Judy Hager, the 2025 Summer Institute Chair, shares a recap with us.
Summer Institute 2025 brought 148 financial aid professionals to Wichita State University to participate in an exhausting exhilarating week of financial aid bootcamp with a theme of ‘SURVIVOR’. 114 participants from Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming engaged in learning tracks for Neophyte, Mid-Neo, Intermediate, Inter-Advanced, and Advanced/Director.
The Squads, overseen by The Council (the committee), included Loan Rangers, ISIRBurg Explorers, Survivor Sloths, Team Kaos, Financial Aid Fanatics, Budget Busters, Starship Scholars, Forest Funders, Hardshell Heros, Pell Pushers, and Destiny’s Children. Squads, each with 2 leaders (the faculty), formed alliances with special guests Heidi Carl, NASFAA Chair-Elect, Purdue University; and Justin Brown, RMASFAA President, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Participants worked together and competed in challenges of searching for hidden immunity idols, music bingo, bowling, trivia, and Minute-to-Win It.
The week culminated in an awards banquet complete with a photo booth and karaoke. Some of the more interesting twists included a flash flood, a failed superman attempt, and green beans for breakfast. But we survived! Maybe even thrived. Were most certainly revived! What an amazing week!
