Profiles in the Financial Aid Profession: Jeanie Spitznogle at West Virginia’s Fairmont State University
Pam King: How long have you been in the industry?
Jeanie Spitznogle: I have been in the financial aid industry for ten years. I began working at Fairmont State University in July.
Pam: What is your primary job focus at Fairmont?
Jeanie: I spend the majority of my time counseling students and their families. I also work with private loans.
Pam: What makes the campus at Fairmont State University unique?
Jeanie: Fairmont has an incredibly unique situation where both a four-year (Fairmont) and a two-year (Pierpont) college are sharing a campus and services.
Pam: What are you most proud of with the financial aid office at Fairmont?
Jeanie: I think the variety of the counseling that we do is exceptional. We counsel both the four-year and two-year students in a variety of issues with only nine full-time staff members.
Pam: What has been the biggest challenge for your office over the past 12 months?
Jeanie: Going from a small private institution to a large public school has been an adjustment. Fairmont has over 7,000 students that we work with and there are a lot more endowment funds to work with.
Pam: Who within the financial aid community has been your mentor?
Jeanie: Susan George at West Virginia Wesleyan.
Pam: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Jeanie: I wanted to be a trauma nurse. I love the chaos and action that goes on in a trauma unit.
Pam: What is your favorite television show?
Jeanie: Grey’s Anatomy and ER of course!
Pam: What do you like most about your job?
Jeanie: I love working with the students and parents, helping and teaching them about financial aid. The counseling part is what I enjoy the most.
Pam: Name one thing that many people do not know about you.
Jeanie: That I was a hairdresser for nine years in the 80’s, back when hair was fun!