Allison Diefenderfer is a dear friend of mine who I met studying abroad in the summer of 2022, on a trip to England and Northern Ireland. I feel very lucky to have met Allison and am very grateful for her to be in my life. Allison transferred to Naz for her junior year, and here I would like to share some of her thoughts on being a transfer student and what made her choose Naz.
Why did you decide to transfer to Naz?
My past university lacked strong advising and the appropriate certification I was trying to obtain. Naz is a smaller school so I was hoping to build stronger relationships with faculty and staff. Also, Naz has the unique quad certification for elementary education.
What does Naz do for the transfer students that stands out to you?
The advisors for transfers were very helpful. They walked me through the process. Also the Core Milestone Experience (CME, which is a part of Naz’s experiential learning) allows you to incorporate your experience from your previous institution. The experiential pathway seems like something that will hold you back, but it is pretty flexible for the transfer experience.
What is something that you wish you could tell your pre-transfer self?
Try to be a part of the school community, even if you’re living off campus. You have to be more intentional about getting involved.
Any advice you would give to someone who is considering transferring to Naz?
Advocate for yourself. Naz is pretty flexible and takes personal experience into consideration, but only if you speak up for yourself!
What has been your favorite part about Naz?
The jobs I have had on campus. Partners for Learning (PFL) has taught me so much about being in the classroom and it has been a great networking opportunity. I was able to be involved in the classroom while waiting to get into my education courses. Working with Alumni also gave me the opportunity to get involved. It gave me a new appreciation for Naz and I met a lot of great mentors through my bosses.
Favorite event that Naz has hosted?
I really love end of semester events like relaxation night and midnight breakfast. It is a great opportunity to spend time with friends before going home for break and celebrating the end of the semester and all our hard work.
What has been your favorite memory from Naz?
My favorite memories from Naz surround the opportunities to travel. I loved my study abroad trip to England last year. I made some great friends and had a lot of new experiences. I also had the opportunity to go on the Civil Rights Journey with the Center for Spirituality. I learned a lot from this trip that I will apply to my educator career. Both trips were completely different but provided me with experiences I could not have gotten outside of traveling with Naz.
Anything else that you would like to share with us?
No college is perfect (like you see on TV), but there are some schools that fit your needs better. Naz has fit my needs for the chapter of life I am in right now.
