Megan: Hello, welcome back to the Transfer Talks podcast! My name is Megan Greenspan and I am a Transfer Jacks peer mentor. Joining me today is our lovely fellow Transfer Jacks mentor, Sasha. Sasha: Hi, I'm Sasha. Yeah, like you said, I'm a Transfer Jacks peer mentor. I'm a Parks and Recreation Management major. And I'm a junior, so yeah that's a little about me. Megan: Parks and Recreation Management, you said? Sasha: Yes. Megan: Nice. What do you like about doing that? Sasha: I love everything. Honestly, I think my favorite part, well, like so far, is definitely the faculty, yeah I just love the Parks and Recreation professors. They're really great and very hands-on. Megan: Nice! Sasha: So I would give a shout out to them. Megan: As you should... umm what made you want to go into parks and rec? Sasha: Well, I don't know if you know this, but I used to be a nursing major. Megan: I did not know that. Hahaha! Sasha: I was a nursing major for a full year of my last school and, you know, very insightful, ultimately, not for me. Megan: Fair. Sasha: So I took a semester off, kicked it with my parents, and then I had a friend who kind of like did the same thing as me. She started out at a different school, went home, and then she transferred to NAU and she told me to come tour it. And so I toured it and then I found out about the Parks and Recreation Management major and I was like, that sounds great to me. Sounds like it aligned with my, I don't know, interests. I love being outdoors. So, yeah. Megan: Oh, I see that for you. I love that. I love that! So, since coming to NAU, what's kind of like, how do you feel about the vibes of campus? Like, what do you think of the environment at NAU? Sasha: I love campus. Honestly, I don't know, people are just very friendly and welcoming, I would say, especially the transfer program. Yeah, for sure. But I would say one thing that comes to mind about campus that I love is the walkability. I love the walkability. I love to just like, pop my headphones on and cruise it to South Campus where most of my classes are. But yeah, it's a good time. Megan: Yeah. Sasha: And then it's also really pretty in the snow Megan: Right. Sasha: So, that a another thing I love about it. Megan: And probably with your program too, having like the trees in the forest around us is like... Sasha: Yes, so pretty. Megan: Because, do a lot more hands-on learning with that or do you say it's more of a... Sasha: Well, I would say there's like a little bit of a misconception about Parks and Recreation Management and people think it's like, oh, you're just outdoors.I would say that's more forestry. Megan: Ohhhh. Sasha: It's more of the forestry major because mine is management, but it's more like program planning. And so I've gotten to create like a lot of hypothetical recreation programs and stuff like that. Which I think is really fun. Megan: That's cool. Yeah, I had no idea, so thanks for clearing that up. Sasha: Yeah, of course! I'm here to debunk. Megan: Yeah, perfect. I'm here for it, honestly. Hahaha. So we kind of talked about what made you choose NAU and transferring to NAU. Sasha: Yeah. Megan: Did you feel like uncomfortable like transferring?Like, was it very like... Sasha: It was definitely nerve-wracking for sure. I'm an out-of-state student, so I'm from Washington originally, so pretty far away. And all my siblings are in state for college, so I was the first one to like go away... Megan: Leave the nest. Sasha: For sure, so it was definitely nerve-wracking, but I had a friend here already, so who had been here for a semester or so... Megan: So that made me things a bit easier. Sasha: Yeah, definitely showed me the ropes a little bit. Megan: Oh, good. Sasha: Yeah. And then also the transfer program. And my peer mentor like reaching out to me, starting that line of communication was great so... Megan: Good, I'm glad. Sasha: Yeah. Megan: So, what's an interesting or unique fact that you've learned about Flagstaff or NAU since transferring. Sasha: Okay. I have...I've prepped for this one. Hahaha. Megan: Okay. Hahaha. Sasha: So, Pluto, formerly known as the planet Pluto, was discovered at Lowell Observatory. Megan: 'Formerly known' Hahaha. Sasha: In 1930. And I didn't know that. Shout out to...what's her name? Lisa Chen and intro to Indigenous astronomy, because that's where I learned that fact. But yeah, I think that's a pretty cool fact. Megan: That's a pretty fun fact. Sasha: Yeah. Megan: Yeah, I didn't know that either until like I was well adjusted to the transferring. I'm like, ohhh! Sasha: So cool, love Pluto. Megan: I know, right? Like I'm so sad about Pluto. Sasha: Right? Megan: Pluto deserves more credit. Hahaha Sasha: It definitely deserves to be a planet, I don't know. Is it just because it's too small to be a planet? Megan: Apparently. Allegedly. Sasha: Lame. Megan: Right. Sasha: We should like start a petition. Megan: We really should. I'm sure there's some. Sasha: Yeah. 'make Pluto a planet again' Megan: Hahaha, I'm here for it. I'll sign it. Sasha: Okay. I'll sign it. Megan: And to anybody who's watching this, if you want to sign our petition... Sasha: Yeah, I'll start it. Megan:...We have one. Hahaha. Dom (camera person): NAU students for Pluto. Megan: Hahaha. Here's a question, and you've kind of already done it, but if you could give a shout out to someone on campus who's played a role in your personal or academic development since transferring, who would it be and why? Sasha: Ughh, that's hard because there's so many people I'd like to shout out. I mean, okay, not a plug, but I'm gonna shout out the transfer program... Transfer Jacks. I don't know. I think I knew my one friend, but she had her own stuff going on when I first got here, obviously. So I was kind of like, you know, doing my own thing and having someone reach out to me and like start that line of communication. And then when we started meeting, it was just like another friend that I made. And she made me feel a lot less confused about certain things like the bus line... Megan: Right, haha. Sasha: I don't know, things that I just, obviously, you know, when you go here, but when you're first starting out, you're like, I don't know, like what is this... Megan: Right, yeah. Sasha: So yeah, I'll shout out Transfer Jacks. Uhhhmm, I'll shout out the Parks and Recreation Management Department. Megan: Hahaha, as you should. Sasha: I don't know, they're really great. I don't know. They're just very helpful. Megan: Would you say like professors, advisors, like everybody's kind of..? Sasha: Yeah, everyone is very like, I don't know, uhm very wants you to succeed, I guess. And of course, like every professor wants you to succeed, sometimes it maybe doesn't feel that way. Megan: Yeah, hahaha. Sasha: So, I think the Parks and Recreation professors like definitely make it a point to be like, no, we want you to succeed, we want to help you out. And if you have any questions and they're just very personable people, so... Megan: Oh, good. Sasha: Yeah, so those are my two shout outs. Megan: Two shout outs. Sasha: Yeah. Oh, actually I do want to shout out... Megan: I was waiting for it. Hahaha. Sasha: Hahaha, I'm just goin through all of the departments. I'll shout out the Lumberjack Care Center and the care team. Uhh, love them over there. They're super knowledgeable and friendly, but also I'll shout out the bi-weekly food distributions and dog days. Because when I first got here, those were like two things...like that's all I need. Dogs and like free food. Megan: Right. Sasha: So yeah, shout out to them. That was great. I also didn't have a car freshman year. So I like didn't want to like go out campus to get food or something. Megan: It just made it more accessible. Sasha: Yeah, totally. Megan: Awesome. Yeah, those are two things you need in life...petting dogs and food. Sasha: Absolutely. I don't need anything else. Megan: No, I could live happy just with that. Sasha: Same. Megan: What was your experience like at your previous school, and then how did that impact you transferring to NAU. Sasha: Yeah okay, so I went to the University of Portland, I'm not from Oregon, so that was new... Megan: Hahaha. Sasha: And I guess, I don't know my experience was clearly different, but uhh I would say it was a lot harder because of my major, it was really difficult for me, but also it was a 4,000 person school. It was a private school, and I went specifically for the nursing program Megan: Ohhhh. Sasha: Yeah, so a little different, and yeah my attitude was a little different. I was just stressed all of the time and like doing work non stop and there wasn't much, I don't know, campus community I guess. Like there wasn't a lot of campus events happening or stuff that I could go to and like make friends. Unless you joined like clubs. So I would say that was a little different and then here coming here there's so many campus events happening all the time and it's just like really fun to get to enjoy. But yeah I guess it was also the transfer program, my last school didn't have like a transfer program. Megan: Oh yeah I was going to say like transfer program, where...? Sasha: Yeah, so I would definitely say the transfer program here like stands out for me. It's just very cool that they have that. Megan: Yeah I remembered a question that I wanted to ask previously about like your transfer experience, but when you were a mentee what was your favorite activity that you went to? Sasha: Honestly well I went to the welcome. I don't remember what it was called because it's changed many times. Like it's now like a welcome mixer, welcome picnic. I think it was an outdoor like picnic style thing. I had a lot of fun at that just because my mentor was there so I said hey and like introduced ourselves and yeah met some cool people. Megan: But, the picnic. Sasha: Yeah, the picnic was yeah, but also I'm trying to remember this was like a few semesters ago. Megan: You got it! Sasha: Yeah I guess also just like the lounge I came to the lounge a lot and just chilled and did work and stuff. Megan: Fair, fair. Sasha: Yeah. Megan: I mean something about like the picnic and stuff I think the free food really.... Sasha: Oh for sure. Free food, free drink.. Megan: ...like sells people on that. As you mentioned earlier too we didn't have dogs but we did have the food. Sasha: Yeah we should add that. Megan: We should. Sasha: We can partner with the CARE Center. Megan: That's actually not a bad idea, write that down. Sasha: Yeah! Megan: So, as we've mentioned before you're a mentor here at Transfer Jacks. So how has that kind of been umm affected your experience as a transfer student and like what are your kind of pros or what do you like about it? Sasha: Yeah, absolutely there's so many things. I would say the first thing is I get to meet a lot of great people you guys included. Mentors, yeah my coworkers are awesome! Megan: We try. Sasha: But also just like meeting with students like all different types of students different backgrounds, different majors like I'm learning a lot more about different colleges which is cool. I guess yeah it's definitely informed my knowledge of campus departments more. Being a mentor learning about all the different like resources we have available definitely has helped me as a student too, like the Academic Success Center, free tutoring and yeah.. Megan: Right yeah. Sasha: But, yeah guess the big thing though is I just like the people who I work with they're all great and I get to meet and just chat with people like that's the job, right. You get to chat with students and help them if needed which just makes me really happy. Yeah. Megan: Do you think like this is like a good like job that kind of like sets you up for the future? Sasha: Absolutely. Megan: Having those connections with other people. Sasha: Absolutely, it teaches you it teaches you to like definitely be more personable I would say if you're not already comfortable like talking to people it definitely gets you like out of your comfort zone. So yeah I would say it's it's a great job. It's definitely very helpful as a student worker Megan: Right. Sasha: It's very applicable to all the things that you know you're doing as a student also as a mentor which just goes together very well. Megan: Right I agree. I mean as someone who wants to go into psychology... Sasha: Oh, yeah totally. Megan: like you know what the people is just like totally. It's like yeah I'm gonna be doing this in the future so totally but no I get that. Sasha: And like professional stuff like writing emails and stuff like that... Megan: Right. Sasha: ...helps prepare you for other jobs. Megan: And it's a perfect little gateway too because you still have that level of professionalism. Sasha: Yeah, but your a student still, so you can have fun with it. Megan: Yeah. Sasha: Love it, great job! Megan: love it. Sasha: I love my job. Hahaha. Megan: Do you have any advice for any like mentees now who are thinking about like applying as a mentor or wanting to become? Sasha: I would say just apply. I would say use our lounge you know like talk to the front desk person. Megan: We do like to be talked to. Sasha: Yeah, front desk is boring when you're just sitting there, well it's not boring, but I don't know it's more fun when you get to chat with people, so I would say I don't know come into the lounge come chat with us come to events and then you know mingle and then apply. Megan: Right. Sasha: Then yeah, you have an in already I would say. Megan: Oh absolutely. Sasha: Also, meet with your mentor before you apply. I would say shout out. Megan: Yeah shout out mentors. Sasha: Yeah anyone who's applying should meet with their mentor because like why not they went through the process. Megan: It's like they're the insiders right, they know the scoop. Sasha: Yeah they give you like some tips and stuff. Megan: Yeah well I guess we're at the end of this, but thank you so much for joining us today. Sasha: Of course. Megan: Is there anything you would like to say to like people who like want to transfer to NAU or even just like your mentees just kind of to wrap it all up. Sasha: Love my mentees, if you're watching. You guys rock. Meet with me make appointments. But I guess I don't know and it was awesome and it's so beautiful here. The faculty is really great and the departments we have are great and the transfer program is great. It makes it so much easier to transfer so definitely transfer here. Yeah that's all I have to say but thanks so much for having me. Megan: Of course, yeah anytime, but once again this was transfer talks and we appreciate you Sasha for taking the time and we hope to check in with y'all soon. Sasha: Sick! Megan: Woo!