Lumberjack Reflections
Our seniors reflect on their time at NAU and what the future holds
Natalie Krafft, College of Arts and Letters
Q: Why NAU?
I chose to go to NAU for the location actually. I was like Phoenix is too hot, U of A is also too hot. I knew that Flagstaff has wonderful weather and I wanted to experience snow and wonderful fall colors. So that’s why I chose to go to NAU.
Q: What was your favorite class you’ve taken?
My favorite class would probably have to be the piano ensemble classes.
It was so neat being able to work on my pieces — both solo and collaborative works and to get feedback from not only my mentors, but my peers as well.
And to kind of be able to workshop all of the time — it was such a unique experience and I really loved that.
Q: What’s your favorite NAU memory?
My favorite memory would have to be all the friends I made at NAU through the School of Music. Just being able to foster all of those relationships and knowing that I’ll be able to contact them throughout throughout my life.
Q: What did your time in college teach you?
My time in college taught me to prioritize sleep. You cannot run on less than 8 hours of sleep — I mean I can’t. So prioritizing sleep. Very important.
Q: What did you struggle with the most?
When I first got to NAU, I struggled the most with time management.
You know, I was taking all of these classes, I was having to study, I was having to practice, and I wanted to have a social life. The time management piece was something I had to learn pretty quickly in order to succeed.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of everything my friends and colleagues have done and knowing that I can call them my friends even though I met them here during such formative years.
Q: What surprised you the most?
What surprised me most is probably knowing how many people I know. I never thought I’d make that many friends and have all the connections — I wasn’t expecting that for some weird reason.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Flagstaff?
My favorite thing about Flagstaff is all the local places. There are so many like hidden gems around Flagstaff. And I love food. So any time I get a chance to go eat and try a nice place, I will take advantage of it.
Q: If you could thank one professor who would it be?
I couldn’t, I don’t know if I could do just one. I would have to say all of the piano professors that I’ve met here at NAU. So Dr. Scott, Dr. Chiang, Dr. Wachter, Ms. Borden. They all made a huge impact.
So thank you to those people who are able to come into my life and shape me into the teacher/musician that I am today. They made a huge impact. And I appreciate all of the efforts put into me during my years here.
Q: What would you tell your freshman self?
I would tell my freshman self to take really detailed notes and know where they are all of the time. You will need them in the future most likely. Don’t lose them.
Q: What do you hope to be doing in the future?
In 5–10 years, I hope to be teaching music and performing and collaborating with other musicians in the Northern Arizonan area. That’s what I want to do
Mialynn Jim, College of Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences
Q: Why NAU?
I actually chose NAU because I was originally working at W. L. Gore and Associates and I wanted to work in the analytical lab — but I needed a degree in order to get there. Since I was based in Flagstaff, I decided to stay here and apply to NAU.
Q: What was your favorite class you’ve taken?
My favorite class was actually physical chemistry. I think a lot of the concepts were hard at first for me to understand, but when I went in to office hours and actually got help — I realized that I was actually able to understand the concepts. Once I did, I did really well. And I actually ended up really liking the class.
Q: What’s your favorite NAU memory?
One of my favorite memories was studying at Cline Library in the group study rooms. My friends and I would meet up together. We were in the same classes and it really made learning fun as we could teach each other different things. Those are some of my most favorite memories.
Q: What did your time in college teach you?
Since I am a non-traditional student, my time in college taught me to just not give up.
I’ve been going to school for quite a few years so I’ve just known that as long as I keep going and I keep trying — that I’ll eventually reach my goal.
Q: What did you struggle with?
One of the things I really struggled with was since I’ve been going to school for quite a few years and I wasn’t you know, going semester after semester. I struggled with learning stuff that I should have known before. But I found that if I went to office hours and I looked up that information on my own — then I was able to catch up to where the rest of my classmates were. But it really was fine tuning study habits that allowed me to do that.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of actually graduating. This has been such a long journey for me.
Just the fact that I am here, I’m going to graduate. I am accomplishing one of my life goals and I am so proud of that.
Q: What surprised you the most?
What surprised me most was just the people who are willing to help you. As long as you reach out and you ask for help, people will help you.
And it could be anybody. Like your professors — they are so patient and they want to help you. Your peers want to help you. I just found that as long as I asked for help, people were willing to help me. That just really surprised me.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Flagstaff?
One of my favorite things about living in Flagstaff are the trails that are here. I have a dog and there are so many trails that we can walk and go on. And I think I really took advantage of that. My partner and I — we’ve gone on so many different trails and it’s actually been quite fun discovering different parts of Flagstaff that I didn’t even know were there. And I’ve actually lived here for quite a while — so it was quite a fun experience.
Q: What would you tell your freshman self?
Oh my goodness. I would tell my freshman self, don’t give up. You know, you may not pass a class but that’s okay. If you get a bad grade, that’s not a reflection on who you are. It just means that you just don’t know the material as well as you should. And that just means that you need to reflect on what you don’t know, figure out what you can do to improve on those things, and then do those things. That’s what I’d tell myself and just don’t give up. You can do it. You are so capable.
Q: What’s next for you?
When I left my full time job to come back to school full time, my original goal was just to graduate with my bachelors and then go back to work and get into the field that I wanted to get in (which was working at an analytical laboratory). But since Covid happened — that changed a lot of things for me.
Now my plan is to apply to the graduate program at NAU. I really like the research I’m doing with Dr. Ingram and I would like to continue with that so I guess in some ways it has really worked out for me. Doing so well in college has just really opened a lot of doors for me and has allowed me to see my potential. I would like to go to graduate school and then even more beyond that.
I am now open to the possibility of even pursuing a PHD which was something I never even considered before, so I’m actually very thankful.
Q: If you could give a shout out to one professor, who would it be?
I’d like to give a shout-out to my professor, Dr. Jani Ingram. She’s been such a wonderful mentor for me. She’s advocated for me and I really appreciated it. I really enjoyed working in her lab and she’s so helpful if I have questions.
I would really like to give time to just give her thanks and tell her that I appreciate everything that she’s done for me. Ahéhe’ Jani.
Kyla Phoenix, College of Engineering, Informatics and Applied Sciences
Q: Why NAU?
I grew up in Flagstaff, so I chose NAU because it’s in my hometown and I really love it here.
Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?
My favorite class I’ve taken in the Construction Management department is the C4p lab where we get to build a module and then tear it down.
Q: What’s your favorite memory from your time at NAU?
My favorite memory is when my team went to Reno for the ASC competition and we brought back 2nd place in the commercial problem.
Q: What did your time at NAU teach you?
My time in college taught me to be more prepared, to never give up and to take every opportunity you’re given.
Q: What did you struggle with?
I think sometimes the homework gets hard, but you have to push through it. I think that’s the biggest struggle.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I think when I first started construction management I didn’t really know how much I was going to love it, but it was the greatest decision I’ve ever made
I’m most proud of my last semester at NAU where I got hired by a construction company, and I’ve been working full time ever since.
Q: What’s your favorite part about Flagstaff?
My favorite part about living in Flagstaff is the awesome weather, being able to see the mountains every day.
Q: If you could give a shout out to a professor who would it be?
I would give a shout out to all the Construction Management professors. They are really awesome — this program isn’t like any other on campus. They really help you with your internships and jobs and it’s really awesome
Q: What would you tell your freshman self?
I would tell my freshman self to not worry, do your best, be as prepared as you can, and have fun along the way!
Q: What does the future hold for you?
Hopefully in 5–10 years I will be building some super giant awesome project somewhere.
Eliana Itzel Lara, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Q: Why NAU?
I applied and choose NAU for my higher education because it offers a diverse cultural education. It’s an out of state experience within state. I absolutely fell in love with Flagstaff, the environment, and the people. I could not have made a better decision.
Q: What was your favorite class?
My favorite class at NAU has been political ideologies with Dr.G. This class was so interesting because it lets you understand other political ideologies with in the past present and possibly future.
Q: What’s your favorite NAU memory?
My favorite memory at NAU were those long study nights at Cline Library.
Q: What did your time in college teach you?
My time at NAU has taught me to slow down and take in the moment.
Life goes by so fast and we really don’t take the time to understand and enjoy the moment that we’re in. Every moment is precious and we should treat it like so.
Q: What did you struggle with most?
The biggest struggle I had was adjusting to the new learning curve. High school tries to prepare you, but college is unmatched. I also struggled with the weather aspect. Coming from PHX it’s really cold here and walking in the snow is really hard.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of being a participant of the inaugural Regents Cup last year.
Public speaking was a fear of mine until I joined the competition. It was definitely a great learning experience for me and my classmates.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Flagstaff?
The best thing about living in Flagstaff is being surrounded by nature. It’s easy to wake up and go on a beautiful hike within minutes of your apt. I take advantage of living in one of the best college towns by surrounding myself with people who really take their education seriously. this includes going to the library, studying, and then having fun after wards in Flagstaff.
Q: If you could give a shout out to one professor, who would it be?
I would like the thank Dr.G for pushing me and the rest of her students in her classes to do our very best. Thank your for supporting me and my dreams.
Marissa Flores, College of Health & Human Services
Q: Why NAU?
I chose NAU, because when I was looking into what school to go to, I heard nothing but great things about NAU’s nursing and public health programs. The scenery also doesn’t hurt. We have beautiful weather here and there are great people.
Q: What’s your favorite memory from your NAU experience?
One of my favorite memories is when there was a winter night that I was just studying for hours and hours, and heard that classes were canceled the next day. My friends and I went down to the hill by Old Main.
We sled, made snow angels and had some hot chocolate after while watching some movies. It was a great night.
Q:What did your time in college teach you?
It has taught me to be patient, more independent, and more resourceful.
Q:What did you struggle with the most?
I struggled with trying to find a good balance between school, work, and doing extracurricular activities as well. I still struggle with that to this day.
Q: What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of graduating early this semester with a 3.9 GPA. Those many nights I stayed up crying were really worth it and I would hope I’m setting a really good example for my younger siblings.
Q: If you could give a shout-out to an NAU professor or staff member who made the largest impact on you, who would it be and what would you tell them?
I think I could take something from each professor I’ve had, but if I had to choose one professor, it would be Rachel Billowitz. I had her for 2 previous classes and I’m currently taking her for my last semester of classes. Her teaching style is very disciplined and she sets very high expectations for her students: I really appreciate that, because I feel like I’m more prepared for the work field now and for the future.
Q: Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your freshman self
I would say don’t stress too much, and take more breaks frequently, and things will be okay.
To this day, I’m still very hard on myself and have very high expectations, so when I don’t achieve my goals, I’m very — I get disappointed in myself.
But I think doing yoga or going out to play soccer helps relieve stress.
Q: What does the future look like for you?
After I graduate, I want to start working in Public Health, and then hopefully in two years, I can get my masters degree in Public Health and then eventually become an epidemiologist.
Devin Cain, College of Education
Q: Why NAU?
I chose NAU because I heard it had a good education program. I live out here in north Phoenix, so I decided to come to NAU — North Valley. The classes are smaller and I get more one on one time with the teacher if I need to. I like being here better than being at a bigger university
Q: What’s your favorite NAU memory?
My favorite memory has got to be my classmates — we spent every Tuesday and Thursday with each other from 9–2. We know each other really well and that’s like my family now. So just coming here every day with them and we all have our own little seats where we sit in, our potlucks we have — we became a big family.
Q: What did your time in college teach you?
My time in college taught me a lot about who I am and what I believe in. It’s really shaped me into who I am today, how I carry myself and approach things. It’s also allowed me to be open minded and flexible, creative, and innovative.
Q: What did you struggle with?
I would say just trying to do the full time job and schooling — that was the toughest part, but my teachers were very helpful.
Like I said, they spent that one on one time with me, and helped me along the way and let me know that it’s alright, things happen, life happens so you got to finish, and don’t worry about it. It was a struggle but a blessing
Q: What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud about finishing. I came a long way, so I’m very happy I was able to reach the goal I’m at now. I can move on and take what my teachers taught me and my skills and take that wherever life takes me.
Q: If you could give a shout out to one professor, who would it be?
I have a lot of professors here that were awesome; I liked every one of them. My favorite is Dr. Claudia Rodas….. hearing her story and what she’s been through and how she got her PhD after people said she wasn’t going to, definitely motivated me. She made sure I knew, yes I’m going to finish, and I will make sure you finish. So Dr. Rodas — thank you for helping me get to where I’m at now. And to all my professors — thank you for dealing with me and helping me.
Q: What would you tell your freshman self?
I would say just keep swimming, life is hard, just keep on going, just keep swimming.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
I have a job now to be a 7th grade math teacher and I’m very excited about that. Hopefully I plan on getting my masters here at NAU and one day be a principal or some type of administrator. That’s my plan.
Sophia Begay, W.A. Franke College of Business
Q: Why NAU?
I came back to NAU because I knew that this was where I would be able to accomplish my degree. My goal was to graduate with a bachelors in accounting and with the help of staff and faculty here I accomplished that with there guidance.
Q: What was your favorite class you’ve taken?
I would say all of them. Each of them was a challenge and I learned so much from just going to school everyday. They have all prepared me for life after NAU.
Q: If you could give a shout out to one NAU professor, who would it be?
There are a lot of people I can say who really helped me and encouraged me and as many question as I had — they were there for me. I would say thank you to all of my professors.
Q: What would you tell your freshman self?
There are a lot of thing I would have done differently, but I have no regrets. I think I did the right thing other wise I would not be here today. I think that just going out into the world helped me understand myself and what I needed and what I wanted. I would tell my freshman self that one of these days you are going to do it and you’re here today.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
I want to own my own business. I still want to continue my education and get my CPA. In the near future I hope to work for one of the local firms here in Flagstaff.
I want to make sure my children and my family are successful as well. I figure one day I will be the CEO of a company.
