When it comes to working your way up to a leadership position as a minority professional in the world of student financial aid, one of the best things you can do for your career is to volunteer for a professional association.
That advice comes by way of Brenda M. Brown, director of strategic initiatives within the Office of Student Financial Assistance & Employment at the University of Miami.
Brown made her remarks during a presentation titled “Volunteerism: Taking Charge of Your Own Personal Development,” at the annual conference of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, or NASFAA. It was presented during a panel discussion titled “Perspectives: Minorities in Leadership.”
Brown’s advice is built upon 32 years of experience at the University of Miami, where — prior to her current position — she held the position of director of financial aid at the University of Miami School of Law.
Throughout her career, Brown has volunteered for various positions at the national level through NAFSAA, for which she has served on the Student Access & Diversity Committee, among others, as well as at the regional level through the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, or SASFAA, and at the state level through the Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, or FASFAA.
In fact, at one point, she held positions in all three organizations. Her volunteerism has even led her to win the Most Valuable Professional award from NAFSAA.
