Happy Summer everyone! We are about to embark on another VASFAA year and this one promises to be the best one yet. This past year has been an enjoyable one for me as an editor of the VASFAA Voice as I have made new friends and have come to know so many of you. I would like to thank everyone for all your contributions over the past year and I am really looking forward to the 2009-2010 year as editor.

Let us all rally around our new president, Sheila Nelson-Hensley, and give her our support, and the best way to show our support is by volunteering as active members of our organization. Together we can make VASFAA the shining light of state financial aid associations. In Sheila’s article for this edition, she calls on us all to “REACH FOR THE STARS”, so please follow the link to http://www.vasfaa.org/docs/forms/memVolunteer.html and complete the volunteer form.

As we transition to another year, let us all wholeheartedly thank Brenda Burke for such a wonderful past year! Her leadership and initiatives were outstanding and I know that she will continue to play an important and vital role in our association. It is clear that Brenda loves her work and cares so much about our profession. She has been such a pleasure to work with!

While you are browsing through the newsletter, please take a look at the “VASFAA Election Results…” section and see our Executive Board roster for 2009-2010. What an array of such capable and talented people! Please take the time to offer our leaders your congratulations and encouragement.

This edition of the newsletter offers much food for thought, so please enjoy reading the articles. I would like to include in the VASFAA Voice items that will be of interest to our members, so please send me your suggestions.

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Article Guidelines
The editorial staff will review all articles submitted for publication. Submissions should be of a professional interest to the association and not include marketing and/or advertising of products, services, websites, or personnel.

Full articles should be no longer than two single-spaced, typed pages. It is requested that all submissions be provided in plain text format or as Microsoft Word files to save time and energy.

Picture Guidelines
The online newsletter flows best with pictures and graphics submitted in .jpeg, .jpg, or .gif format. You may submit pictures and graphics in either full color or black & white, according to your preference.

Editor’s Contact Information

Eloise Turner eturner@vcom.vt.edu (540) 231-5923 Edward Via VA College of Osteopathic Medicine 2265 Kraft Drive Blacksburg, VA 24060

Editor’s Background Information (or “How I Got Here”)
Eloise Turner is an alumna of the University of South Carolina and the Virginia Tech Graduate School and began her financial aid career at Radford University in 2004 as a financial aid counselor before joining VCOM in 2006 where she serves as the Financial Aid Coordinator. She has been a member of VASFAA since 2007.