Students Help Students Transition Best!

Click here to listen to the Podcast: 56 min

How does your school support transitions for new students? Do your students lead the way as ambassadors welcoming and supporting new students? And wouldn’t it be helpful to have a guidebook to help with setting up this process?

In this second interview with Lina Paumgarten and Amy Shuflin, we drill down on empowering students to be ambassadors in school transition care programs. We delve into practical support strategies, specifically unpacking the SPAN Student Ambassador Program Guide. One huge takeaway from the show is how you can access the guide, complete with strategies and “how-to’s,” to help incorporate it into your current transition support efforts. Once again, you will feel the energy and benefit from the expertise that Lina and Amy bring to the topic of supporting transitions in our international school communities!

Amy Shuflin has served for 17 years with Oasis International Schools in Venezuela and Malaysia and currently serves as the SPAN (Safe Passage Across Networks) volunteer Resource Lead. Amy is passionate about schools intentionally caring for the needs of the entire community (students, staff, and parents) and has integrated positive transitions-care into her work as a teacher, curriculum writer, social-emotional counselor, and chaplain. She is committed to sharing resources to be able to reach the growing population of TCKs/CCKs and TCK/CCK caregivers around the world. She has a B.A. in Youth Ministry and Adolescent Studies, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and is a certified debriefer and Youth Mental Health First Aider. As SPAN’s Resource Lead Amy has authored both the Safe Passage Book Study and the Student Ambassador Program Guide. She enjoys meeting people, sharing coffee, making food, and spending time with her husband and two TCK children.

Lina Paumgarten previously served as a High School Counselor, Wellness Coordinator, Varsity Coach, and student-led program advisor at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. After nearly a decade in that role, she took a meaningful sabbatical to focus on therapy dog training with her Golden Retriever, Josie; collaborate on youth suicide prevention projects with ISCA and Dr. Scott Poland; and begin her doctoral studies in psychology, focusing on suicide prevention in international education. As a passion project, Lina contributed to SPAN’s transitions-care work by recommending the creation of a student ambassador program guide, and thoroughly enjoyed working closely with Amy Shuflin on this initiative.

Over the past 25 years, Lina has coached athletes, taught more than 1,000 students and 600 parents and educators in mindfulness-based practices, and led workshops on emotional regulation, resilience, transitions, and wellbeing. She holds a BSc in Psychology, an MA in Counseling Psychology, a Master of Advanced Studies in Health and Fitness, and is a certified yoga instructor and mindfulness teacher.

When she’s not working, Lina enjoys exploring the outdoors with Josie, swimming, staying active, playing Rummikub with her mom, and spending quality time with friends and family. She believes in the power of small steps, honest connection, and embracing our full humanity through life’s changes—because change is not only inevitable, but also an opportunity for growth.

Our guiding question for this show was, “How can schools build or enhance a Student Ambassador Program rooted in positive transitions-care?”

In this second episode, we delved further into practical support strategies, specifically unpacking the SPAN Student Ambassador Guide and Program. One huge takeaway from the show is how you can access the guide, complete with strategies and “how-to’s,” to help incorporate it into your current transition support efforts!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• International School Counselor Association - ISCA

• Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana

• Amy’s Website of Resources: Finding My Voice

• Lina on Instagram

• LINDEN Global Learning & Support

• Safe Passage Across Networks - SPAN

Lina’s Contact Information: LinkedIn; Website: linapaumgarten.com

Amy’s Contact Information: LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on July 13, 2025.

Categories: Transitions | School Life | Curriculum