Profiles in the Financial Aid Profession: Tierra Smith, University of Tampa
Kristi Jones: What are you most proud of with your financial aid office?
Tierra Smith: I am very proud of the customer service that we provide to our students and parents. We are great!
Kristi: What has been the biggest challenge for your office over the past 12 months?
Tierra: Trying to implement the regulatory changes that seemed to have come up all at once.
Kristi: Do you have any tips for schools that are transitioning to Direct Lending (or what has been helpful to you as you transition)?
Tierra: Keep an open mind and utilize the resources that COD provides; they have been very helpful.
Kristi: Who within the financial aid community has been your mentor?
Tierra: Laura Selvey, my previous boss at Southwest Florida College, has been a wonderful mentor.
Kristi: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Tierra: I wanted to be a lawyer.
Kristi: What do you like most about your job?
Tierra: I enjoy working with the students and parents. I would never want that aspect of my job to go away. I love the rewarding feeling I get from seeing the students graduate.
Kristi: What is your favorite food?
Tierra: My favorite food is spaghetti.
Kristi: Name one thing that many people do not know about you.
Tierra: When I drive to and from work, I ride in silence because that is the only time that I am by myself.
Kristi: What is your favorite television show?
Tierra: I love “The Office” and “Law and Order.”
Kristi: What positions have you held within the industry?
Tierra: I am the head of the Diversity Committee for FASFAA and also a member of the Scholarship Committee.
Kristi: Where did you work prior to the University of Tampa?
Tierra: Prior to working at University of Tampa, I worked at Southwest Florida College.