In the Spotlight
Wilma Kasnic

"I'm proud to be an OKIE from Muskogee."
I was born and reared there "many moons ago". In grade school, I decided I wanted to be an elementary teacher so I majored in Elementary Education at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. My undergraduate degree was completed in three years so I am used to juggling lots of different projects at the same time. Upon graduation, I accepted a position as a first grade teacher in the Albuquerque Public Schools where I taught first grade and was a Head Start Teacher during the summers for six years along with serving as Master Teacher for Interns at the University of New Mexico.

During the next twelve years, we lived in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas and I worked at a variety of jobs including being a *stay-at-home* mom, substitute teacher, secretary in an engineering firm that designed/installed municipal swimming pools across the United States and worked in a college library in the curriculum resources area.

When we moved to Emporia in 1981, I really just wanted a part-time job but since there weren't any available decided to apply for a job in the "office of financial aid" as a loan processor. They must have been desperate because they hired me even though I had no experience in a financial aid office and I interviewed wearing only "one earring." They also didn't know that when I get dressed in the dark, I have been known to wear two different shoes to work. I am the founder and an official card-carrying member of the B/B/S Club (black/blue shoe club).

For the first week or so, I would go home every day and cry because I was afraid I was going to get the university in liability because I didn't know what I was doing. I finally went into the director and told him I thought I needed to resign due to the above and they finally realized the person who had left the position had only given me about thirty minutes of training. This was corrected and I began to really love what I was doing. After all, it was just like first grade. First you tell the student to do #1, then #2, etc.

I worked in this position approximately two years and then took a job in the Business Office area; this paid more and was only three-quarter time. Go figure! During this time, I also completed my Masters Degree in Education. In 1987, I was selected as Director of Student Financial Aid and have been in this position since that time. In addition to my duties as financial aid director, I have also served as our school's Senior Women Administrator for NCAA, served as cheerleader/advisor coach and been on almost every committee on campus.

In KASFAA, I have served in almost every position except treasurer. To my staff: See, I do know how to say No!

Probably if you ask anyone who has ever worked in our office, they would tell you we work extremely hard but have a lot of fun in the process. There are two main rules anyone we hire are told: 1) Never wear a shirt from another school while working in our office and 2) bring your sense of humor and be willing to take an opportunity to be creative which might include pumpkin decorating, most creative Easter Egg contest, "name the baby picture," decorating for homecoming and our fabulous Christmas party with unique Santas and entertainment.

We are proud to say we have had several people who worked in our office go on to work in other financial aid offices. For Homecoming this year, we invited everyone who had previously worked in our office during the last twenty years to come back and have lunch with us. Approximately seventy-five people attended the luncheon, which we will probably host again in two years. What nice people we have employed. Financial aid employs only the best!

I do have a wonderful family consisting of my husband of thirty-four years, Mike, who teaches in the education department and is the principal of the laboratory school on campus. Our daughter Diana, along with her husband David and *the most beautiful granddaughter Dakota* live in Phoenix, Arizona and son David and wife Jennifer live in Longmont, Colorado.

My favorite sayings are "You can win the battle but lose the war" and "Bloom Where You Are Planted."

Just to set the record straight: It's simply not true that I drink only diet Pepsi and sleep on the hardbound copy of the Student Financial Aid Encyclopedia! Just ask anyone who has roomed with me at a conference!

As the year progresses, what I hope you discover about me is that I have a good sense of humor, I work and play hard and consider it a privilege to represent you as your Rocky Mountain President. Thanks for all your support.