Written by Dom Moreno and Megan Greenspan, Edited by Megan Greenspan

Great work Lumberjacks! 

The temperature is reaching into the 60’s and the lawns are full of people tanning. That can only mean one thing, NAU is approaching the end of the spring semester. Collectively we’ve all survived the Flagstaff two-faced weather and come out victorious. Classes are wrapping up and here at the end of reading week all that is left are finals! The end of a semester always brings much with it, but here at the end of the spring change is in the air. A major change here within Transfer Jacks is saying goodbye to many of our mentors to make room for a new fantastic group.

Our Mentors Moving On

Lorissa Olson

Always a joy to be around, the radiant Lorissa will unfortunately be moving on to bigger and better things. Lorissa is graduating from NAU this semester with her degree in Art Education. She will be using one of her many talents over the summer to work at a rock climbing gym. In the Fall Lorissa will be beginning her student teaching at Buckeye Union High School. While here at Transfer Jacks Lorissa was a valuable member of both the Blog and Social Media committees. On the Social Media committee she helped create segments such as Where to Wednesday and Flagstaff Fridays, oftentimes filming at events as well. Here on the Blog committee Lorissa was absolutely invaluable, designing and drawing all of our beautiful graphics. 

Lorissa worked for Transfer Jacks from the Fall of 2023 till the Spring of 2024. Her favorite event she hosted or attended were the Grand Canyon field trips, of which she was a regular. She says her favorite part of being a mentor was the friends she made along the way, and that these connections will also be what she misses most about the position. Lorissa’s final piece of advice for all the incoming mentors is as follows, “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You are more capable than you think.”

Milford Begay

An important member of the team always willing to lend a hand, our mentor Milford Begay will be leaving the mentoring role. Milford will be graduating this semester from NAU before moving on to graduate school. While working here Milford was a member of the Podcast committee. Helping especially towards the beginning of the year when we were first getting started, Milford’s presence was incredibly important on the Podcast committee. Even outside of committee work, Milford’s sense of humor and friendliness was always felt by others on the team. 

Milford worked for Transfer Jacks from the Fall of 2023 to the Spring of 2024. His favorite event he attended was the collaboration with the e-sports lounge. This collaboration was a game night event in which students could come meet each other and decompress over some video games. Milford’s favorite part of being a mentor was getting to help his mentees adjust to NAU. When asked what he would miss most about the position he replied helping set up and host events. Milford’s final piece of advice for all the incoming mentors is as follows, “Don’t be afraid to get more involved in campus life.”

Marinca Faimau

Friendly and reliable, always a ray of sunshine inside the lounge, our Marinca is unfortunately moving onto further education. She will be doing a STEP-UP (NIDDK-NIH) summer internship back home in Palau. She will be continuing her mentoring, working with highschool students interested in the field of STEM. Marinca’s work will provide them with a way to gain early exposure to STEM. After this she plans to attend medical school specifically for internal medicine after 1-2 years of post-baccalaureate. She hopes to one day go back home to help her community and other neighboring underrepresented communities. Marinca was a part of the Social Media committee, helping with posts and especially creation of TikToks. Her creativity was invaluable to not just her committee but the team as a whole, with her drawings always shining bright on the events whiteboard. 

Marinca worked as a Transfer mentor from the Fall of 2023 to the Spring of 2024. Her favorite events to attend and host were the welcome mixers at the beginning of semesters. Her favorite part of being a mentor was being able to provide the support a mentee needs, as well as the first person they can count on in a new community. When asked what she would miss the most about the position she said the team. She said that everyone has been so helpful in so many ways, and that she can’t imagine it being any better. The trust, respect, and care everyone has for each other for her helped build a great team. Marinca’s final piece of advice for all the incoming mentors is as follows, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s common especially when you’re new to a position but remember that being a mentor is a learning experience. We never come-in expected to know everything, however, having the initiative and curiosity to learn can go a long way.”

Megan Greenspan

Nothing short of one of the most compassionate people to ever walk the earth, Megan Greenspan’s time with Transfer Jacks will unfortunately be coming to an end. Megan is graduating from NAU this semester, heading off to the UK! There she will be getting her masters of science in clinical child psychology. She will then be returning back home for a quick break, before continuing on to a Ph.D program. Megan was crucial to the Transfer Jacks team during her time here, being a part of all three committees, Social Media, Podcast, and Blog. Megan worked on Where to Wednesday and Flagstaff Friday segments doing editing and posting. She also brought these talents into the Podcast committee, editing all of our episodes from the second semester. That isn’t all though, of course, as she also served as an interviewer and camera person in several episodes. And last but not least, of course, Megan really stepped up to the plate on the Blog committee editing and writing many articles. 

Megan worked for Transfer Jacks from the Fall of 2023 to the Spring of 2024. Her favorite event she attended was the Welcome Picnic back in the Fall of 2022, citing it as the moment that started it all. Megan’s favorite part of being a transfer mentor were the relationships she built with both her mentees and fellow mentors. When asked what she would miss most about the job Megan said everything, and in a really touching moment said the more she thought about it the more she began to tear up. Megan’s final piece of advice for all the incoming mentors is as follows, “Have fun with the job! There are so many opportunities to build connections with the mentees, the mentors, leadership, other departments, etc. If you’re having fun, others around you will feel that and have more fun as well!”

Dom Moreno 

Dom Moreno, one of the most kind and creative people on the team as well as the blog committee’s fearless leader and head writer, will be leaving us this semester. Joining the team in Fall of 2023, Dom has stepped up as a leader, mentor, and friend to both fellow mentors and mentees and has never not shown the utmost support and kindness to everyone around them. Even though they are leaving us, they will still be around campus, working to finish their education at NAU and completing a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. Their skills and talent have been nothing short of amazing as it has worked to bring the blog back to life and has added so much to the team overall! 

When reflecting on their time as a mentor, they mention their favorite part of the job was “the environment created inside the office, as Pro Staff is so supportive of us all.” Dom also mentions that they will miss all the friends that they made in the position and getting to spend time with incredible people. It is hard to see their smiling self go, but we know that they will be off to amazing opportunities both in their senior year and as an NAU Alumni. When asked what advice they wanted to give future mentees, they enthusiastically said “you got this! You understand a lot more than you think you do! It’s terrifying at first to talk to so many mentees, but after the first two meetings you’ll feel so much better.” Thank you Dom for supporting us here at Blog, as well as being such an amazing team member!

Ashli Coston

Last but certainly not least, our fearless leader and wonderful person all around, Ashli Coston will unfortunately be ending her time here at NAU as a Transfer Jacks mentor. However she won’t be going far, as Flagstaff will remain her home as she attends NAU again! Ashli will be participating in the masters of clinical mental health counseling program. At the same time she will be working as the Graduate Assistant for the First-Generation Program here at NAU. Ashli was there for all us mentors from the very first day of training, serving as one of our senior mentors. She helped us all learn the job and was always there for support or just a fun conversation. Along with serving as a senior mentor Ashli acted as the leader of the Social Media committee. Handling much of the posting as well as coordinating responsibilities for other members, Ashli held together the committee throughout the school year.

Ashli worked as a Transfer Jacks mentor from the Fall of 2022 till the Spring of 2024. Ashli’s favorite event she attended here at NAU was the homecoming carnival. She says the rides, snacks, and activities all being free for NAU students was what made it special for her. Ashli’s favorite part of being a transfer mentor was the effect meeting with students was able to have on them. She describes the feeling of seeing a student come in weighed down by so many worries, before slowly opening up to her and leaving feeling heard and enthusiastic. When asked what she would miss most about the position she listed getting to know so many students with interesting stories, as well as working with her amazing and dedicated team. Ashli’s final piece of advice for all the incoming mentors is as follows, “Never shy away from asking questions and guidance and be kind to yourself as you learn this new role. Becoming a mentor can be a huge learning curve so take your time to learn your style and how you want to conduct meetings!”

Until next time 

Goodbyes are never fun, but this wonderful team of mentors will always be remembered for their impact on each other and the community. Mentors make up the heart and soul of the program, and this new group will be nothing short of extraordinary. Have a great summer, Lumberjacks, rest up and don’t forget to wear sunscreen! We’ll see you again in the fall, back and better than ever.