Profiles in Financial Aid: Sarah Pingel from the 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.