In the Spotlight:
Mary Sommers, President Elect
 I was born August 24, 1960 in Columbus, Nebraska. Attended public schools in Columbus and after graduating from high school enrolled at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.
I had goofy parents who encouraged their children to attend college out of state! So I chose Iowa State because of its fine journalism department and a good location. I am one of those rare people who graduated with a degree in the program of study in which I started! I graduated in 1982 from Iowa State with a BA in Journalism/Mass Communication.
My first love was broadcast news and after graduating, I worked in radio news in Des Moines, IA, Wichita, KS and Sioux City, IA. Radio is a blast, but I was ready for a change after about four years. So a move took me to Billings, MT where I started looking around for a new opportunity.
An Admissions Representative position opened at Rocky Mountain College, a very small private liberal arts college in Billings. I applied just for fun and was offered the position. So I gave it a try and instantly fell in love with higher education. I started cross training with the Financial Aid Office at Rocky, which was under the fine control of Gloria Wright (a RMASFAA veteran!). When she had an opportunity to pursue a new financial aid opportunity, she recommended that I be named director in 1987. I took on that challenge and stayed at Rocky until 1992.
I left Rocky primarily to pursue a Masters Degree and fortunately a wonderful opportunity opened at that time at the University of Nebraska at Kearney where another RMASFAA veteran, Pat McTee was director. Pat offered me the opportunity to work in his office and work on my Masters at the same time. It ended up being a great opportunity for me professionally and personally. By this time, I had met my now husband Matt through some mutual financial aid friends who lived in Kearney. So Pat offered me the opportunity to make a new professional move and get closer to Matt, which certainly reduced our phone and gas bills!
Matt and I were married at Gallatin Gateway, MT (just down the road from the Big Sky Conference in 2003!) in 1993. I completed my Masters Degree from the University in December of 1994. We have since had two great kids, Samuel who is 7-years-old and Sarah who is 3-years-old. I have had the opportunity to grow professionally at UNK and was fortunate to be named director in April of 2000.
I have enjoyed my involvement in financial aid professional organizations, most especially training opportunities. I chaired the RMASFAA Summer Institute in 1996 and had the joy of being a neophyte trainer in 2002 (for the first time!). I chaired the NASFAA training committee in 1998. I was a decentralized trainer for Nebraska in fall of 2000 and loved it.
For fun I love to play golf and cook. I also am involved in my church as a pre-school religious education teacher and lector. More than anything I love to be with my husband and children as much as possible!
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