www.washingtonpassportnetwork.org

Webinar: FAFSA (Español)- for Students and Families
2023-11-28 18:00 - 19:00, 2023-12-07 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Estudiantes, adultos y familias podran aprender sobre el formulario FAFSA cómo prepararse y postularse, cómo evitar errores comunes, cómo abordar circunstancias especiales y más!
Presented by College Success Foundation
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Webinar: WASFA (Español)- for Students and Families
2023-11-30 18:00 - 19:00, 2023-12-12 18:00 - 19:00
Estudiantes, adultos y familias podran aprender sobre el formulario WASFA, cómo prepararse y postularse, cómo evitar errores comunes, cómo abordar circunstancias especiales y más!
Presented by College Success Foundation
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WPN Webinar: Navigating Apple Health and Mental Health Support & Resources
2023-12-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join us for a brief introduction to Medicaid (Apple Health) and take a deeper dive into Coordinated Care’s Apple Health Core Connections plan – the only health insurance plan for children and youth in foster care and adoption support, alumni of foster care (ages 18-26), reunified families and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in Washington State. Coordinated Care goes beyond simply paying for doctors’ visits by getting food on the table as well as money in its member’s pockets for completing healthy activities. Their trauma-informed team supports youth and families in finding available healthcare providers (e.g. primary care physicians, specialists, therapists, etc.), connecting with community resources to support their holistic needs, and providing tangible benefits that make life a little easier so members thrive. You’ll also receive some tips and resources for self-care and supporting your mental well-being.
Presenter: Nathan LaChine, Therapeutic Foster Parent and Community Educator, Coordinated Care
Nathan LaChine has been a Therapeutic Foster Parent for the last 17 years, specializing in early childhood traumas. Nathan’s current role as Board of Director and Webmaster for MaleSurvivor involves the oversight of volunteer staff along with the daily operations of the website which sees over 100,000 visitors and 2.5 million page views annually. Nathan co-hosted a local radio show “Real Family Matters”, a live resource show for community members to call in and ask questions. Additionally, Nathan provides training and resources for caregivers in Washington state.
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WPN Webinar: Basic Needs and Post-secondary Education Student Support Services
2024-01-17 13:00 - 14:00
Nearly half of all Washington college students reported experiencing in housing and/or food insecurity in a recent survey. In this session, you’ll gain insights about Washington students’ experience of basic needs insecurity and recent policy and investments to address those challenges. We’ll discuss strategies and student outcomes from the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness grant program. You’ll learn about new initiatives to better address students’ basic needs, and together we’ll consider collaboration opportunities with Passport.
Presenters:
Ami Magisos serves as Associate Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Washington Student Achievement Council. Her work focuses on understanding and addressing students’ basic needs insecurity for postsecondary students in Washington.
Laura Coghlan serves as Program Administrator for Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness at the State Board for Technical and Community Colleges. She is also a member of the Passport Leadership Team.
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Webinar: Student Loans- for Staff
2024-02-12 10:00 - 23:30
This webinar is a deep dive into different types of loans, connects borrowing to career decisions, addresses consequences for nonpayment, and provides tools to develop individual borrowing plans.
Recommended for all levels
Presented by College Success Foundation
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Webinar: Student Loans- for Students and Families
2024-02-20 18:00 - 19:00
This webinar is a deep dive into different types of loans, connects borrowing to career decisions, addresses consequences for nonpayment, and provides tools to develop individual borrowing plans.
Presented by College Success Foundation
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Webinar: Financial Aid Award Letters- for Staff
2024-03-25 10:00 - 11:30
This webinar will explore the anatomy of award letters, provide tools to help students assess true affordability, and strategies to address too much unmet need. It includes case studies.
Recommended for all levels.
Presented by College Success Foundation
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Webinar: Financial Aid Award Letters- for Students and Families
2024-03-26 18:00 - 19:00
Come and learn to better understand your financial aid award offer, provide you with tools to assess true affordability, and strategies to address too much unmet need.
Presented by College Success Foundation
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Webinar: Passport Student Support Funds Utilization
2024-09-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join us for a webinar on Passport Student Support Funds Utilization, which includes a panel discussion with Passport campus leaders and financial aid administrators from two-year and four-year institutions. In this panel discussion, we will hear from various Passport campus staff about their program’s funding utilization and budget sustainability strategies for this academic year in continuing support services for their students’ higher education outcomes.
At the end of this webinar, attendees will learn about how different campuses have used their PSSF budget in the last year and how they plan on managing funds this year due to reduced Passport funding and student awards.
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Presenters
Dawn Cypriano-McAferty
Assistant Director for Passport to Careers, Washington Student Achievement Council
Dawn Cypriano-McAferty serves as an assistant director at the Washington Student Achievement Council and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Passport to Careers program and the SETuP program. She is committed to working with campuses and community partners to develop support services for students and is especially passionate about working with students who have experienced foster care.

Panelists
Kathy Albin
Director of Learning Support
Spokane Falls Community College
Kathy currently serves as the director of learning support at Spokane Falls Community College where she is responsible for providing leadership, coordination, and evaluation of critical Spokane Falls Community College learner support programs including: Workforce Transitions (BFET, WorkFirst, Worker Retraining), Opportunity Grant, Passport to College, Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH), Student Emergency Access Grant (SEAG), Basic Needs, along with Library Administration, Career Education, and Academic Coaching.
Crystal Cardona
Program Manager – Diversity and Equity Center
Saint Martin’s University
Crystal Cardona is the Program Manager of the Diversity and Equity Center. She enjoys working with students and collaborating with faculty and staff. She graduated from Saint Martin’s with a bachelor of arts in sociology and cultural anthropology, and a master’s degree in social justice from Loyola University of Chicago. She started her career working in non-profits which focused on working with people who were unhoused and people living with mental health diagnosis. Crystal is originally from California.
Angie Hobbs
Assistant Director, Scholarships
University of Washington
Angie Hobbs has worked in financial aid for 16 years; nine of those years at the University of Washington. She has worked in all aspects of the UW financial aid office, and has served as the assistant director of scholarships for nearly three years. Angie works closely with all UW Passport students, helping them navigate financial aid and campus resources. She is passionate about helping students understand financial aid, knowing it can be especially daunting for students who do not have family support. Angie and her team help identify Passport-eligible students, update WSAC about eligibility and notify other support staff on campus so they can reach out to these students. Their biggest goal is to help remove barriers for students so they can receive a world-class education just like every other student at UW.
Priya Osborne
Director of Student Success, Equity & Diversity
Spokane Community College
Priya Osborne is a proud Black woman and a first-generation college graduate from Gonzaga University, where she earned her bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor in biology. She works at Spokane Community College as the director of student success, equity, and diversity, and serves as the Passport to Careers designated support staff, supporting foster and unaccompanied homeless youth. Priya is passionate about advocating for underserved populations and empowering everyone to achieve their goals.
Lexi Schaar
Assistant Director for College Success Programs
Washington State University
Lexi Schaar is the assistant director of college success programs with the Office of Academic Engagement. Before beginning her role with Passport to College in September of 2023, Lexi served as an academic advisor at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. Her primary role with Passport at WSU is to support the administrative aspects of the program.

Webinar: Healing-Centered Engagement
2024-10-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join us for a webinar on healing-centered engagement and learn how to incorporate an asset-based approach to trauma informed practices. More details to come.

Webinar: Financial Aid 101 for Support Staff
2024-11-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Join us for a webinar on understanding and navigating the financial aid application processes for Passport-eligible students. In this session, there will be an overview of understanding the FAFSA Simplification Act, best practices in overcoming application barriers for these youth populations, and guidance on additional verification processes to receive financial aid. We will also share resources to support you as you help students take their next steps in their post-secondary education.
At the end of this webinar, attendees will learn about the different federal, state, and school-based financial resources available to students. Attendees will also better understand how students access financial aid resources, how aid is awarded, and how financial aid offices build cost of attendance budgets and prioritize aid awarding.
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About the Presenter
Maria Rebecchi is director of scholarships and financial aid education at College Success Foundation. Over the course of 30 years, she built a career at postsecondary institutions and nonprofit organizations with the goal of helping low-income, first-generation students and their families navigate the complexities of financial aid.
Her prior work experience includes director of programs and evaluation at TheDream.US, interim director of financial aid at South Seattle College, director of programs at The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, associate director of financial aid at Bastyr University as well as WorkSource-affiliate coordinator and employment case manager at the YWCA in downtown Seattle.
Maria is co-founder of Universidad YA!/College NOW!, a task force of the Hispanic Arts Council of St. Louis geared towards addressing the needs of DREAMers in their quest for postsecondary education in the Midwest. She worked with United Way of Greater St. Louis to develop ‘Get on Board’, a program that provides comprehensive training for BIPOC leaders interested in serving on nonprofit boards. She was also a board member of the Hispanic Arts Council of St. Louis and chair of the John F. Garganigo Scholarship Committee. More recently, Maria served as a scholarship board member of the Latino Leadership Initiative, a joint effort of Edmonds College, Skagit Valley College and the University of Washington-Bothell.
Maria received her master’s degree in human services from St. Edward’s University, a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis in diversity from the University of California-Irvine, and certification in print journalism from the University of California-Los Angeles. Her extensive volunteer experiences range from supporting community health initiatives to intensive work with immigrant and refugee families in matters of education and social services to volunteer tax preparation for low-income individuals. Inclusion, equity, and educational opportunity have been consistent themes in much of her work.

Webinar: Trauma-Informed Practices for Postsecondary Education
2024-12-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, United States
Postsecondary students represent a wide spectrum of ages, backgrounds, and life experiences, and many have already navigated trauma in their lives when they start their postsecondary education journey. This presentation is intended to raise awareness of trauma and resilience in the context of postsecondary education, help educators understand how trauma affects learning and development into adulthood, and highlight the ways trauma intersects with stress related to basic needs, discrimination, and social exclusion.
Participants will hear ideas and strategies grounded in core principles of trauma-informed practice that can benefit learners with varying levels of exposure to trauma, and learn to manage their own stress and compassion fatigue through self-care. Throughout the presentation, participants are encouraged to connect the content with their own experiences and reflect on the importance of relationships in protection, healing, and growth from trauma.
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Presenter
Shannon Davidson is a leader in applied research and evaluation at Education Northwest and the author of “Trauma Informed Practices for Postsecondary Education: A Guide.” Shannon has delivered trainings in TiP for postsecondary education at the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine as well as a variety of higher education institutions including Columbia College, Clackamas Community College, and North Dakota State University. Shannon also leads formative, summative, and developmental evaluation and technical assistance projects for state and local education agencies and postsecondary institutions including Wenatchee Valley College and Portland State University. A former classroom teacher, Shannon is dedicated to helping partners translate research and data into meaningful action to promote learning and well-being. Shannon holds a Ph.D. in International and Comparative Education from Stanford University and has a background in both domestic and global issues in education.

Webinar: Storytelling for Advocacy
2025-01-29 15:30 - 16:30 | Virtual, United States
Join us for a unique WPN webinar geared toward students. Sierra Rogers and Darian Isom from The Mockingbird Society will help young advocates understand how getting involved in policy and using their voices and stories can make a lasting impact. They’ll provide background about The Mockingbird Society, an organization that provides meaningful opportunities for youth across Washington state to participate in the social justice effort to improve the foster care system. They will also outline the process for how legislation gets passed and provide helpful tips and advice on how young people can share their own stories while still protecting themselves, advocate for their communities, and help change lives.
This webinar is geared toward students, but practitioners and support staff are welcome to attend as well!
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Presenters
Sierra Rogers (she/her) currently serves as director of youth programs for The Mockingbird Society, curating youth development and support networks locally and nationally. Sierra was the deputy project administrator for Bitfocus and Clarity Human Services. She assisted King County in its data quality and training in HUD data requirements. For many years, Sierra has committed to ending youth homelessness as a lived expert, including being part of the development and implementation of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project for the Office of Homeless Youth, and being a part of the Y4Y board. Additionally, she has contributed to helping service providers implement Coordinated Entry, shared understanding of HUD requirements, equitable practices in spaces, disability support services and advocacy, crisis intervention practices, trauma & empathy informed approaches, TA support for agencies to thrive, and dedicated time to legislative advocacy to help support those experiencing homelessness, housing instability and foster care systems.
Sierra was born and raised in the beautiful Evergreen State, living in all corners of Washington. She currently resides in central Washington where she has access to all the state has to offer. In her free time, you can find her in nature or traveling in the company of friends and family.
Darian Isom has been working in the youth homelessness sphere for almost four years in Washington state. In this time, she has worked as a youth advocate at Ryan’s House for Youth in Island County, and has been a member of the Youth for Youth, Y4Y, board with the Office of Homeless Youth. She is the outreach and engagement coordinator at The Mockingbird Society, and previously served as the northern engagement coordinator. Darian has a passion for travelling the state and connecting with community organization in order to learn from lived experts.
Darian is originally from Idaho but has had the joy of living in Washington for the past four years. Currently she resides in the northwest corner of the state and loves to curl up with a good book on those rainy days!

Webinar: 2025 Legislative Highlights & Updates
2025-05-02 11:00 - 12:00 | https://www.washingtonpassportnetwork.org/event/webinar-2025-legislative-highlights-updates/
Get updates about this year’s legislative session from Joel Anderson, WSAC’s assistant director of external affairs and legislative liaison, and Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil, College Success Foundation’s director of government relations and advocacy. They will walk us through the latest from Olympia, with a focus on funding for the Passport to Careers program and other related measures.

Presenters

Joel Anderson is an assistant director of external affairs and legislative liaison for the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). Prior to joining WSAC, he served as vice president of external affairs for UW-Seattle’s Graduate and Professional Student Senate while earning his Master of Public Administration from the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Joel has also worked for multiple elected officials, including former U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Tacoma City Council Member Kiara Daniels, and earned a BA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil is director of government relations and advocacy at College Success Foundation. A former member of the Passport Leadership Team, Yokiko has spent more than a decade advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion within educational systems in her policy roles at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, WSAC, and more. She is a lifelong Pacific Northwesterner from Olympia, Washington. She holds a bachelor’s of liberal arts with an emphasis on Japanese culture and language and received her master’s of public administration and public policy from the Evergreen State College. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, focusing on multiracial identity, at UW-Tacoma.

Webinar: Passport Alumni Spotlight
2025-06-30 14:30 - 15:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tU2rZAvhTOiRqv7SfLX_sQ#/registration
Join us to hear from two Passport alumni, Jose Velazquez and Cam Turner. Attendees will learn about their stories, their journey through college, what supports they found most meaningful, and much more!

Speakers

Jose Velazquez Mancilla is a recent MBA graduate from San Diego State University and a first-generation college graduate who earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in 2019. As a former foster youth and proud alumni of the Passport to College program, his path through higher education has been shaped by the kind of support systems that help students persist when the odds are stacked against them.

Raised in a small farming town in Central Washington, Jose went on to lead student support and financial education initiatives at WSU, helping secure long-term funding for programming and improving outcomes for students navigating financial insecurity. While his work has since evolved beyond financial literacy, the lessons from that chapter – both personal and professional – continue to influence how he approaches strategy and impact.

Today, Jose has transitioned into the private sector, where he applies his experience to support firms with operational and financial planning strategies. While his day-to-day now looks different, the values that shaped his early work; community, access, and impact; continue to inform how he shows up when opportunities to give back arise. For Jose, it’s always been about opening doors, and leaving them open a little wider for whoever comes next.

Cam Turner was born and raised in the Bible Belt, specifically Texas, where they spent the longest amount of time. Cam moved to Washington at age 18, when they began attending Washington State University. They earned their BA in social science (cum laude) with a minor in Spanish in the spring of 2025. Cam is currently enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Washington for Public Policy. Cam now lives in Seattle with their partner and cats, and enjoys painting, writing and sewing during their free time.

Getting to Gold: Using Data and Community to Improve Student Access
2025-07-28 13:00 - 14:00
This webinar will provide an overview of WSU Student Financial Services’ data identification methods of Passport to College-eligible students as guided by the McKinney-Vento Act, FAFSA guidelines and state legislation, ensuring financial assistance for eligible students. Comprehensive support includes priority work-study, emergency funds, and personalized advising, with community partnerships enhancing access to essential services.

Meet our speaker!

Misty is a passionate student services professional, with Bachelor’s degrees in Organizational Development, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Interpersonal Communication and a Master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership. Misty has worked in Student Financial Services (SFS) at Washington State University since 2023. As the State Aid Advisor Misty oversees awarding and compliance for state funded financial aid, including management of Passport to Careers. While at WSU Student Financial Services Misty has increased the reach of the Passport to Careers program at WSU through on-going financial aid trainings, dedicated financial aid office hours for Passport students, and by designing queries to leverage existing student data, to the benefit of both the SFS office and the Passport campus support staff. When not working Misty likes going hiking with her two dogs Beans and Potato.

Best Practices for UHY Determination
2025-10-15 13:00 - 14:00
Join us for a discussion on best practices for determining unaccompanied homelessness status for students. This webinar will be led by the Passport team at WSAC, alongside two Passport financial aid administrators. We will be revisiting the definition of unaccompanied homeless youth, looking at recent data and trends, discussing best practices for determination based on WSAC’s guidelines, and looking at specific student scenarios. We hope you can join us!

Meet our Speakers!

Chantel FieldsExecutive Director, Student Financial ResourcesBellingham Technical College

Chantel Fields serves as Executive Director of Student Financial Resources at Bellingham Technical College, where she leads efforts to promote equitable access to higher education and reduce financial barriers for students. With over 20 years of experience in financial aid and student services, she is dedicated to fostering collaboration, ethical leadership, and innovative practices that enhance student success. Chantel has practical experience supporting Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and has presented on this topic in the past. She holds a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education from Western Washington University and is an active volunteer and leader within Washington’s financial aid community.

Angie HobbsAssistant Director, ScholarshipsOffice of Student Financial AidUniversity of Washington

Angie has worked in financial aid for a total of 18 years, with 11 of those years at the University of Washington’s financial aid office. Her first role at the UW was a financial aid counselor, then a financial aid systems analyst, and currently as the Assistant Director of Scholarships. She has supported Passport students and collaborated with Passport staff for over 6 years.

Dawn Cypriano-McAfertyAssistant Director, Passport to CareersWashington Student Achievement Council

Dawn Cypriano-McAferty is serving as an Assistant Director at the Washington Student Achievement Council and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Passport to Careers and SETuP programs.

Dawn began working in financial aid over 25 years ago as a work-study student and continued her career at WSAC in the Educational Opportunity Grant, WICHE, and State Work-Study programs. She is committed to working with campuses and community partners to develop support services for students and is especially passionate about connecting vulnerable student populations with educational resources.

Dawn earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology at St. Martin’s University and a master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governor’s University. She resides in Rochester and enjoys spending time with her family, reading, participating in dog sports, and cheering for her favorite sports teams.

Stacia SchienbeinProgram Coordinator, Passport to Careers Washington Student Achievement Council

Stacia Schienbein is the Passport to Careers Program Coordinator and has been with WSAC since June 2025. She is thrilled to be part of the WPN working alongside such an amazing group working to support Passport students. Her free time is spent with her husband and their two kids watching movies and playing with their Boston Terrier. She’s a lover of books, building Lego and playing card & board games.

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Lunch & Learn Webinar: Governor's Scholarship for Foster Youth
2025-12-19 12:00 - 13:00
You’ve been invited to:

College Success Foundation’s Governor’s Scholarship Info Session for Passport Partners!

🌟 Lunch & Learn Webinar: Help Your Students Apply for the Governor’s Scholarship 🌟

This webinar will:✅ Walk you through the Washington State Governor’s Scholarship for Foster Youth✅ Highlight additional scholarship opportunities that CSF offers ✅ Provide a hands-on tour of the application platform, so you can confidently support your students every step of the way

Your role is vital in helping students access these life-changing opportunities. Join us to get the latest details, practical tools, and answers to your questions.

📌 Can’t make it live? No problem — a recording will be available for you to review anytime.

We look forward to having you attend the event!

Meet Our Speaker!

Kerrie MossProgram Officer, Scholarships and Financial Aid EducationCollege Success Foundation

Kerrie is a Program Officer in the Scholarships and Financial Aid Education division at the College Success Foundation. In her role, she helps empower students and families by providing clear, accessible guidance on financial aid and scholarship opportunities. She collaborates with schools, community partners, and internal teams to develop resources and programs that strengthen students’ understanding of the financial aid process and support their journey toward higher education.

Prior to joining CSF, Kerrie served as a financial aid advisor, where she worked directly with students to navigate federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Her experience in one-on-one advising strengthened her commitment to educational access and equipped her with a deep understanding of the barriers students may face when financing their education.

With a passion for equity and student success, Kerrie brings a student-centered approach to her work and remains dedicated to helping learners confidently pursue their academic goals.

Webinar recording

WPN Webinar: Supporting Students Through SAP Challenges
2026-02-26 13:00 - 14:00
Join us for a conversation on Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)! CSF’s Regional College Access Managers will provide an overview of SAP policies for both state and federal financial aid. Passport’s campus financial aid administrators will also join the conversation to discuss how they support students who face SAP barriers.
