WPN Member Spotlight: Misty Lewis

Misty Lewis (she/her)
State Aid Advisor
Student Financial Services at Washington State University

Where are you located, and what regional Passport group are you part of?
Pullman, WA, which is part of the Eastern Regional Passport Group

What type of support services do you provide to your students?
As the dedicated financial aid advisor I do the eligibility determinations. I primarily train and empower support staff on financial aid processes to assist with advising students holistically and troubleshooting accounts. I hold office hours for students to come by and ask any questions they may have.

What is your favorite aspect of your work?
I love compliance and making sure students are able to maximize available funds for pursuing their educational journey.

What keeps you motivated in your work?
I have lived experience and I remember how difficult it was to navigate all the red tape in order to get assistance, so I’m motivated to make sure others have an easier time than I did as a student.

In what ways have you utilized (or do you hope to utilize) the WPN as a resource?
I use WPN as a resource with all their easy-to-access files and things like job description breakdowns, which I use to to communicate with stakeholders outside of the program’s direct purview about the importance of Passport and the role its staff members play in assisting students.

What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to go hiking with my dogs Potato and Beans! Beans is 10 weeks old and Potato is 8 years old. I even just took a week off of work to spend time with my dogs. I also love to paint and show in local art walks.

Do you have any programming updates, events or resources you’d like to share with the WPN?
I will be presenting at the 2025 Passport Conference about WSU data identification methods and how we assist students prior to joining WSU as enrolled students! (Find out more about Misty’s workshop presentation, “Getting to Gold: Using Data and Community to Improve Student Access” here. Haven’t registered for the conference yet? Grab your ticket now!)