MASFAA Leadership Spotlight - Emily Haynam

How did you get started in financial aid?

My first gig in financial aid started at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in 2013 as an Assistant Director of Compliance.  They were in need of a person with Division I athletic aid experience, and I had previously worked in athletics compliance at Youngstown State University, Saint Peter’s University, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). 

How did you first become involved in your state and regional associations?

In my new financial aid role at IPFW, I knew athletic aid but I needed to get a crash course and learn financial aid regulations to do the other half of my role of financial aid compliance.  So… I went to the MASFAA Summer Institute.  I had amazing faculty that ended up becoming unofficial mentors for me.  The collegiality of financial aid professionals is unparalleled and I just knew I wanted to be part of it in any way that I could.  So, I followed the advice of filing out volunteer forms and making sure my new unofficial mentors knew I wanted to be involved.  From there, I was asked to participate on a few committees and it just grew from there.  I’ve been fortunate to serve. 

Why were you interested in a MASFAA leadership role?

I love to be part of teams.  I love to help contribute in any way I can to the success of a team.  Initially, MASFAA was the next team to play for, so that is why I wanted to be part of the leadership team.  As time went on, I kept signing up because of all the growth I was (and still am) experiencing by being involved.  I cannot say enough, how invaluable the relationships I have made have become to helping me be a better financial aid professional, and I just hope that I can return that favor as time goes on.

What have you learned through your state or regional association that you were not expecting?

Credit card fees cause a lot of drama…

What advice do you have for someone new to financial aid?

Take initiative to seek out training and just as important, build your network.   Outline to your boss why you want to go to trainings, and what the ROI will be for the office as a result of you going.  Building your network can be a vital part of building your financial aid knowledge and resources.

What advice do you have for someone interested in becoming more involved in MASFAA?

Don’t take yourself too seriously… be willing to put yourself out there and talk to new people.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no one knows everything in this business.  Also, you don’t have to have 800 years of experience before getting involved.  Involvement will advance your experience faster than just working in your office.  When you do get involved, make sure you have the time and live up to your commitments. 

What are you looking forward to learning during your leadership term? Or what did you learn during your leadership term?

I enjoy puzzles, and I enjoy seeing how all of the pieces fit together.  I hope to continue to learn more of the details of how MASFAA works, how and why decisions are made, and how I can contribute to help MASFAA continue to grow as an association in serving our members.

Have you ever presented at a MASFAA Conference? What did you present about and how did you get involved in presenting?

I initially let some of the MASFAA leaders know that I was interested in being involved with the MASFAA Summer Institute in any way that they would need me.  From there, I was asked to be faculty, and I taught four credential sessions.  Since then I have done pre-conference NASFAA credential training presentations for student eligibility, and cash management.  I typically let the folks who are organizing the event know that I am available if they need me, and then sometimes have been asked to present.  I’ve also done presentations on professional development, and athletic aid at an annual conference.  The MASFAA conference program committee will send out a call for proposed conference sessions and at that time I proposed the session ideas and indicated I would be involved in presenting. 

What advice do you have for someone interested in presenting at a conference?

Be a moderator first where you will introduce a presenter so you can get a feel for it without doing any presenting.  Then, go for it!   Several topics I agreed to present, I am not an expert in and perhaps don’t necessarily have a ton of experience in.  I look at presenting more of leading a conversation about a topic.  By agreeing to present, I got to work researching and it forced me to learn a lot about something new so I could have an educated conversation.  Learning by presenting is effective. 

What do you enjoy doing when you are outside the aid office?

I love being an Aunt!!! I also love to float in my Kayak, bike, grill out, be outside, and spend time with friends.  Pyrography (or wood burning) is my hobby.  My dad taught me how to do this when I was a little girl with sunlight and a magnifying glass.  Now I have a big-girl tool, and do projects as gifts as well as I have started doing some commission pieces.  Visit Keeper Krafts on Facebook or Instagram for all your wood burning needs!