Katherine: I'm Katherine Lawlor. I serve as the Transfer Jacks Coordinator, I was a transfer student myself. If you would like to introduce yourself with your name, title, any degrees, where you consider home, or where you transferred from as well, that's how you can start your introduction.

Vidal: Hello, my name is Vida Mendoza. She, her, hers, pronouns and I am currently the Assistant Director of Hispanic Latine Student Services for the Office of Inclusion. And as far as my degrees go, I did obtain my Associate’s degree in General Studies from Coconino Community College. And I also received my Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Speech Sciences and Assistive Technology. And I have a Master’s degree from NAU for Counseling Student Affairs. And I am currently a doctoral candidate for University of Arizona Educational Leadership Program.

Katherine: Wonderful. So when you think about your time at NAU, what is one of your favorite memories when you were an undergrad student? 

Vidal: As an undergrad, oh gosh. The first moment that pops in my mind is my responding to an email. I always, I often quote this whenever I'm on a panel or when I'm ever being asked about one of those impactful moments here on campus is, well, I responded to an email because I'm a first-generation college student, to participate in a Lumberjack's Leadership Institute. And when I first transferred here, I thought I was going to have anything but a normal college experience, so my expectations weren't too high as far as, you know, finding a connection. But what caught my interest on this email is I thought, oh my goodness, it's going to look good on my resume. So I'm like, if I participate in this Lumberjack's Leadership Institute, I can say I did something else besides just go to class. And throughout this workshop, it was specific sessions catered to the needs of first-generation college students. We did some of the sessions, of course, weren't applicable because I'm being a non-traditional student, but some of them were like how to budget as a college student and being a mother of two and having been married to my partner for, at the time, about 15 years, I was like, oh yeah, I have this figured out. But just being able to learn the experience, you know, learn a lot that I could pass on to my children. And just learning about the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized, you know, just learning a lot of things that I never knew to ask and that I never knew I should know about. But it was then that I started to see, I saw somebody that looked like me and we were similar in age. And so at the end of this program, it was about a four-week program, we had it like two evenings per week, we were asked to ask someone to be our mentor and, or have someone in mind. And there was a gentleman that was leading the course that was facilitating and he also was Hispanic, he also was a father, married, and I was like, oh my gosh, this is someone like me who is a current college student here at NAU, and I'm going to see if he'll want to be my mentor. In that moment, you know, when I showed that vulnerability and asked someone to be my mentor, I say that that was like the most iconic moment that I experienced as far as that led me to begin to experience like the full college experience, no matter because of my age, no matter because I was a transfer student because I always considered myself not like normal students, I'm a transfer student. I don't know what comes with that impression, but you always feel like you're other, you're the other, as a transfer student. But it was that moment that I was like, that just opened up this door of like, wow, this is, if I would have been able to be a traditional, straight out of high school, and you know, first being first-gen, it was always me, so I never knew who else to ask for help. Having one person to ask for help just opened so many doors.

Katherine: That's wonderful to hear that. Well, when you think about your transfer experience, how would you describe that initial semester when you transferred from CCC to NAU in general? Like what do you think back on when you think of your transfer experience? 

Vidal: Extremely overwhelming, nervous, scared. In each of my classes, they were, I always felt like the oldest student, and I also felt like I was the only student of color in a lot of my classes. A lot of my professors were older, white, either male or female, and I really felt out of sorts, I felt like, do I really belong here? Is this a path that I really should take? Is this something am I in over my head? Am I just dreaming too big? Am I wanting to fulfill something that, that time has already passed? But something just told me to keep going and just keep moving along, but I just felt like one in a massive sea of students that were, you know. I felt like I just wasn't enough, and I felt like I was going to have to work 10 times, 20 times harder than the students sitting next to me. And but coming from a community college to a university, I was in, you know, the halls, I remember in Health Professions, we had the huge, a lot of my speech classes were in the huge auditoriums, and coming from a community college where I took a public speaking course, and there were like five of us to, you know, an intro to Speech Sciences, and there were over 50 of us was a big shift, but that was really hard, and definitely the course work was more challenging than at a community college. And I felt like I definitely had to, it was a huge transition, and you know, I, it was really hard for me not to give up.

Katherine: Makes sense. When you think about going to Coconino Community College, what led you to go there in the first place? Because we always want to give a shout-out to those that went to community college. And how do you feel like that experience differed, which you just mentioned a little bit, class size being one of them, but anything else you want to share as far as the different experience between community college and coming to NAU? 

Vidal: So the way I settled on Coconino Community College is because we relocated from Phoenix to Flagstaff, and it was, of course, our Flagstaff Community College, and I had started my community college journey about 15 years prior at Glendale Community College. So I was like, okay, I'm going to do this start at community college thing because it's the most feasible, but when I went there, I just, I felt very, I felt like I was in a place where I belonged. My peers in my classroom were of very, various different ages, and they were very small. The instructors were just very easy to talk to, and with the classes being so small, it was easy to connect with the instructors, a lot more easier than here at NAU. And I, I loved my time at CCC. I had a great CCC to NAU advisor, who I believe is still there, Robin Long. She's great. I have to give her a plug. 

Katherine: Yes. 

Vidal: But just learning about the CCC to NAU program and knowing that I could transfer with a scholarship, with a $2,000 scholarship for per semester, I felt like it was a really good experience. I had a really good experience, and it did prepare me, in a way, for NAU. 

Katherine: Great. Let's see. So when you think about now being a transfer graduate, you know, what do you wish you knew then compared to what you know now, when you think about your transfer experience? 

Vidal: What I wish I knew then, that I wish I knew now. So what I would say is, because I know culturally as a Latina, and I know as an older student, we're really not, it's kind of seen as something negative asking for help is seen as something negative because we're kind of expected to be able to, you know, whatever we decide to pick or our journey we decide to pick, you know, figure it out on our own. That is like a sense of like what I felt from my parents as how they would be prideful of me. But if I could tell myself back then that ask for help, instead of trying to figure it all out on your own, I would, instead of having to wait till my third semester as an undergrad here that, oh, I could have a mentor, I could, you know, have support, I could ask people for help. I feel like my first two semesters transitioning would have been a lot more easier. 

Katherine: And at what point did you get involved with TRIO Student Support Services? 

Vidal: After I participated in the Lumberjacks Institute, I was told about Student Support Services and I just kind of, you know, it was back when we were located at the Leads Center and it was where it was the Multicultural Student Center, it was also First-Gen Programs, everyone was just down at the Leads Center. When I walked in, I just, I had heard about the program and I had heard you have to apply and I heard you get benefits. And so I was like, okay, you know, I'm gonna apply, you know, it's not gonna hurt. And when I walked in, I felt like I had found my space, I felt like I had found a community that I could see myself be at. And as soon as I found out, I'll never forget when I applied for the SSS program, I was told, who's one of my mentors now still, I was told like we have two spots for upperclassmen, tell me why I should give you one of those two spots. And I was like, I just still remember having to prove to him like, I'll take advantage of tutoring, which I did. I'll take the 101 tutoring, I'll take advantage of the counseling, which I did. I just remember making my stake of why I would benefit from the program. And it was then that I was like, oh, I found my community, I found my family, I found a community of support and mentors. And that's when then after my first semester as applying for as a participant, I applied as a peer mentor. 

Katherine: Wonderful.

Vidal: Although I was a little nervous because I was really, not really a peer mentor, I was more like older, like an older mentor, who's the first-generation college who was a transfer student. But being assigned a professional staff mentor as an upperclassman, I was like, I want to do what you do. And I want to do it for students who are coming in and experiencing the same challenges I had, of course, not specific per se, but similar. I want to help students like me, you know, transition and find their place here at NAU. 

Katherine: Wonderful. I asked you that question because not only am I a first-gen college graduate, I love TRIO Student Support Services because of being Pell-eligible, student with a disability as well. We have transfer students who come in and they participate in the Transfer Jacks Mentoring Program, and sometimes TRIO Student Support Services at the same time, or they'll do TRIO Student Support Services their second semester and become a participant during that time to have further peer mentoring from a different program. 

Vidal: Right.

Katherine: And so that's something that we really like partnering with them. And I know you got to serve on staff later on. 

Vidal: Yes. 

Katherine: And that's a great experience as well. So, you know, we're going to be wrapping up a little bit more about the transfer experience itself. But do you wish there was anything else that you want to share about your transfer experience or what you wish people understood about the transfer experience? Because we're constantly having to explain to people that the transfer experience is different than the first-year experience. So if you had a message to the NAU community, what do you wish they understood about our experience? 

Vidal: So definitely as a transfer student, don't consider yourself as an other just because you did not have the normal traditional college experience. Does that mean, doesn't mean that you are any less of a NAU student. You know, you are meant to be here. We need you to be here. We need your lived experiences. You're, you know, to come through and you all are a benefit to our NAU community as students. And what you all bring is actually special and something that is needed. And you are not, you are not less than, you are not the other, you are an NAU student and you are meant to be here. 

Katherine: Beautiful message. If you had any other advice for incoming transfer students about whether it's being involved or anything like that, someone in their first semester, what type of advice would you want for that student?

Vidal: In their first semester, definitely find your community. Respond to email messages about Transfer Jacks and peer mentoring. That is basically my moment where I, I could not be where I am today if it wasn't for having mentors. I know when I came here, I was like, I'm just going to focus on school. I'm a mom, I have kids I got to take care of. I can't get involved. What are you talking about joining this club and organization? I'm not, I'm not that student, you know, I'm not that type of student. So I was putting myself in a box when I shouldn't have been putting myself in a box. I was limiting myself, but get involved, whether it's clubs or organizations, whether it's joining Tri-Alpha, whether it's participating in Transfer Jacks Mentoring. And it's not, and don't feel guilty because I know with that came a sense of guilt of like, I'm, I'm here to just do good in my classes and pass, and I have to work part-time or like, just don't limit yourself and say, I don't have time for that, I have other priorities. When you get involved and when you participate with, have mentors, you are more successful. I even got to participate in a club and organization. I was, gosh, I don't remember what position. I think I was Vice President of First Jacks for a while, although that club is no longer around. I never thought I would be serving as a E-Board member of a club or organization. And it was such a great experience with me, I still connect with the people from that club today. And don't think it's something that you, it's a luxury that you can't have, you can have. You just have to be vulnerable and take the chance and get involved and put yourself out there.

Katherine: That's a great message because a lot of transfer students come in and they're like, I am focused on my academics, I am trying to get done as soon as possible. And I think both you and I can normalize that took us a little bit longer than we expected. So what do you say from start to finish? How do you describe how long it took you as a transfer student to complete your undergraduate degree?

Vidal: Oh gosh. So I was supposed to be done in the two years span, but I ended up going over a semester. And it was a little, you know, it did affect my confidence and it did, you know, financially. But, you know, you get there when you get there, your journey is not going to look like anybody else's. Your journey is going to be just that, your journey. So don't compare yourself to your other peers because they are not you. 

Katherine: Makes sense.

Vidal: And just because they're somewhere that you should, you feel you should be, that is not the case. You are where you should be and it's going to happen on your time. And that's okay. 

Katherine: Wonderful. Well, you know, we have a variety of lived experiences. So do you have anything else that you would like to say about your core values or your various lived experiences that influences the work you decided to do after as a transfer graduate and the work you're doing now? 

Vidal: So growing up, I always loved school. I would, was one of those weird childs, that would be, would cry if I had, I remember I got the chicken pox and it was like the worst thing ever that I had to have missed like a week of school. But I, you know, if this is something you want and if a degree is something that you want for yourself and if this is something, the first thing you're going to do for yourself, because I know culturally it's not where it's, I know as a Latina, it's like seen as selfish of, you know, not everybody in my family agreed with the path I chose to take. They thought, you know, you are married, you have children, why are you going back to school? You need to work, you need to help the household. But this is something I really wanted to do for myself. And I wouldn't have been able to do it unless I was a transfer student. That was the most easiest way that, or the most way that actually made sense for me, that I could make sense of it, that I could actually do it. And I feel like, you know, I'm biased. That's why I feel like transfer students are awesome.

Katherine: Well, anyone else that you want to give a shout-out to that was like really impactful for your transfer experience?

Vidal: Oh, let's see. Definitely Robin, Robin Long from CCC, for my transfer experience, let's see. 

Katherine: Through first-gen, any type of experience that you had there? 

Vidal: Kevin Chase.

Katherine: Absolutely.

Vidal: My mentor, my past supervisor. He definitely opened up my ways of thinking about things. And Ulysses Campos is my first, very first mentor I ever had. So I have to give him a shout-out. And Alyssa, it was our GA Advisor for First Jacks. And she was also a mentor of mine. And I still remember using her office to do my grad school interview.

Katherine: Lovely. 

Vidal: And gosh, I feel like there's just so many people. But definitely those, and those people that challenged me and wanting to be better and want me to be, and want to see me be successful, but and also help me get the tools that I need to be successful. And when I doubt myself, say, you know, just even that simple three-letter word of like, why? Why are you doubting yourself? Why not? Why can't you do that? Why, just those that those three little letters made a huge impact of, on why I continued on to grad school and why I can continue it on to my doctoral program is why? Why not?

Katherine: Lovely. Well, this is more of the fun question. Where do you like to eat in Flagstaff?

Vidal: Right now, with the colder weather, I'm all about ramen. So Sosoba right now, I just like had it a few days ago, and I'm already wanting it for dinner again. But I'm all about like the ramen. 

Katherine: Well, as your friend, thank you so much for being here. 

Vidal: Of course.

I always enjoy talking with you. Transfer Jacks enjoys partnering with Office of Inclusion for events. 

Vidal: Always.

Katherine: And ultimately, I just want to thank you for being a part of the Transfer Talks Podcast.

Vidal: Thank you for having me. Always a pleasure.