Written by Dom Moreno, Edited by Lauren Eisele-Yocum

We Made it Lumberjacks!

After a long semester of studying and a week of finals we’ve reached the finish line. Transfer Jacks has had an amazing semester overall, hosting 24 events and getting to know our community of transfer students. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our mentors and of course the engagement from our mentees. Here we will take a look at some of our ground-breaking numbers from this past semester as well as bid farewell to some of our amazing mentors.

A Semester in Review

The Fall of 2023 was a memorable time for us all, with NAU reaching new heights in enrollment. Specific to the Transfer Jacks program we had a brand new Student and Development Coordinator, Dana Plasting join the team. Dana has done an amazing job supporting our mentors both in our work and personal lives. Speaking of new team members, our Transfer Jacks Graduate Assistant position also welcomed a new face this semester, Carolina Pena. Carolina has been nothing but a joy to work with, always being there to lend a hand and crack a few jokes. As a mentoring team we are so grateful to both Dana and Carolina for all they have done for us these past 16 weeks.

Under the leadership of Dana and Carolina the team went above and beyond when it came to our statistics this semester. As a team we served over 700 transfer students! Wow! This included outreach, providing resources, and the more than 500 meetings held with mentees. These meetings often took place electronically, or in our very own Transfer Lounge which saw almost 300 visits this semester. Whether it was in the early morning or cramming before tests we were together in the lounge sometimes watching a Disney movie or two. As mentioned before we hosted a whopping 24 events this semester. Oftentimes partnering with other programs such as IMQ, First Gen, the Academic Success Center, and more. The popularity of these events is not to be understated, with an insane attendance of 1100 students!

Bittersweet Goodbyes

At the heart of Transfer Jacks are our mentors. Whether it be meeting with mentees, running the front desk, or escorting lost students to different places in the Union, we have spent the past 16 weeks getting to know the community and each other. It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to some of our mentors who will not be returning for next semester. Two of which being Cara Popa and Lauren Eisele-Yocum. Both are entering new employment opportunities with NAU. They are no longer mentoring transfer students but will continue working with the university. Cara was a wonderful mentor with infectious charisma that will be missed dearly. Lauren was a dedicated mentor, going above and beyond to support their students whenever possible. They were also a core part of our blog committee, writing or editing every single article posted.

Unfortunately these are not the only mentors we will be missing, as our very own Lydia Brown will be taking a step back from mentoring duties to dedicate herself to student teaching. Lydia has always been a huge help for the program, stepping up to take on responsibilities and lend a hand to any who need it.

And last, but certainly not least, one of our senior mentors Cora Brown (no relation to Lydia) graduated. Cora not only mentored students but led the podcast committee, teaching new mentors how to record and create content. Beyond her work for Transfer Jacks Cora was a solid friend, always stepping up to advise us new mentors on how to navigate the job. We are incredibly grateful for all Cora has done for our program in the last 16 weeks. All of our mentors who are moving on will be sorely missed, and on behalf of the mentoring team we wish you all the absolute best.

Looking Ahead

As we close our laptops and put down the energy drinks, NAU is headed into hibernation. Finals are over and it’s time to spend some quality time with our loved ones, resting and recharging. Our Transfer Jacks mentors will not be working over the break, but will be back and better than ever in January to assist with anything you may need moving into the Spring. On behalf of the entire Transfer Jacks team, Happy Holidays NAU! See you next year ♥️