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What is your job at ����ý?

Financial Aid Advisor

What do you do at ����ý (explain your role)?

I am part of a dynamic team here at ����ý, assisting with processing and customer service functions related to financial aid. I also serve as the Work-Study Coordinator, overseeing the federal and Colorado funds for the Work-Study Program and serving as the point of contact for students who are interested in work-study.

How long have you been at ����ý?

A year and a half.

Why did you choose ����ý?

I applied to ����ý because access to higher education is not just about traditional 4-year institutions. When I think about access, I think of access for students who are also non-traditional and may be working full-time jobs or caring for loved ones but also want to develop their skills to be marketable in competitive areas. I also think of the cost associated with higher education. High tuition rates and overwhelming student loan debt can be discouraging for students. I don’t think we give community colleges credit for trying to dismantle these barriers. The mission and vision of ����ý aligned with my desire to help students and I am fortunate that ����ý chose me.

What is your mountain (ultimate goal)?

Besides completing a JD program, I would really like to grow into a leadership role within financial aid/enrollment services. I think students have greater challenges pursuing higher education today for a variety of reasons (increased tuition costs, increased housing costs, competitive admission criteria, etc.) and my goal is to absorb as much knowledge as I can to help students navigate the resources available to them, and support training efforts within the financial aid profession. I really enjoy the compliance component of financial aid administration but it is so complex and takes a great amount of patience to understand. I’d like to help my colleagues through that process through training, or even teaching a course through the Rocky Mountain Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators’ (RMASFAA) Summer Institute.

What's your favorite ����ý memory so far?

It was a handwritten birthday card that was mailed to me from Dr. Doyle. I am sure this is standard practice at ����ý, but it was heartfelt and meant the world to me in the moment I opened it.

Tell us a fun fact about you.

I love puzzles! Especially Disney puzzles because I’ll frame them and hang them up (huge Disney fan over here). My sister first introduced me to puzzles when I was a little girl and she used to mix pieces from 2 or 3 puzzles to challenge me. They’re so much fun!

Top 5 Guilty Pleasures

1. “Collecting” water bottles/coffee mugs
2. Judge Judy marathons
3. Chips and salsa
4. Charcuterie boards
5. Christmas music in the summer

What is your advice to future and current students at ����ý?

Everyone's voice has value and so does yours, so try to use that voice at any opportunity. Sometimes, being a student can feel isolating for a variety of reasons, but you belong in these spaces and you matter.

Also, please complete your FAFSA application! The 2022-2023 FAFSA and ����ý Scholarship Application opened on October 1st :

To nominate a member of the ����ý Community (student, alumni, faculty, instructor, staff member, community member) to spotlight, .