Profiles in Financial Aid: Sarah Pingel from the University of Denver

Sarah Pingel, Graduate Financial Aid Advisor, University of Denver

Alan Ishida: You are a member of one of Nelnet’s Regional Advisory Councils.  What are some of the things that you hope to accomplish through your participation?

Sarah Pingel:  My goal for joining the RMASFAA Regional Advisory Council was to learn more about Nelnet and how they work with borrowers who are in repayment. I wanted to get a glimpse of what our students experience after they leave our campus.

Alan:  What do you enjoy most about your job?

Sarah:  I love that no two days are ever the same! Every day seems to bring a new challenge!

Alan:  How did you get into the financial aid industry?

Sarah:  Like many of us, I began as a work-study student. My first job was in the Scholarship Services area at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I had the pleasure of working with a lot of fantastic people, such as Andrea Duryee, Susan Youtz, and Sharon Harper. They have all shaped my career in so many ways.

Alan:  What is your passion outside of work?

Sarah:  I don’t know if it’s really a passion or not yet, but I’m training for my first half marathon. We’ll see how it goes!

Alan:  Name one thing people don’t know about you.

Sarah:  I speak French. Before I figured out that financial aid was really where I wanted to be, I completed my Master’s degree in French Literature.

Alan Ishida – Regional Director, Nelnet Partner Solutions