enjoy working at ATDP and I look forward to working with you this summer!

You can reach Crystal at atdpcounselor3@gmail.com.