Experiences from a New Board Member

Submitted by Jennifer Schroeder, Program Coordinator at Iowa State University and co-chair of the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium Committee

Last month I had the privilege of attending my second MASFAA board meeting in Chicago; my first board meeting was prior to the annual conference last October in Minnesota.  I am currently co-chairing Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium with Stephanie Petsch.  This co-chair position is my first such position with MASFAA and, so far, has been challenging and very rewarding!

I have been involved at the state level in Iowa for the past decade and feel very comfortable there.  However, when I was asked to serve MASFAA, I was a little apprehensive.  I was humbled to be asked to serve our regional association, I was excited at the opportunity to meet more great colleagues from across the region, I was intrigued by the challenge, I was nervous about the scale of the responsibility and I was wondering if I would be able to do it.

Fast forward 6 months and we’re in the thick of planning Summer Institute and Leadership.  So far, this has been a great experience for many reasons.  I like the challenge of trying some new, I have a co-leader who I work well with, Marvin and board have been supportive and responsive to our questions, I’ve meet a wealth of new MASFAA folks and I’ve gotten an inside look at the operations of the MASFAA board.

MASFAA board meetings are full of great discussion, idea generation, networking and laughing.  The board worked hard all day, discussing what committees have been working on, addressing questions and concerns from each committee, sharing struggles and ideas from each state representative and planning for MASFAA’s future.  After working hard all day, the evening brought an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and get to know one another over some Chicago deep dish.  The next morning, it was back to work finishing up remaining MASFAA business.

From my experience working on the MASFAA board, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what your title is, how long you’ve been in the profession or how shy you might be because MASFAA welcomes us all!  I’ve learned that there is an expansive network of financial aid professionals who are ready and willing to answer your questions and share their experiences with you as you fulfill your MASFAA board responsibilities.

I would encourage everyone to consider any offer to serve on a MASFAA committee, work on the MASFAA board or run for a MASFAA elected position.  While I was intimidated at first, I am glad I took a chance and said “yes” when Marvin asked me to serve MASFAA in this role!

On another note- we are planning a great Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium experience this summer at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo!  Make sure you watch the blog and website for details coming very soon!