President's Welcome
Hello AASFAA Members!! I hope that your summer is off to a great start! I have been involved in AASFAA for 5 years now. I got my start serving on a committee then joining the AASFAA board as VP and now, I look forward to the opportunity to support and serve you as President! Wow, what a year we have had! It seems that each year since 2020 has come with its own unique set of challenges and looking forward, there seems to be no slowing down when it comes to the rate of regulatory changes. I know over the past 5 years I have really leaned on our AASFAA community to help keep up with our crazy pace of change, garner different ideas of how to approach a challenge or decision, and to just keep my sanity! We have such a wonderfully diverse membership base of 850 individuals, ranging from all kinds of institutions and community partners with different experiences to pull from. I am proud of our profession and what we have all overcome together! This year as we continue to do our work of supporting Arizona’s students with the tools we have been provided, I think it is very important for us to look inward. We have taken on a huge burden implementing the Better FAFSA Better Future, increased pressure from our administrations looking for answers we don’t always have, and the current rhetoric of the value of higher education. We need to ensure that we are taking time for ourselves, and our staff. This year is a great time to invest in yourself, a great time to invest in your staff and show them your appreciation. AASFAA offers many opportunities throughout the year to build on skills you already have, learn a new skill, earn a NASFAA credential, network (and have fun!) with fellow financial aid colleagues, and volunteer. I encourage you all to get involved at any level from attending a training, going to our conference, volunteering on a committee, or just utilizing our website directory to reach out to a colleague for whom you might have a question. I am excited to see you all at our AASFAA events this year! Caleb Williams |
