Advertise on podcast: SASFAA's Swoonpies and Money

In this episode of the Swoonpie Health & Wellness segment, Samantha Dunman (aka Dr. Happy) sits down with Anna Wojtuniak, Associate Director of Financial Aid Compliance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, for an inspiring conversation about health, weight loss, and personal transformation. Anna opens up about her personal wellness journey, including her experience with weight-loss surgery, the mindset shifts that helped her move forward, and the challenges and setbacks she encountered along the way. From building sustainable habits and embracing strength to navigating menopause, improving sleep, and finding balance, Anna shares what she's learned about creating a healthier lifestyle that lasts. Samantha and Anna also explore a challenge many financial aid professionals know all too well: eating at our desks during busy office hours and turning to food as a way to cope with workplace stress. They discuss how stress eating can become an everyday habit, how to recognize the triggers behind it, and realistic ways to break the cycle and develop healthier responses to stress. This conversation reminds us that wellness is about more than a number on the scale. It's about building strength, finding balance, creating healthier habits, and giving ourselves grace while navigating the demands of work and everyday life. Disclaimer: This episode reflects Anna's personal experience and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice.

In this episode of How I Got Here, host Emily Baldwin returns for another inspiring conversation highlighting the career journeys of financial aid professionals and leaders within SASFAA. Emily welcomes Helen Faith from the University of Virginia, who serves as a mentor, and Daniel Matamoros from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, her mentee, through NASFAA's Developing Leadership Pipeline program. Join us as we explore the power of mentorship, professional growth, and leadership development in the financial aid community. Discover how meaningful connections and shared experiences can help shape career paths and inspire the next generation of SASFAA leaders. Whether you're an experienced financial aid professional or just beginning your leadership journey, this episode offers an opportunity to reflect on your own path and the relationships that can help you grow.

Join us for another weekend edition of Sam Hicks’ What Keeps You Up at Night? This week, Sam welcomes SASFAA President Katie Conrad for a heartfelt conversation inspired by Allen Levi’s novel, Theo of Golden. Together, they explore the transformative power of human connection, the importance of making others feel genuinely seen and valued, and the lasting impact of even the smallest acts of kindness. Not surprisingly, Katie and Sam relate how these themes can be found in SASFAA through building stronger and more compassionate communities. This episode reminds us that sometimes the simplest gestures can make the biggest difference. We also replay our conversation with NCASFAA President, Lori Lewis of Elon University, who previews the upcoming SASFAA webinar on November 10th. Lori will join fellow panelists Dana Kelly, Chad Sartini, and Heather Dearman to tackle the topic, “Compliance, Program Reviews, and Audit Readiness: In Light of OB3.” Registration is open at SASFAA.org. Tune in for an uplifting conversation about empathy, connection, and the extraordinary power of showing up for one another.

In today’s Election Day special edition, we encourage you to vote, register, and read! First, vote: Rachelle Feldman, SASFAA's Legislative Relations Chair, shares her thoughts on what the post-election political landscape could mean for higher education policy. In the premiere of Welcome to Wonksville, she and Bill also reflect on the importance of voting and reminisce about the first time they cast their ballots. As always, they mix humor and lighthearted Swoonpies banter with a realistic outlook on what lies ahead. Then, register: The episode closes with a conversation with NCASFAA President, Lori Lewis of Elon University, who previews the upcoming SASFAA webinar on November 10th. Lori will join fellow panelists Dana Kelly, Chad Sartini, and Heather Dearman to tackle the topic, “Compliance, Program Reviews, and Audit Readiness: In Light of OB3.” Registration is open at SASFAA.org. And later this week... Finally, read: We'll end this historic week with another weekend edition of Sam Hicks’ What Keeps You Up at Night? This week, Sam sits down with SASFAA President, Katie Conrad, for a conversation inspired by Allen Levi’s novel Theo of Golden. Together, they explore the power of human connection, the importance of making others feel truly seen, and how simple acts of kindness can heal old wounds, ease sadness, and strengthen communities. So, after listening, don't forget to cast your vote, register for the webinar, and pick up a good book!

For your listening enlightenment this weekend we welcome back Dr. Happy with another inspiring conversation: Jasmine Estevez presents "From 9–5 to Aligned Living: Yoga, Veganism & Holistic Motherhood." Explore the journey toward intentional living, personal wellness, and creating a life aligned with your values. After leaving her nine-to-five job, Jasmine completely transformed her life through yoga, plant-based living, intentional movement, and conscious motherhood. In today's episode, we're diving into how yoga sparked her personal growth, her powerful decision to go vegan, and the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes that followed. We'll explore how small, intentional shifts evolved into a complete lifestyle transformation, changing the way she approaches her health, daily habits, and overall well-being. Jasmine's journey is such a beautiful example of what's possible when you choose to live with purpose. Let's downward dog right in!

Fall is heating up across SASFAA, and Teaser Tuesday is back with another round of exciting announcements, upcoming events, and a sneak peek at what's ahead on Swoonpies and Money! In today’s episode we spotlight two state association events and some exciting new additions to the podcast. ⌚ Florida's Clock Hour Workshop with Danielle Browning Learn what makes the Florida Association's Clock Hour Workshop such a valuable and unique professional development opportunity, and why financial aid professionals from states beyond Florida register to attend. SCASFAA Conference Preview with Destra Capers The SCASFAA Conference is just weeks away! Destra shares a preview of what's planned and why you won't want to miss this upcoming gathering. Swoonpies and Money Season Four Updates & New Segments We're now bringing you two episodes every week! Catch up on our latest original segments: The Secret Lives of SASFAA Members — Discover the fascinating lives and interests of your SASFAA colleagues beyond financial aid.SASFAA Gothic — Explore the legends, folklore, and mysteries surrounding campuses across the SASFAA region.Coming Soon! Our brand-new music themed segment entitled Zero Skips. Be on the lookout for more details. Hint: the premiere episode features Dolly Parton and a couple of SASFAA rock stars. We'll leave the rest to your imagination! Coming Up This Weekend Don't miss the return of Dr. Happy, bringing another inspiring conversation: "From 9–5 to Aligned Living: Yoga, Veganism & Holistic Motherhood". Explore the journey toward intentional living, personal wellness, and creating a life aligned with your values. Have an Idea for the Podcast? We love hearing from our listeners! Whether you have an idea for a new segment, a special guest, or a one-time episode, send it our way. 📧 [email protected] As we like to say, "We've never said no to a podcast suggestion from a SASFAA member!"

It's a frightfully fun Weekend Edition of Swoonpies and Money! Just in time for Halloween, we're premiering SASFAA Gothic, a journey across the SASFAA region exploring the fascinating folklore, myths, customs, and traditions that make our college campuses so intriguing. Celena Tulloss and Kari Dedwylder kick things off at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where special guest April Wolford helps uncover some of the campus's spookiest, darkest, and most mysterious stories. And here's a treat: Contact April for your very own Body Farm keychain! But wait, there's more Halloween fun! Keeping with our UTK Body Farm theme, Sam Hicks and JM Schott dive into Buying the Farm by Chad Darnell. Set in the Deep South, this darkly humorous novel follows four women (think The Golden Girls) who somehow find themselves in the business of selling dead body parts on the black market. It's a deliciously twisted tale of desperation, small-town mischief, mystery, and some very questionable career choices! Because apparently OB3 isn't frightening enough, we're throwing in a few ghost stories and a dark comedy for good measure! Happy Halloween, Swoonies!

An hour-and-forty-five-minute episode? Seriously? Before you panic, remember the beauty of a podcast: you can stop, start, take a break, and pick it up tomorrow or next week. We're not going anywhere! This is one episode you'll want to stick with! We're bringing you an abridged version of last week's SASFAA Management Institute in Lexington, Kentucky, taking you through the agenda speaker by speaker, topic by topic. From affordability and OB3 to leadership, communication, private student loans, and fraud prevention, we're sharing the insights, conversations, and practical takeaways from an extraordinary gathering of financial aid professionals. Your listening guide: Want to jump to a particular speaker or topic? Use these timestamps to navigate the episode. 7:10 — Rachelle Feldman: Affordability Under Pressure: What Institutions Can Do Now 23:15 — Nancy Ferguson and Sarah Baumhoff: OB3: From Federal Requirement to Campus Reality 33:55 — Celena Tulloss: Communicating Change When the Answers Are Still Moving 44:05 — Leigh Ann Hussey: Route Planning Lab: Leading From Where You Are 53:25 — Bryan Erslan: Leadership Without a Perfect Map 1:02:15 — Tori Watson: Beyond the Lender List: Supporting Students in Today's Private Student Loan Marketplace 1:11:47 — Bill Ayers: Fraud in the New Landscape: Patterns, Pressure Points, and Preparedness 1:26:00 — Mark Messingschlager: The Federal Landscape: What Is Changing and What Leadership Requires Now Remember: You don't have to listen to it all in one sitting, but you won't want to miss what these colleagues have to share! Bonus: Below is a family photo Mark used to set the mood for managing change while navigating the federal landscape, and it certainly provoked plenty of questions! That's little Mark in the Virginia T-shirt. And if that's not enough to keep your attention, just wait until Friday! For our Weekend Edition, we're premiering SASFAA Gothic, a journey across the SASFAA region exploring the intriguing folklore, myths, customs, and traditions that make our college campuses so fascinating. Just in time to get you into the Halloween spirit, Celena Tulloss and Kari Dedwylder take us deep into the spooky and chilling history of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where they're joined by special guest April Wolford to uncover some of the campus's darker and more mysterious stories. But wait, there's more Halloween fun! Sam Hicks and JM Schott discuss the darkly humorous novel Buying the Farm, exploring themes of desperation, small-town life, and mystery. Because apparently, OB3 isn't quite frightening enough, so we're throwing in a few ghost stories and a dark comedy for good measure!

It's the Weekend Edition of Swoonpies and Money, and this week, we're trading financial aid stress for a little sweat, science, and splat points! Dr. Happy, Samantha Dunman, welcomes one of her favorite Orangetheory coaches, Jeremiah Monaghan, for a conversation about fitness, motivation, and the power of showing up for yourself. With members ranging from age 15 to 84, Jeremiah explains how Orangetheory meets people where they are, regardless of age, fitness level, body type, or goals. His message? Fitness isn't about keeping up with someone else. It's about challenging yourself, building confidence, improving your physical and mental well-being, and discovering what you're capable of. He also shares a powerful member transformation story that reminds us the most meaningful changes aren't always measured on a scale. And think about this: What if you could find a community as close-knit and supportive as our financial aid family, while challenging yourself physically and mentally at the same time? That's the magic of finding your people. Whether it's financial aid or fitness, community makes us stronger. So, Swoonies, eliminate that OB3 stress with some Splat Points! Enjoy the episode and your weekend.

Today is our Teaser Tuesday edition, even though you may not be listening on Tuesday. We've got a lot packed into today's episode!   First up is Audrey Price, president of KASFAA, the KentuckyAssociation. There's a lot happening in Kentucky over the next couple of weeks, and Audrey gives us a preview of what's coming up, along with some of the exciting things KASFAA has planned for the year ahead.   Next, we'll hear from Mayra Vasquez from VASFAA, the Virginia Association, who joins us for a recap of their recent Fall Workshop. We're calling it Teaser Tuesday, but apparently we're not above looking backward!   And finally, we're replaying last week's conversation withNick Prewett from EASFAA and Brad Barnett, previewing the upcoming SASFAA webinar on October 20th, OB3 Legacy Deep Dive. If you missed it last week, here's another opportunity to hear what's coming.   And here's a preview of what's coming this weekend! It's the Weekend Edition of Swoonpies and Money, and Dr.Happy is bringing the energy! Samantha Dunman welcomes one of her favorite Orangetheory coaches, Jeremiah Monahan, to explain the science behind the sweat. And as a little bonus, we're including a link to the beer,bacon, and chocolate chili recipe that Sam Hicks featured last week, along with links to the local Kentucky TV coverage Audrey Price mentioned.   A little something for your appetite and your curiosity! https://www.vickibensinger.com/beer-bacon-chocolate-chili-yum/ https://ket.org/program/education-matters/ Have a great week, everyone! We'll be back this weekendwith our entertainment edition of Swoonpies and Money.

What do true crime, chocolate chili, and financial aid professionals have in common? Absolutely nothing. Which makes them perfect topics for this week's What Keeps You Up at Night? with Sam Hicks! First, Carrie Short from Baldwin Wallace University joins Sam to dissect Netflix's The Crash, exploring a tragic Ohio car crash, the justice system, social media, and why everyone with a Netflix subscription suddenly thinks they're a criminal investigator. Then, it's crime scenes to cuisine as Brian Beighley from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg reveals the secrets behind his award-winning beer, bacon, and chocolate chili. Yes, chocolate! Find out how he won the coveted Golden Spoon Award and retired undefeated. Two wildly different conversations and a welcome distraction from OB3. Frankly, we'll take whatever relief we can get!

Season Four is rolling with another guest-loaded week of Swoonpies and Money. For our Teaser Tuesday, we preview the October 20 SASFAA webinar, “OB3 Legacy Deep Dive,” with Brad Barnett and Nick Prewett from EASFAA. Then Emily Baldwin returns with How I Got Here, featuring Emily Mitchell and Emma Stitch from Mercer University. And on this Friday’s Weekend Edition, Sam Hicks is back with What Keeps You Up at Night? and her review of The Crash, followed by a game-day recipe for Beer, Bacon & Chocolate Chili. Plus, listen for our new Weekend Edition musical intro, created by the fabulous Lou Murray, Mission Upbeat, LLC. OB3, career stories, Netflix, and chili. That’s a pretty full week. As a reminder, we won’t send another announcement through the SASFAA listserv on Fridays; we figure your inboxes already have enough to keep them busy. Besides, if you’re following Swoonpies and Money, you already know where to find us.

Welcome to the first Weekend Edition of Swoonpies and Money. In this Swoonpies Health & Wellness segment, our own Samantha Dunman aka Dr. Happy, speaks with fellow yogi, licensed massage therapist, and breast cancer survivor Dawn Coury for an uplifting and deeply personal conversation about healing, resilience, and learning to listen to your body. Dawn shares how her cancer journey reshaped her approach to wellness and led her to explore the connection between physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Together, Samantha and Dawn discuss massage therapy, mindfulness, holistic practices, and the importance of slowing down and paying attention to what your body may be telling you. The main takeaway: healing is deeply personal, and taking an active, mindful role in your own well-being can help you feel more connected, grounded, and supported along the way.

Today, with the premiere of Season Four, we are announcing a momentous change to Swoonpies and Money. Starting this week, we’re moving to a twice-a-week schedule—with our regular professional edition earlier in the week and a new Entertainment Edition every Friday. Earlier in the week, we’ll get down to business—SASFAA news and Association highlights, government and legislative developments, professional topics affecting financial aid, conference and training updates, and a look at what’s happening with the states in the region. Then on Fridays, we’ll loosen the seatbelt a little. The Entertainment Edition will focus on the personal, entertaining, and sometimes unexpected side of Swoonpies, including Dr. Happy’s health and wellness series, Sam Hicks’ What Keeps You Up at Night?, and other stories and segments that help us get to know SASFAA members beyond their day jobs. In this premiere episode, longtime Swoonpies contributors Samantha Hicks and Samantha Dunman look back on their contributions over the past three seasons and give us a preview of what they have planned for the season ahead. And we’re also adding some new ways to have fun. This episode introduces one of our newest segments: The Secret Lives of SASFAA. Under our longtime banner of “for members, by members,” Secret Lives gives us an opportunity to discover what SASFAA members do when the workday ends—their hobbies, passions, talents, causes, side projects, and the communities that matter to them. If anyone has a “secret life” your SASFAA colleagues should know about, send us a message at [email protected]. We may just invite you onto the show to tell us about life after five o’clock. Below are the links to today’s Season Four premiere. And this Friday, our first Weekend Edition, S4:E2 will be available on Spotify and Apple. The episode is Surviving Cancer: Healing from the Inside Out. One woman's deeply personal and powerful healing journey. You'll hear her own experience with cancer exploring both conventional and holistic healing approaches. We won’t send another announcement through the SASFAA listserv on Fridays; we figure your inboxes already have enough to keep them busy. Besides, if you’re following Swoonpies and Money, you already know where to find us. Welcome to fall. Welcome to Season Four. And welcome back to Swoonpies and Money.

As Season 3 of Swoonpies and Money comes to a close, we’re cleaning out the virtual podcast studio and sharing a few summer moments we left behind. One last look back at summer, and I think it’s safe to say, we’re all pretty happy to put this one in the rearview mirror. First, we roll out the velvet rope and revisit the fabulously over-the-top NASFAA 60th Anniversary red carpet, where some of the brightest personalities in financial aid arrived in full gala mode, dressed to impress and ready to answer the only question that really matters on a night like that: Who are you wearing?” For video of the red carpet gala, check out our Facebook Page. Then, Bill sits down with Wendy Owens from the University of Miami for a thoughtful conversation about NASFAA’s first-time attendee experience, getting involved, and the value of connection within our profession.