A National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Conference is a mix of many things. Meetings, seminars, eating, socializing, vendor/donor visits, theorizing, sleep deprivation, and way too many other things to even remember. I attended the conference held in Orlando on July 7-9 as the Wisconsin State President. This was a wonderful experience. I had a special ribbon on my name badge. This may not sound like a lot but it meant a lot to me.
On Tuesday July 8th I was invited to a 7:00 AM breakfast with the other state and regional presidents. The breakfast had been a fixture at past NASFAA conferences but had not been held for several years. It was hosted by the new NASFAA CEO Dr. Phillip Day and NASFAA President Michael Bennett. This was a working breakfast. Dr. Day told us about a new NASFAA initiative “"National Conversation on Access and Aid for Student Success." Financial aid professionals must participate as leaders in all aspects of the decision making process involving financial aid. Decisions will be made with or without us. We can not be afraid to be part of the process.
After breakfast, it was right to the NASFAA business meeting. The business meeting is an annual event with many things happening. National awards are made in many categories. I was truly caught off guard when the State of Wisconsin was announced as a winner of the “State Award”. Wow! The State Awards are presented each year to state associations that submit projects to be evaluated by NASFAA's Awards Committee. The awards recognize individual state associations for outstanding projects that contribute to the financial aid profession. The association offering the winning project receives a banner to reside with the state association and a $500 prize check. Its hard to describe how proud I was to be representing WASFAA.
Here is what NASFAA had to say about our project.
“Service to the Financial Aid Profession: The Wisconsin associations "Student Employees in the Financial Aid Office: Capitalizing on our Resources" recognizes that many financial aid officers got their start in financial aid as work study students in the financial aid office. Member institutions were asked to offer a one-day registration to work study students in their office to attend the association's conference. The students had an opportunity to attend sessions which took them through some of the basics of financial aid, to hear some of the issues of concern to the profession, and to witness the camaraderie throughout the membership. The association realizes that this is an underutilized opportunity with great potential to encourage and educate work-study students, and to promote the financial aid profession as a career path, and to grow and secure the future of the financial aid profession. Our congratulations to the Wisconsin association!”
Sara Beth Holman submitted the project which was conducted at the fall 2007 WASFAA conference in the Dells.
