Jeffrey Garbutt (he/him/his)
Higher Education & Student Affairs
" I chose to work with FYE because it sounded like an excellent opportunity to work with students and help contribute directly to their success. It’s been great experience so far as I’ve gotten a lot of freedom in tackling the projects I have, and there’s a strong level of community in the office and trust between the supervisors and the graduate students to do the work assigned without micromanagement or hovering."
Liz Zaiter(she/her/hers)
Criminal Justice, Class of '25
"I choose to work for FYE to give the guidance and support I didn't have as an undergraduate. This role will help me in the future because when I become a school resource officer I will need to work with all different students from all different backgrounds and be able to guide them and give them resources in order to be successful."
Marisa Vinas (she/her/hers)
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
"I thought it would be a great opportunity to help others and explore my interpersonal skills. The experience I am gaining at the FYE has pushed me in many different ways; from learning how to manage my time, to learning how to separate my personal life from work. The FYE has allowed me to cultivate essential communication skills through interactions with colleagues and supervisors. It has also exposed me to various challenges that require problem-solving and adaptability, further enhancing my overall growth and readiness for future opportunities."
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
"I thought it would be a great opportunity to help others and explore my interpersonal skills. The experience I am gaining at the FYE has pushed me in many different ways; from learning how to manage my time, to learning how to separate my personal life from work. The FYE has allowed me to cultivate essential communication skills through interactions with colleagues and supervisors. It has also exposed me to various challenges that require problem-solving and adaptability, further enhancing my overall growth and readiness for future opportunities."
Sarah Engel (she/her/hers)
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
"I chose to work with the First Year Experience office in my undergraduate career at Salve Regina University as a Peer Mentor and loved it - so felt it was the perfect opportunity to continue to work with first year students in a supportive role as they transition to college as an Academic Success Coach here at Salem State University.
Being in a coaching role will help me in my future career to better coach individuals in change management, management theory and actual application of a growth mindset by setting realistic and attainable goals."
Ediana Cruz (she/her/hers)
Social Work
"I chose to work at FYE because of my past position as an Exploratory Peer Leader during my undergrad. I felt a sense of belonging and community and it motivated me to want to do more for others on campus! My role in FYE so far has prepared me with managing cases in an efficient way so that I am not too overwhelmed with my workload. I have also gotten more confident meeting with students on a one-on-one basis which is helping me build experience and interest in clinical work."
Social Work
"I chose to work at FYE because of my past position as an Exploratory Peer Leader during my undergrad. I felt a sense of belonging and community and it motivated me to want to do more for others on campus! My role in FYE so far has prepared me with managing cases in an efficient way so that I am not too overwhelmed with my workload. I have also gotten more confident meeting with students on a one-on-one basis which is helping me build experience and interest in clinical work."
Freddy Monroy (he/him/his)
Higher Education & Student Affairs
"I chose to work with FYE because of the people that worked in this office who conducted the interview. They had a welcoming environment and made me want to create that with First Year students. FYE will and has already helped me prepare in my future career by learning a lot of communication skills if it is advising a student to sending emails to different office sites to advocate for the students that come into my office. I can see all these skills in my future career, and it has definitely provided clarity on what side of Higher Education I may be interested in."
Higher Education & Student Affairs
"I chose to work with FYE because of the people that worked in this office who conducted the interview. They had a welcoming environment and made me want to create that with First Year students. FYE will and has already helped me prepare in my future career by learning a lot of communication skills if it is advising a student to sending emails to different office sites to advocate for the students that come into my office. I can see all these skills in my future career, and it has definitely provided clarity on what side of Higher Education I may be interested in."
Taylor LaRoche (she/her/hers)
Social Work
"I wanted to work with young adults who might just need a little extra support to figure out what works best for them. I really enjoy being a support as they figure out their own styles and goals. Plus, everyone in the office is delightful! FYE has helped me hone my case management skills, try out different interviewing styles, and practice consulting within and across departments in a warm and supportive environment."
Social Work
"I wanted to work with young adults who might just need a little extra support to figure out what works best for them. I really enjoy being a support as they figure out their own styles and goals. Plus, everyone in the office is delightful! FYE has helped me hone my case management skills, try out different interviewing styles, and practice consulting within and across departments in a warm and supportive environment."
Cassie Chalon (she/her/hers)
Behavior Analysis
"FYE presented me with the opportunity to continue a passion of mine which is to help others both work on and celebrate their success. I really resonated with the office's purpose and was excited to be a part of a group that really aims to make a difference and visibly does so. Since my time in the office, my role has provided me with transferable skills in working with others and organizing goals for success. I believe that a large part of success comes from the ability to actively establish goals and keeping them visible to accomplish them. Working with FYE has already proved to be helpful in learning how to better help others establish goals which will ultimately help me accomplish my goals as well as I work towards my own future career path. "
Behavior Analysis
"FYE presented me with the opportunity to continue a passion of mine which is to help others both work on and celebrate their success. I really resonated with the office's purpose and was excited to be a part of a group that really aims to make a difference and visibly does so. Since my time in the office, my role has provided me with transferable skills in working with others and organizing goals for success. I believe that a large part of success comes from the ability to actively establish goals and keeping them visible to accomplish them. Working with FYE has already proved to be helpful in learning how to better help others establish goals which will ultimately help me accomplish my goals as well as I work towards my own future career path. "
Rachel Krell (she/her/hers)
Higher Education & Student Affairs
"I chose to work for FYE because I am passionate about assisting students in their transition to college. I also witnessed the growth that grad assistants gained from working in FYE and wanted to expand my knowledge as a future student affairs professional. My role in FYE has helped me become more comfortable with assisting students in 1:1 meetings, case management, advising, and time management/prioritization. I'm able to apply what I'm learning in my classes to real-world situations. I feel like a more competent and confident professional and person since beginning this assistantship."
Mary Gatheru (she/her/hers)
Mental Health Counseling
"I chose to work with the FYE office because I wanted to gain experience working with college students. I wanted to be able to directly help students have a successful undergrad experience as well as provide them with the information and resources needed to achieve academic success. My role in FYE allows me to gain experience working one on one with college students. I want to eventually work in counseling services at a college so gaining experience working with undergrad students prepares me for that."
Rae Iafolla (she/her/hers)
Social Work
"I loved working with first years when I was in undergrad, so this seemed like an obvious opportunity to pursue. I had such a good time in my interview and that really sold me; I know I am in a position where I am cared about and valued by my supervisors. This role has helped me learn a lot about boundary setting, the population of folks I want to work with, and the level of practice (macro, mezzo or micro) I want to work at."
Danielle Pappas (she/her/hers)
Mental Health Counseling
"I chose to work with the FYE office because I love the idea of helping offer fist year students some guidance. My role as First Year Success Coach will help me prepare for my future career through gaining more experience working with young adults."