Welcome to the Winter issue of the VASFAA Voice – the second issue of 0708. As we begin this issue, I received a quote from a colleague at Carnegie Mellon University that caught my attention.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away..."

The deadline for this newsletter approaches the Christmas and holiday seasons. It is the season that many of us look for ways to literally “take the breath away” from our loved ones and friends. Some of us do this by finding that special gift that surprises and amazes a spouse, a child or special friend. Others of us look for opportunities for acts of kindness by volunteering our time for service or our home for Thanksgiving or other holiday guests and many other options.

As this issue arrives to you, you can reflect upon whose breath you took away and/or how you might take someone’s breath away in the future – creating special moments for others. As a financial aid officer, the opportunities are endless. Perhaps your new office quote for your staff might be “…whose breath did you take away today?” As a team, you might consider including a brainstorming session on “How to take your Students, Families and Supervisors Breath’s Away”.

I can honestly say that it takes my breath away every single day that I wake up whole, alive and with a job in this crazy industry. I only have to think back to my first job and why I entered this field of student financial aid as a reminder of my purpose in this field. I often said that I left retail jewelry where I took thousands of dollars from young people in exchange for something so little and so trivial as a diamond or other gemstone piece of jewelry. A long time ago, someone created the image of diamonds as necessary to show your love. What a marketing concept.

I left the retail jewelry business for a higher purpose – to give thousands of dollars to young people in need of a great start on their path to personal success. I know that when I am finished, and hopefully retired, that I will be able to look back on how I took the breath away of countless students and their families. And so should each of you, especially those of you who work on campuses entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the uneducated through a maze of financial aid choices. If you can look in the mirror and feel confident that your efforts positively took someone’s breath away with good, unbiased information, then you have done well.

If you read nothing else, take a moment to read how VASFAA created a special moment in someone’s life with the Sue Deaton Ross Scholarship Award. Your association is doing great work.

I hope your holiday was restful, rewarding and filled with endless opportunities for personal and family attention.

This issue is packed with timely information for your reading. Let me know if you like it, read it, want to be a part of it, or suggest improvements. The Newsletter Committee is always seeking willing participants to join our committee. If you are interested, please contact me directly at 301-865-6246 or via my email address below. My cell phone number has not changed.

The next issue of the newsletter is scheduled for publication on April 10th. Please send your input by March 20th to me at gary.a.spoales@bankofamerica.com.

Thank you once again to everyone who provided material for this newsletter. The entire association appreciates your efforts. As always, this issue’s contributors are listed at the end of the newsletter.

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