Meet Jeremy McKinley 2023-2024 Leadership Pipeline Mentee.
I am a Financial Aid Counselor and School Certifying Official at Casper College in Casper Wyoming. I have been working at Casper College since 2020, but just moved into the Financial Aid Department in June of 2022 and into my current role of Financial Aid Counselor in March 2023.
My Mentor is Vanessa Martineau, Director of Financial Aid at Western Governors University. Vanessa and I met at the Summer Institute of 2023. She was one of the teachers in my class, which also was the best class (Jelly Jelly). I learned a lot from Vanessa during Summer Institute and hoped that she would be my mentor after signing up for the Leadership Pipeline. Vanessa is an amazing mentor and a huge advocate for getting involved and professional development. She has encouraged me to be active in both state and regional activities. She is very insightful and is always ready to offer advice and provide insight into any issue that comes up whether in my personal or professional life. What I appreciate most about Vanessa is how she invests in people. She is always asking and is very intentional about getting to know people so that she can best help. I have grown a lot with Vanessa’s mentorship and appreciate her advice and insight greatly.
Why did you decide to join Leadership Pipeline?
I learned about Leadership Pipeline from Judy Hager and Vanessa, my teachers at Summer Institute. At Summer Institute I learned a lot, and loved the experience of it and all of the people I met. When Judy and Vanessa talked about Leadership Pipeline, it sounded like another opportunity to learn and make new connections in the Financial Aid world. When I got back to Casper, I asked a few people in my office about Leadership Pipeline and they both highly recommended it, especially for me just starting in Financial Aid. I think the biggest draw for me was the ability to make new connections in the realm of Financial Aid and to gain new perspectives on everything. I think especially with the FAFSA complification, having those connections and different perspectives and ideas to bounce off of is crucial. I also am just a huge believer in professional development, and the Leadership Pipeline is a great opportunity to grow and meet with like-minded individuals who have more experience than me.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?
My biggest takeaway so far has just been the different perspectives. It is easy for me to get settled into where I am, and being fairly new, I learned all of my institution’s policies and practices. Hearing everyone else talk about the different ways they operate has been eye-opening for me, and I have taken a lot away in terms of what I could be doing better personally, or different things that Casper College can try. Having this network that we have built with each other in the past 6 months has already proven to be very beneficial and I am hopeful that this network will continue to provide insight and bounce ideas off of each other for years to come. I think another thing that I have learned is that we need to advocate for ourselves, whether as an individual or as a department. It is easy to sit back and let others talk for you, but in our realm, I am realizing that it is unlikely that will happen unless you start the conversation.
What is it that you are hoping to come away with at the end of the program? Personal goal? Skill set?
My personal goal is to become better at advocating for myself and my department. I am typically someone who would rather sit back and work in the back end and not be seen, but I am learning that it is crucial to speak up and ensure that your voice is heard. By the end of this, I also hope to increase my confidence in my ability to participate and lead in my local and regional associations. Just in general, I would like to continue to build this network of my Leadership Pipeline Class and have those people to call when I need help, a different perspective, or new ideas.
Why you would recommend this program to others?
I would recommend this program to others because you truly learn a lot. Leadership Pipeline has proved to be a great outlet for ideas and resources, and you will build relationships with people that will last past your financial aid career. The material that is covered is directly related to everything financial aid professionals do every day, and you will get new ideas, resources, and people that will help you along the way. Leadership Pipeline engages you in deep conversations about our work and how we can handle it. The different perspectives you will learn on all of the topics will help you in your career and give you a network of people to help along the way. This program will help you tune your leadership skills and help you find what your path should be and how to use your voice.
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