Volunteers to Leaders, Making VASFAA Proud!

Year 2008 is young and new, like a new baby with a full life-span ahead of it. Greetings and best wishes for success to all! The hurry and pressure of the last month is a memory and plans for the year from the resolutions made on January 1st lie ahead. Were the resolutions made too gallant to be realistic this year? Only time will tell.

Hopefully, at least one resolution included VASFAA. After all, life is work-related and jobs take up at least forty hours of the week for the majority of workers. If the work involves financial aid, it is probably a lot more that forty hours a week. What greater reason to resolve to make life better than through a work-related resolution!

And in what better area than training does the reason lie. Yes, training! It is the single most important reason why this association exists. Without training efforts, VASFAA committees would be left with little to do. This past year is a good example of just how much training is needed in the work place. ACG, Smart, CCRA, Financial Literacy, and loan changes are some that come to mind. Like it or not, in financial aid, change is the one thing that never goes away.

For this reason alone, training is the heartbeat of the profession. VASFAA and all the other state, regional, and the national associations cannot exist without offering training opportunities for its members. VASFAA has several standing committees and at the heart of all of them is training. The Training Committee houses Support Staff and Experienced Aid and they work in concert with Conference, overseen by the Professional Development Commission. This past fall, many training workshops were offered for VASFAA members throughout Virginia. Come May, the Annual Conference will be held at the Marriott City Center in Oyster Point, Newport News. Although it has been a year where the budget has been carefully scrutinized, the Conference will still offer substantial training opportunities for VASFAA members. Make sure that May 18 – 21 is marked on calendars for the VASFAA Conference. VASFAA will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary as an association and it will be a special time for membership to come together and recognize the good work that has been done by previous leaders and members.

A word about the site where this conference will be held cannot be overlooked. The Marriott facility and management is impressive in its ability to serve this association well. The conference area is warm and welcoming. The guest rooms are beautifully appointed. The meals are palatable and appetizing. There is a fountain area outside the hotel that will be welcome in May. It brings life to “Refreshing Our Spirit”, as it lends a peaceful invitation to network or to walk outside between and after sessions. A business center contains shops, restaurants, and residences for exploration after the day’s presentations. Museums abound throughout Newport News, with one “The Mariners Museum” offering a permanent exhibit on the Monitor (from the Civil War). Oyster Point is a new and exciting area of Newport News. Easy to get to, Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is within miles of the conference site. Come on out for the Annual Conference! You won’t be disappointed.

Back to training and one of VASFAA’s keynote experiences through Awareness, Super Saturday is around the corner. VASFAA endeavors to train its students and families about financial aid application for 2008-09. VCAN (Virginia College Access Network) has additionally thrown in its support of this training endeavor (thank you, VCAN!) As technology has advanced, so has the manner in which families apply for financial aid. Today, it is on-line with only a few days turnaround for the data to make it to Financial Aid Offices. VASFAA members will be assisting hundreds of applicants to apply for 2008-09. VASFAA makes a difference to families and students, opening up doors of opportunity to so many whose lives will be changed forever. Make sure that commitment to this event is high as it represents VASFAA’s profile to the world of higher education. Promote what VASFAA says it does, making education possible to so many who would not be able to pursue it without this endeavor. Keep up the good work, VASFAA.

Not to overlook the other standing committees of this great Association, the commonality that exists is service to training, regardless of whether the training is about strategic planning, public relations, budget and finance, nominations and awards, the Voice, electronic services, government relations, site selection, sectors, archives, bylaws, diversity, secondary school relations, membership, research, photography, New Century, or funds development. VASFAA’s pledge to training its constituents is its greatness and deserves membership’s full support.

May the year ahead be one where the difference begins with that one Resolution made on January 1st . Work to be the one that makes the difference in someone’s future! It may even be your own.

P.S. Kudos to the Secondary Relations Committee on its fine training endeavor this past fall. The hard work that is done with our high school counselors really makes a difference in our Super Saturdays!