Meet Maris Mongero! Maris is a North Hall graduate from the class of 2017 and currently lives in Washington, DC. She works with American Councils for International Education; the same organization that allowed her to study abroad. Maris studied in Seoul, South Korea, the summer after her junior year at North Hall, through a program called NSLI-Y. After transferring from UNG and SCAD, Maris graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in Art History from the University of Georgia. She has hopes to one day teach abroad!
We loved having Maris share with us about her career and educational experiences! Thank you, Maris, for your time with us!
Q: Please tell us about your current career. What do you love most about what you do?
A: “I currently work as a Program Assistant for the Secondary School Alumni Programs at the American Councils for International Education. The program alumni I work with are all from the FLEX and YES programs, which are international exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State allowing high school students from around 30 different countries in Eurasia to come and live and study in the U.S. for a year. This means that I get to help plan and execute workshops abroad for alumni of the programs, which is what I love the most about what I do. It allows me to see and experience places I never thought I would; so far, I’ve been to Romania, Serbia, and Poland.”
Q: Are you a North Hall Alumni? If so what year did you graduate?
A: “I am! I graduated in 2017, the year NHHS won its first baseball state championship.”
Q: What were you involved in at North Hall
A: “During my time as a student at NHHS, I was involved in DECA, Yearbook, Art Honors Society, and Spirit Cheerleading.”
Q: What is your favorite tradition at North Hall?
A: “I loved seeing the senior banners on the fences each year. I also loved sending off and welcoming back our sports teams when they went to their state games/meets. However, my favorite tradition was something specific to the Yearbook club. Though I was only in Yearbook for my senior year, we had a cool tradition where we’d all get to spend the night in the school on a Friday night and try to pull an all-nighter. I remember playing hide-and-go-seek through the dark hallways and eventually sleeping on sleeping bags in the main foyer. It was one of my favorite memories, and I wished I did Yearbook earlier for many reasons but especially for that tradition.”
Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests?
A: “I’ve always loved to read – I think I’m at around 300 books right now. Last summer, I got into creative journaling and started making journal spreads for books I like. I do that regularly now and even have an Instagram account dedicated to it. I also love to learn Korean and Japanese, take photos, and create stories. I’m also super interested in traveling and learning about history and different cultures.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “This is also advice I try to follow, though it’s not always easy. Use your time wisely, as the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine; therefore, protect your attention every day from being stolen by things of no value. Also, let kindness be your default. You never know what someone is dealing with.”
Q: Who is your favorite teacher or faculty member at North Hall?
A: “When I was a student at NHHS, my favorite teachers were Dr. Story, Mrs. Sims, Mrs. Brown, and Mr./Coach Wagner… Dr. Story and Mrs. Brown were both inspirational mentors who supported me and my dreams in many ways; Coach Wagner taught me valuable life lessons – my favorite being that time is the scarcest resource, and he challenged me academically; Mrs. Sims inspired me to work hard in DECA, and I use marketing skills I learned in her class even to this day.”
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
A: :My mom and dad, Sonya and Trent, were both teachers at North Hall; my mom taught 7th grade ELA at NHMS, and my dad taught Health/PE at NHHS along with being the head baseball coach. Fun fact: they were both my teachers at some point. My brother, Taber, was in my grade with me at NHHS and we often shared many classes; he was also the starting shortstop for the baseball team. For most of our time living in Gainesville, our house was directly across the street from the Middle and High school on Rilla Road, so it felt like NHMS and NHHS were part of our home. We also had two little poodles named Macey and Moses when we lived there. Now, we have two big goldendoodles named Oliver and Stella.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere right now, where would it be and why?
A: “I would definitely go to Japan, since I’ve been studying Japanese for a while and enjoy learning about the history and culture. I also visited once for a short trip when I was 18, and I thought it was very beautiful, so I’d love to go back and see more.”
Q: What is one of your favorite movies or TV shows?
A: “Tuck Everlasting is my favorite movie, though my favorite book is The Little Prince. I also love classic Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Hercules, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “Writing and publishing a novel! I love creating stories and planning them out but sticking with them is the hard part for me, so I’d like to write at least one book in my life.”
Q: What is your favorite music? OR three bands you would love to see (dead or alive)?
A: “For my top three bands, my high school self could answer this easily: One Direction, BTS, and the 1975. 24-year-old me would probably agree for the nostalgia, though most of my favorite songs are by a band called Flor; check out their song ‘Gotta Do Something’.”
Q: What local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community and why?
A: “Weezie’s Kitchen and Truelove’s Cupcakes. My family would often go to both in one trip before or after school ever since we moved to Gainesville when I was in 2nd grade up until we moved after my senior year. We still make sure to go by both whenever we visit. One of my earliest memories of Gainesville was becoming obsessed with Truelove’s Cupcakes – specifically their chocolate icing on yellow cupcakes.”
Q: Choosing anyone (past or present), with whom you would love to have lunch and why? Where locally would you meet for this lunch?
A: “Very niche, but Soren Kierkegaard. Soren was an interesting Christian philosopher from Denmark, the father of existentialism, and also a bit of a drama king. I read a biography about him, and I’ve read his journals – not exhaustively but enough to feel like I know him pretty well; I feel like we are sort of similar people but also different, and I’m curious how he’d react to me knowing all his secrets. I’d totally take him to Senior Fiesta, since I feel like conversations flow easily there.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: “I see myself living abroad and traveling around, having a Masters and/or PhD, and being a teacher and/or professor.”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I did the Disney College Program twice! For my first program in fall 2019, I worked at Hollywood Studios as a Merchandise Cast Member on Hollywood Boulevard. For my second program in spring 2022, I worked as an Attractions Cast Member at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, also in Hollywood Studios.”
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
A: “Kyoto, Japan! I loved feeling like I was stepping back in time walking through the old shrines, temples, and castles.”
