Ryan Savage
Reporter
Nicole Patrick, Financial Aid
There is one place that every student on campus goes to for help to achieve his or her dreams. That place is the Financial Aid office. Nicole Patrick is the Director of Financial Aid, and she has been helping students here at the W for quite some time.
Q: How did you get into this field?
A: "Well, actually, [I] just applied for a job and was lucky... and was hired. I enjoyed it, so [I] worked my way up. Been here ever since."
Q: How long have you been working here at The W?
A: "It'll be 10 years in February."
Q: Are you a graduate of The W?
A: "I graduated in 2004, actually, with a degree in speech pathology. And this is where I ended up. I love it."
Q: Do you have any memorable stories from working here?
A: "Memorable? I have a lot of those, because we get a lot of people to come in, and they're very appreciative of [us] being able to help them fulfill their dreams of getting a degree, walking across the stage and getting that diploma. So, we have a lot of those."
Q: Is there any advice you would like to give to students regarding their financial aid?
A: "Yes. I would say to know what you owe. When I say, 'Know what you owe,' know what you owe to the university. Be mindful of your loan debt. I think a lot of students don't realize when they're starting out young that freshman year, and they accept loans, and they keep accepting, how quickly it can grow... and just being aware. Being very conscience of the fact that they're taking out loans, and they do have to pay that money back. And just to do the best they can as far as researching scholarships. Just be very aware."