SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Heather McCoid as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Heather recently earned the award for her volunteer work with Scouting America and Apex Leadership, helping to provide valuable lessons to the next generation of Central Coast leaders.For over 15 years, Scouting has been a big part of Heather’s life. She first got interested through her brother’s activity, later becoming a scout herself. With a group of four girls, she is the founding Scoutmaster of the all-girls Scouting Troop 414 in Arroyo Grande, which has since grown considerably. With over a decade of experience, Heather guided countless youth through life-changing experiences, helping them grow into confident, capable leaders. For her dedication to Scouting, she locally earned the Spirit of Rosemary Fryer award and was elected to the Scouting honor society Order of the Arrow.

She also expands her dedication to Central Coast youth with her work in Apex Leadership, a nonprofit that raises funds for schools while instilling important lessons about confidence, kindness, and perseverance. Her peers say her energy and encouragement “create an environment where kids not only support their schools but also believe in themselves.” She’s currently working with Apex Leadership to bring a program to Africa in 2027.

Her professional life also involves leading people through the great outdoors. At Central Coast Kayaks, Heather has worked her way up to tour guide leader, where she helps locals and visitors connect with the natural beauty of the Central Coast.

Congratulations Heather for being named a SESLOC Young Change Maker!

SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Nick Firestone as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Nick recently earned the award for his dedication to environmental sustainability on the Central Coast with the Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

Nick’s career did not begin inside the brewery. His corporate education started with odd jobs, ranging from picking grapes on the family winery, to dishwasher and kitchen hand at the taproom kitchen, to driving forklifts. Nick says these lessons gave him understanding of the industry from the ground floor, with the lessons continuing to serve him today.

After high school, Nick was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he would ultimately graduate and join the United States Marine Corps as an officer. His service over five years would take him across the United States, Southeast Asia, and Afghanistan.

When he returned, he came back to the family business to manage one of their taproom locations before enrolling in graduate school at the University of California, Berkley. Earning his graduate degree ultimately led to him working closely with his uncle in the finance department, paving the way for him to become the chief executive officer of Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

Under his leadership, the company installed numerous sustainability projects to make their brewing process more environmentally friendly. Some of the initiatives included water recycling to improve efficiency throughout the process and building a solar power center to reduce their carbon footprint. In October 2025, Firestone Walker unveiled a carbon dioxide recovery system, which will allow them to return produced carbon dioxide for use in carbonating beverages. Through their process, the company anticipates harvesting four million pounds of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

Protecting the Central Coast isn’t their only tie to the community. Firestone Walker has a deep relationship with Cal Poly for internships, giving students an opportunity to “Learn by Doing” at the brewery. Beyond creating a pipeline to keep talent on the Central Coast. The brewery also partners with the college in brewing “Cal Poly Gold,” which will continue for years to come.

We congratulate Nick Firestone for his recognition as a SESLOC Young Change Maker!

SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Harvestly and organization director Taryn Moller as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Moller and Harvestly earned the award in October 2025 for their commitment to expanding opportunities for the local agriculture community while making fresh and local foods accessible to the Central Coast.

Born in Los Osos and a Cal Poly graduate in Agriculture Business, Taryn is a Central Coast native who is passionate about building up local enterprises. She is the director of Harvestly, a local non-profit platform helping local farmers and food producers expand their business from Paso Robles to Orcutt.

Through the Harvestly platform, shoppers can choose from over 1,200 items, ranging from local meats and seafood to spices and meal kits. To source every item, Taryn works directly with farmers and small food producers to list items in the marketplace. Through the platform, customers can ask producers, Harvestly staff and even Taryn questions about the products. When Harvestly users place their order by Wednesday, items are delivered to their doorstep on Fridays.

While Taryn is passionate about helping families start and maintain local businesses, their dedication to community extends to local schools as well. Through their Farm to School program, Harvestly is able to help nine school districts on the Central Coast incorporate more ingredients from local and organic small farms.

In working with students from Cal Poly, Cuesta College, and Allan Hancock College, Taryn’s advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs is to try new things and continue learning and growing. She says by trying new things and meeting new people, students can explore their passions and find a career that fits their strengths.

We congratulate Harvestly and Taryn for being recognized as SESLOC Young Change Makers!

SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Efrain Salazar-Colores as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Efrain earned the award in September 2025 for his commitment to helping Hispanic entrepreneurs launch their businesses with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.

When it comes to college education, Efrain is a trailblazer by being the first in his family to get a degree. The Long Beach State graduate said it was an amazing experience to go through the process and show his family – and especially his siblings – that it’s possible.

Since leaving college, Efrain is using his marketing education to give back to the community. As the Hispanic Business Development Representative with the Hispanic Business Alliance of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, he plans large-scale community events and workshops to educate about how business works and how to get started in Northern Santa Barbara County. Efrain also works directly with local Hispanic business owners to help them achieve their dreams. From completing the first steps to launching their business and everything in between, Efrain guides them in creating their enterprise, developing it, and networking with other business owners.

His work isn’t limited to just adults getting started. Through the Next Gen CEO Program, Efrain works with kids in school teaching them how to start their own business. He says it’s really fulfilling to hear young people’s ideas, and how passionate they are about the things they have chosen to do.

When it comes to starting a business, Efrain advises people to “Go for it!” Although future business owners may not know how to get started and makes them afraid to make the jump, he notes that there are a lot of resources available, including the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. With the support of the Chamber and other local organizations, those dreams can become a reality.

We congratulate Efrain for being recognized as a SESLOC Young Change Maker!

SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Colleen Stefanek as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Colleen earned the award in August 2025 for her commitment to community through Habitat for Humanity San Luis Obispo County and volunteering with numerous causes throughout the region.

Colleen gained an appreciation for community work and volunteering early in life, when she joined a friend at 11 years old to volunteer at a homeless shelter serving dinner and handing out blankets and sleeping bags to those in need. The experience left a lasting impression, making her realize that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping people.

Today, as the Program Manager for Habitat for Humanity San Luis Obispo County, she wears many different hats on a day-to-day basis. In addition to coordinating over 600 volunteers for over 6,000 hours of work in 2024, she’s also involved in fundraising activities, and running marketing and programs including the two Restore shops in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. In April 2025 alone, she assisted the Habitat for Humanity team in raising over $90,000 to support local affordable homeownership.

She’s also served on the Lumina Alliance’s event committee. Her work helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the non-profit, with the goal of empowering survivors of sexual violence through advocacy, healing and prevention.

When not working with Habitat for Humanity or volunteering in other projects, Colleen keeps busy coaching youth sports and serving on volunteer committees. She’s coached Five Cities Youth Basketball, and this year will be coaching in the Atascadero Soccer League. Her goal is to create positive experiences for the community’s youth through sports.

Colleen says it’s an honor to be a SESLOC Young Change Maker Award recipient. She says her work is all about serving others, not bringing attention to herself.

“Nobody that volunteers or spends their time doing this stuff does it to get an award,” she said. “It’s very humbling when you’re awarded for something you don’t do for the accolades.”

Habitat for Humanity San Luis Obispo County is continually looking for volunteers. Anyone who wants to get involved in the community or needs community service hours for school are welcome to participate. Beyond building houses, the Habitat for Humanity team constantly needs volunteers for their Restore stores and the home preservation program for elderly citizens in the community. To find out more, visit HabitatSLO.org.

SESLOC Credit Union is proud to honor Jen Foss as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Jen earned the award in July 2025 for her commitment to community as a small business owner and running a horse rescue operation after the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

Jenn Foss owns Behind the Barn Consignment in Atascadero, offering the community affordable access to used horse tack and accessories. With her unique knowledge of horsemanship, Jen was in a unique position to help out when the wildfires tore through Southern California in the beginning of the year.

To support those who experienced losses from the fires, Jenn organized a drive through her social media pages to collect donations. Working with other horse owners and social workers, she quickly put together a list of items desperately needed in the aftermath of the fires. What came next was a response only the Central Coast could make happen.

Jen only anticipated filling one horse trailer with supplies. Instead, she received donations from all across the region – as far north as Bradley to as far south as Orcutt – with enough supplies to fill six horse trailers. This would only be the start of her adventure.

After making the convoy down to Southern California, she received a call from a horse owner asking if they could rescue two ponies from the burn area. Working with the local authorities, Jen and her team was allowed in on the condition that they were on their own.

While the home was burned down, the two ponies were still alive and surviving. Calming them with horse cookies, Jen was able to corral both ponies and assess their injuries. Despite singed manes and a cough, both were in good health. She transported both ponies to a farm in Templeton where they are recovering while their family rebuilds.

WiLD 106 and SESLOC Credit Union are proud to honor Samantha McDonald as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Samantha earned the award in July 2025 after raising over $500,000 for the Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County.

When Samantha McDonald was approached to be an Elks Rodeo Queen candidate to raise money for Children’s Resource & Referral, she rose to the challenge. During the six-week fundraising campaign, she raised $572,626 for her cause.

The money will stay in the Santa Maria Valley, directly supporting the organization’s Heart to Home Resource Closet. The program provides immediate needs for children entering emergency foster care for the first night, including diapers, wipes, pajamas, blankets, and stuffed animals. If needed, additional items from their closet are available to children of all ages, ranging from clothes to car seats.

Running for Rodeo Queen was just one of Samantha’s activities to close out her senior year at Righetti High School. She was also a member of the varsity tennis team, a competitor in English horse riding, president of the school’s FFA chapter and Vineyard 4-H club, and a volunteer raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She graduated with a 4.7 GPA and three associate’s degrees from Allan Hancock College. This fall, she will attend the University of San Francisco to study nursing.

Samantha says having a good balance is key to managing all of her high school activities while raising money for Children’s Resource & Referral as a Rodeo Queen candidate. She credits the support of her entire family and community, especially her parents, for everything she’s been able to accomplish.

WiLD 106 and SESLOC Credit Union are proud to honor Amber Nieslanik as a SESLOC Young Change Maker. Amber earned the award in June 2025 for her dedication to the community as a service dog trainer for New Life K9s.

Amber grew up on a ranch in Colorado, surrounded by all different kinds of animals. Her daily routine involved working with horses, cows, and pigs. From a young age, she knew that she wanted to work with animals.

At Cal Poly, Amber not only studied how to work with animals, but also worked on an exotic animal training certification with the Animal Behavior Institute. While her original goal was to work specifically with marine mammals, a job working around dogs would change her career trajectory entirely.

While at college, Amber started working at Thousand Hills Pet Resort, where she fell in love with working with animals. Her training working with exotic animals provided a foundation in training and working with the dogs, which allowed her to climb the ranks and transition to working with non-profit New Life K9s.

With her current role, Amber works with volunteers to train service dogs for veterans and first responders affected by PTSD. She works with both the public and those incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo to train the dogs for two years before being assigned to their veteran or first responder.

Amber says being recognized as a SESLOC Young Change Maker means a lot to her and her mission at New Life K9s. The recognition of highlights the importance of giving back to the community, especially to those who have already given so much.

You can help Amber and New Life K9s drive their mission to pair more service dogs with those in need. The organization is always looking for help at the office, along with families to help socialize puppies and prepare them for training as service dogs. To find out more, visit their website at https://www.newlifek9s.org/volunteer.

WiLD 106 and SESLOC Credit Union are proud to honor 25-year-old Nico Calanchini as a SESLOC Young Change Maker in partnership with Wild 106. Nico earned the award in April 2025 for his dedication to the Central Coast community as the general manager of the San Luis Obispo Blues baseball team.

Raised in Morro Bay, Nico attended his first Blues game in the summer of 2008 at eight years old. He immediately fell in love with the sport of baseball – and specifically, the San Luis Obispo Blues. By high school, he knew that he wanted to work in sports but wasn’t sure what form that would take.

In 2019, Nico earned an internship with the Blues, where he learned many different lessons about the business of baseball. After spending 2020 and 2021 working at Camelback Ranch in Spring Training ticketing operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, he would go on to graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in sports management before returning to the Blues.

By 2021, he was named beer manager and director of hospitality, before moving up to assistant general manager in 2022. Three years later, he was named the general manager of the team.

In his role, 25-year-old Nico oversees and mentors over 30 interns, along with onboarding more than 40 collegiate players continuing their growth with the Blues over the summer. He also partners with a local non-profit organization for each game, donating 100 tickets for the non-profit to use for their volunteers or selling them as a fundraiser. The non-profits are also given space to set up an information booth outside of the main gate to share their mission. Nico says if he can make a new Blues fan from the partnerships, they will be more engaged with the team and local non-profit organizations.

As he looks ahead in his life, Nico says that he doesn’t know what the future will bring, but he hopes to keep working at a high level in sports. His focus now is to provide the best experience for the Blues, the fans, and the Central Coast community he loves. As for his interns and the next generation, his advice is to try everything to find what you love.

“Be a sponge and be flexible,” says Nico. “Going into college, you think you have your plan set and that’s where you’re going to end up. But it’s a windy road. Things are going to change, but you have to roll with the punches and you’ll wind up on your feet.”

WiLD 106 and SESLOC Credit Union are proud to honor 18-year-old Aria Olsen as the first SESLOC Young Change Maker. Aria earned the award in March 2025 for her community service and co-founding the Pots to Plants project, benefiting SLO Food Bank.

At 14, Aria saw opportunities where others saw succulents. Aria co-founded the community project Pots to Plates when she was asked to help a mentor rehome a set of overgrown succulents. This immediately turned into an idea: Sell the repotted plants, with all the proceeds going to SLO Food Bank.

Working with her friends, they hosted pop-up events in the community to sell their arrangements by donation only. Pots are available for between $10 and $50, with customers setting prices based on the plant size. At her first sale, Aria sold 40 pots, raising over $1,070 for the SLO Food Bank which provided over 7,500 meals.

The word spread fast about their ambitions to help the food bank, leading to plenty of support. Local businesses and individuals offered their help in everything from donating pots, succulent clippings, and even printing posters announcing their next sale. Since founding Pots to Plants in 2021, Aria’s fundraisers have contributed over 37,000 meals to the SLO Food Bank. Her nonprofit has also sold plants to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through the Pink Lemonade Stand Challenge.

That’s not the only project Aria is involved in. She is also an annual volunteer for local media personality Adam Montiel’s Breaking & Entering Christmas Project, where she helps wrap presents for families who would otherwise go without during the holiday season.

“What makes Aria truly exceptional isn’t just what she’s done – it’s who she is,” said Montiel, who nominated Aria for the award. “Thoughtful, mature, and deeply kind, she leads with humility and respects those around her, whether it’s her peers, teachers, or community mentors.”

Montiel says that Aria doesn’t do the volunteer work for the recognition, but rather because “that’s who she is.” Now in her senior year of high school, Aria’s next act involves continuing her education at one of the several colleges and universities that have accepted her application.

Even as she looks at going away to college, Pots to Plants isn’t going anywhere. Aria says her sister and co-founders are determined to keep the project alive, with her helping to advise where she can.