Travels with Nick

Submitted by Nick Prewett, MASFAA Past President

Representing MASFAA on the state conference circuit has been a highlight of my service as president.  As you know, MASFAA consists of nine states and the MASFAA presidents split up the
states and visit three conferences per year.  I was even lucky enough to visit one state twice!  Through my travels, I drove 2,080 miles and flew 7,642 miles.  I had the distinct pleasure of attending four 50th anniversary parties and celebrating all things that are financial aid association related.  I thought I would share something that I will always treasure from my state visits.

Indiana (January 2017): I will recall Indiana as the first state that I visited.  The memory I will always treasure is cruising around greater Indy with Alex DeLonis in his sweet vanilla smelling car as fluffy flakes of snow fell from the sky.

Illinois (April 2017): This was an exciting conference in the suburbs of Chicago.  By far, Illinois had a unique set-up for snacks at a conference with different types of beef jerky.  A shout out to Michelle Trame for letting me ride in the third row (or torture row) of her SUV.  I am sure that my back and I will always remember that.

Minnesota (May 2017): When I think of Minnesota I think of lakes, so of course this was held at Madden’s on Gull Lake.  I am not sure you could get much more stereotypical Minnesota than having a conference on a lake, with pontoon boats, fried walleye, glow in the dark golf, bingo, and a buffet of hot dishes.

West Virginia (November 2017): Any visit to West Virginia is not complete without listening to some John Denver.  I will never forget attending the board meeting and someone saying that the board is just like Mayberry, where everyone has different hats and they trade them around the table each year.  What a fun place to visit is Charleston.  Who doesn’t love Karaoke at a conference?

Missouri (November 2017): This was by far the largest state conference that I attended and had pomp and circumstance associated more with the Academy Awards than a conference.  There was a red carpet walk, photographers, tuxedos, and stars of the past, present, and future.

Michigan (January 2018): The Henry Hotel in Dearborn overlooks the Ford offices and is in a great location.  This was the 2nd 50th that I was able to attend.  Professional casino games, great charities, and cool sessions.  I could even see Canada from my hotel room.

Iowa (April 2018): Iowa stands out for their 50th, not because they brought back their past presidents, but because they also brought back their first IASFAA president.  Dueling pianos led by the son of a former financial aid director lead you to one heck of a celebration.  I also learned that in Iowa adding a lime to Busch Light was a way to “make it a classy beer.”

Ohio (October 2018): 50th parties and casino themes seem to be a thing.  OASFAA threw a formal night and had their past presidents share some inspirational quotes and inside jokes that made a number of people blush.  As a first, the entertainment crew had so much fun that they stayed late at no charge.

Wisconsin (April 2019): When I heard that WASFAA was going to be held in Green Bay, I hoped there was one activity that we’d have, so of course, we were able to tour Lambeau field!  Financial aid folks at a football stadium is one heck of a party.  WASFAA had a number of new attendees and the future of their association looks bright.  If you were curious, there was a lot of cheese to be found at the conference.   

Iowa (April 2019): IASFAA was worth a second trip to discuss the finer points of financial aid.  I learned a great deal about Bacon, the maple kind, or as most people call it Bacon.

It was a great pleasure to serve MASFAA and meet so many great people throughout the MASFAA region.  I would encourage everyone to take the opportunity and become active in our association and you too may have a once in a lifetime experience.

My experience as a MASFAA Exchange Participant by Gisella Baker

I had the privilege of attending the Minnesota State Conference at the Madden’s On Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN recently and I can only say “Wow!” to that experience.  Even before getting to the conference, Meredith Hauer and Dick Battig made sure I was ready to go and experience their awesome northern hospitalityJ  Then Gayle Yamry, as MAFAA President, and her association members made me feel very welcomed and not as an ‘outsider’ during my entire visit.  Thus to all of you, Thank you so much!

The MASFAA Exchange Program allows State Presidents (or state representatives) to experience how another MASFAA state conducts its conferences.  This is not just as a way to “spy” and “borrow” ideas on how to enhance our own state association conference programs, but also as a way to network with other fellow colleagues, absorb more financial aid knowledge, expand leadership relationships and have fun while at it!

I have to congratulate the MAFAA Program and Site committees for putting together a great conference!  The location was so beautiful, relaxed and made the conference flow so well.  The presenters did a great job, including those that did their first NASFAA Credential Course as the pre-conference agenda.  David Bartnicki, the federal trainer, made his presentations very unique and loved how personable, knowledgeable and funny he was.  He even sang and performed for us twice at the end of his general sessions (not to also mention he incorporated financial aid related jokes into his presentations).  A true southern personality!

This visit is another perk that I got to enjoy because once upon a time I had the courage to say “Yes!” to volunteering for my state association and then for MASFAA.  I strongly encourage you to consider volunteering first at whatever you feel comfortable with, and then taking a leap of faith and say “Yes!” when being asked to be put on an elected ballot.  What you receive in return far outweighs the additional time you spend fulfilling volunteering duties, especially the long lasting relationships and friendships near and far.

Thank you IASFAA for electing me as your 2017-18 president!  Thank you MASFAA for sponsoring me to participate in this Exchange Program!  It was a very memorable experience <3

Gisella Baker 

Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa

2017-18 IASFAA President

2016-17 MASFAA Awards Chair

Leadership Spotlight: Gayle Yamry, Metropolitan State University

1.     Name, title, school, role in MASFAA

Gayle Yamry, Financial Aid Officer, Metropolitan State University

MAFAA President Elect 2015/2016, representing the Minnesota on the 2016 MASFAA board

2.        How did you get started in financial aid?

Like most I sort of inherited the job. I was working in a growing cosmetology school as the Instructor/Business office manager when there was a need for a Financial Aid Officer so I put on that hat also.

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

I became involved by representing Clock Hour schools as sector representative.  Since then I have participated on many committees, Chaired Professional Development, and supported MAFAA as Treasurer Elect and Treasurer prior to being elected as President Elect.

4.        Why were you interested in a MASFAA leadership role?

MASFAA leadership came with the MAFAA President Elect position. It has given me an opportunity to expand my network of professionals and has been a great experience so far.

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

Over the years (the last 23) it never ceases to amaze me that there is always a financial aid expert willing to give you their time and opinions when you need them the most.

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

Get involved. Use your network, give of your time and you will be rewarded both as a professional and personally. Never forget why you are a financial aid expert, it’s about helping students meet their goals.

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

Getting involved in MASFAA is about growing the professional network so you can become a better professional. You will get more out of your involvement for professional growth and opportunities than the effort you need to put into volunteering.

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

My hope is to grow and strengthen the organizations I am involved with and to mentor others to become involved in the organization.

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

My personal hobbies include flower gardening and spending time with family and friends. My 3 grandchildren are growing up fast I don’t want to miss a thing. I also am working on finishing my degree in Industrial Phycology training and development for adult development and Human Resources that I started many years ago that go sidelined by life. With work and with life I am an active and continuous learner. 

January in Minnesota

Submitted by: Gayle Yamry, MAFAA President Elect

January in Minnesota, high temp is the low 20’s and low temperatures in single digits with record lows reaching in the negative 20 degree marks. Fortunately thus far winter has been warming than the average so it’s a great time to come and visit our winter wonderland.

Things are busy moving and shaking it up here in Minnesota. This past October we hosted our 4^th annual fall training day. We had a jam packed training day with 13 different training sessions that 260 members participated. Big Thank you to Kimberly Wells (Federal Trainer), and our many other volunteer presenters and business partners for making the day a success.

I also had the privilege to attend the Missouri State Conference at Lake of the Ozarks in November through the State President Exchange sponsored by MASFAA. Thanks again to MASFAA, MASFAP and everyone in Missouri for being so kind and generous with their time making me feel welcome. I learned a lot and returned with some great ideas for future conference and trainings in Minnesota.

Here in Minnesota we just completed our elections for new members to the 2016-2017 executive counsel.  We congratulate and thank them for their commitment to MAFAA.

President-Elect:                Shannon O’Brien, Minneapolis Community Technical College

Vice President:                  Bridget Johnson, Anoka Ramsey Community College

Secretary:                            Thomas Lorendo, Saint Paul College

Treasurer-Elect:                Gary Forst, Anoka Ramsey Community College

The MAFAA Professional Development committee has been busy and has slated upcoming trainings for every level of professional working with students and financial aid administration. More information can be found on our website at www.mafaa.org . All trainings are free as a part of MAFAA membership.

January 26, 2016              Financial Aid 101 for financial aid professionals with less than 5 years of experience.

February 23, 2016            Financial Aid 201 for supervisors, managers, directors and senior staff who aspire to be effective leaders.

March 8, 2016                    Student Employment Workshop, for professionals to network with each other and learn the best practices for work study administration and student development and supervision.

April 5^th, 2016                     Financial Aid for Non-Financial Aid Professionals, FA basics, tips and tricks for all individuals outside the financial aid office that work with students. Enrollment counselors, Business office staff, High School Guidance counselors, etc. are welcome to attend.

Another upcoming event to look forward to is our annual MAFAA Spring Training Conference which will be held May 4-6, 2016 At Maddens Resort, Brainerd Minnesota.  More info to come as the agenda takes shape and our conference planning committee pulls together another great conference.

I am also looking forward to attending the NASFAA Leadership & legislative Conference February 22-24, 2016. As President elect I will be attending the Association Management Pathway Sessions and Capitol Hill visit. My goal is to get a jump start to planning the 2016-2017 and to create some lasting professional relationships with others who have a passion for administering financial aid assistance and helping student meet their education goals.  

State Exchange Update: Missouri to Minnesota

(by Angela Karlin, Missouri Representative)

Hello MASFAA friends! I hope you all surviving this exciting time of year. I just returned from the Minnesota conference feeling rejuvenated and with the traditional things to check on list we all make at conferences.

First, I would like to thank MASFAA and MAFAA for the opportunity to travel to Minnesota for their spring conference. The location, Madden’s on Gull Lake, is absolutely beautiful. Even with the occasional rain shower and clouds, the lake was gorgeous and the resort is wonderful.

The conference kicked off with a keynote by Katy Smith, MN teacher of the year from 2011. She had us laughing as she talked about being engaged in the communities we belong to in our personal and professional lives. I took many things away from her talk. I learned about “tater tot hot dish”….hot dish is comparable to a casserole where I live! She also shared the phrase “pleasantly bossy”. Someone asked her if she was a teacher. When she asked why, the person said because you are “pleasantly bossy.” As a take-charge kind of girl and a first-born, I like pleasantly bossy much better than some other words my siblings have used to describe me!

As an early childhood and parent educator, Katy talked about the dreams that her young charges have. She said that she “would give us dreamers” and was excited to meet the people that help them achieve their dreams in the future as financial aid professionals. It is nice to be reminded we do help make dreams come true for our students. We all laughed as she shared stories with us and ended her talk with “silly human tricks”. We divided into groups and nominated a person from each group that possessed a special skill (I use that term loosely) and those folks got to perform their trick on stage. I saw some interesting tricks….let’s just say some things are best left in Minnesota so as to not embarrass some of our friends!

I attended sessions led by colleagues and Kim Wells, Department of Education trainer. I gained new information and added to my to-do list of things to double-check on for SAP, consumer information and verification. During each session, I was reminded of how all of us strive to be compliant with rules and regulations while providing great customer service and getting our students to the finish line.

On Thursday evening, President M.E.G. Calbrese, by royal proclamation (she was wearing a tiara, so royal is the right word!), had us all dress in our finest garb and attend the awards banquet. One group of young ladies had wrist corsages and dubbed the evening MAFAA prom! The meal was wonderful and award recipients were honored by their peers for outstanding service to MAFAA.

My dear friend and colleague, Sara Edwards, was honored with the MAFAA Special Recognition award. The award is for a person affiliated with the financial aid community other than a practicing financial aid administrator who has consistently provided outstanding service to MAFAA in recent years. Sara is from my home state of Missouri and has been a special part of my life and career for the last 13 years. I was so excited to be able to share this evening with her! She had no idea about the award and was speechless at the podium.

Sue Swisher also gave her MASFAA update at the banquet. Sue encouraged us to get involved with the region and shared the conference video for the October conference in Coralville, Iowa.

As I prepare to leave beautiful Gull Lake, I want to thank you all again for the opportunity to attend the conference. I hope to see you all at MASFAA in October!