Mayra Garces | she/her/ella
SES Associate Director, SAW Director
SAW Staff & Faculty
SAW Leadership Team
The SAW Leadership Team collaborates to ensure that academic and co-curricular experiences during SAW are meaningful and interconnected.
SAW Student Leadership Team
The SAW Student Leadership Team assist the SAW Director in major components of SAW co-curricular programming and serve as a knowledgeable support to the SAW Counselors. The SAW GA and Senior SAW Counselors also live in the residence hall with SAW participants.
SAW Counselors
The SAW Counselors are upper-class students trained to support incoming first year students. They have a wealth of knowledge and are excited to welcome incoming students to the Northwestern Community. SAW participants can expect to be matched with a SAW Counselor at the program's start. SAW counselors also live in the residence hall with participants.
SAW Faculty
There are 2 academic components to SAW, a Cook Family Writing Program and School of Communication course. All SAW students are enrolled in these credit bearing courses, and they are taught by passionate and dedicated faculty invested in student success.
Elizabeth Lenaghan | she/her/hers
Cook Family Writing Program, SAW Academic Director
Rick Incorvati | he/him/his
School of Communication SAW Liaison & Facilitator
MJ Nataren | She/Her/Ella
SES Assistant Director, SAW Student Leadership Manager
Marcia Maxson | she/ella/هي
2026 SAW Graduate Assistant, Residential Director
Aizam Abd Rahman | He/Him/His
2026 Senior SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Smile! Breathe. Take it one step at a time. Everything will fall into place, and you will find your place! You belong at Northwestern, so embrace it with both arms, and say yes to new opportunities and moments... you never know where it's going to take you!"
Jemimah Nabugasha | She/Her/Hers
2026 Senior SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Don’t close yourself off to new experiences. I came into my freshman year thinking I had to be one specific version of myself, and it honestly limited me and caused unnecessary stress. Once I allowed myself to explore different paths, I grew a lot and learned more about who I am. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but staying open can lead you to opportunities you never expected."
Aaron Robinson |He/Him
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"My advice would be trust yourself that you belong here, using your resources is a strength, not a weakness. I encourage FGLI to lean on support and stay open to unexpected opportunities because the best ones often occurs when you least expect it."
Antonia Dey | She/They
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Do it scared. Your biggest obstacle in college will often be how much you believe you can achieve. So do it scared. Do it uncomfortable. Do it even when you doubt yourself. You belong here. *I think that imposter syndrome is one of the toughest things many first-year students face, especially as FGLI students. My advice is to not let fear or self-doubt hold you back from pursuing opportunities, taking up space, and achieving more than you ever thought possible."
Jonathan Curbelo | He/Him
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Take advantage of every opportunity and resource at Northwestern, you earned it!"
Jacqueline Martinez | She/Her
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Make your presence known in every space you enter because your voice matters."
Michelle Iftekhar | She/Her
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"If I had to share one piece of advice, I'd say try everything and don't be afraid to ask for help. I know how the first-year of college, amongst other things, can feel like a huge period of uncertainty, but there are so many people willing and wanting to help you. Friends, professors, campus orgs, advisors, and alumni are just some of the many resources that are willing and wanting to provide support to you, so take advantage of that and ask questions about anything and everything you're curious or confused about. Taking initiative will help you build confidence and set you up for success for your college experience."
Valen Valcarce | She/Her/Hers
2026 SAW Counselor
What piece of advice would you share with an incoming FGLI first-year?
"Give yourself a lot of grace in your first week, and even year, at NU. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and take a step back. Breathe! Remember your upbringing while being present and cherishing every new moment. Everything will flourish from there."
Dotun Ayobade | He/Him/His
Instructor | School of Communication
Henry Castillo | she/ her/ hers
Instructor | School of Communication
Susan Dun | She/Her/Hers
Instructor | School of Communication
Elizabeth Lenaghan | she/ her/ hers
SAW Academic Director & Instructor | Cook Family Writing Program
Charles Yarnoff | he/ him/ his
Instructor | Cook Family Writing Program
Leslie Fischer | she/ her/ hers
Instructor | Cook Family Writing Program