It all started with food, music, and a whole lot of laughter. The newest Foley Graduate Fellows—Mitchell Smith, Justin Deutsch, Alli Menendez, and Maggie Roszko first bonded over their shared outing to Blues, Brews, and BBQ. Good food and live music made the perfect backdrop for the beginnings of a friendship that would soon solidify into something special. As part of Walking Mountains’ Foley Graduate Fellowship, this 2025–2027 cohort will spend the next two years pursuing their Master of Arts in Science education. This immersive program embeds them into the Eagle County community through their teaching of Walking Mountains' summer camps and field trip programs. Living, teaching, and learning side by side, fellows traditionally choose a cohort name to capture their shared identity. When it came time for this group to decide, they wanted something playful, memorable, and rooted in the experiences that had already brought them close. As they reminisced, a theme kept popping up: jam.

Justin remembered hiking Booth Falls with former graduate fellow David Geddes, where they stretched out their legs in what they jokingly called the “goober stretch” in reference to the brand of peanut butter and jelly swirled together in the same jar. Alli recalled a trip to the Minturn Farmers Market, where the group bought a jar of blueberry lemon jam and picnicked together in their backyard. “The color was this deep blue,” she said, smiling at the memory. And Maggie, never one to let the weather get in the way of fun, reminded everyone of the day they brought out the CanJam set in freezing rain determined to preserve every moment they had together.

With all these jelly and jam references piling up, the name seemed obvious. They wanted something that would represent their bond, their playfulness, and their commitment to savoring their time together. And so, MJAM was born. Pronounced with emphasis “Mmm-JAM” the name captures both their love for music and their love for those sticky-sweet moments of connection. Also, MJAM is the acronym for the first letter of their names, which makes it even that much more special. “It’s more jelly-based than music-based,” they joked, “but it still brings the vibes.”

Looking ahead, the fellows know their jar is far from full. Mitchell is excited to keep spreading new ideas and flavor into his teaching. Justin hopes to keep mixing things up on the trail, adding a little extra jelly to every adventure. Alli looks forward to savoring the small, sweet moments that make each day unique. And Maggie is determined to keep preserving memories, rain or shine. Together, MJAM is ready to stir up more adventures throughout their time at Walking Mountains, messy, colorful, and full of flavor. 

Genevevie (GG) Giarrusso is in her second year of the fellowship 2026 graduate. She is so proud of her friends in MJAM and cannot wait to see where the fellowship takes them!