WPN Webinars
Virtual learning opportunities for practitioners
Our webinar series for the 2025-2026 academic year will feature a variety of speakers addressing topics important to you and your work. These free webinars are designed to give you an opportunity to engage with other WPN members, explore relevant issues, and foster new ideas to help you support students.
Plus, check out replays of previous webinars below!
Events
WPN Webinar Replays
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Looking Ahead to the 2026 Legislative SessionDecember 3, 2025
Presented by:
Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil, CSF Government Relations & Advocacy
Presenter Bio:
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.
Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil, College Success Foundation’s Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, will be providing an overview of our state’s legislative process, which will include a look at the different types of sessions, ways to get involved, and how youth can have their voices heard when advocating for specific bills. Yokiko will also be sharing about CSF’s priorities heading into the next session and will also be touching on what we can expect from measures that will impact the Passport work.
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Getting to Gold: Using Data and Community to Improve Student AccessJuly 28, 2025
Presented by:
Misty Lewis, Washington State University
Presenter Bio:
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.
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. -
Best Practices for UHY DeterminationOctober 15, 2025
Presented by:
Dawn Cypriano-McAferty, WSAC; Stacia Schienbein, WSAC; Angie Hobbs, University of Washington; Chantel Fields, Bellingham Technical College
Presenter Bio:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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! -
Governor’s Scholarship for Foster Youth 101December 19, 2025
Presented by:
Kerrie Moss, CSF Scholarship Services
Presenter Bio:
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.
🌟 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. -
2025 Legislative Highlights & UpdatesMay 2, 2025
Presented by:
Joel Anderson, WSAC, & Yokiko Hayashi-Saguil, CSF
Presenter Bio:
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.
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 walk us through the latest from Olympia, with a focus on funding for the Passport to Careers program and other related measures. -
Storytelling for AdvocacyJanuary 29, 2025
Presented by:
Sierra Rogers & Darian Isom, The Mockingbird Society
Presenter Bio:
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!
In this unique WPN webinar geared toward students, Sierra Rogers and Darian Isom from The Mockingbird Society help young advocates understand how getting involved in policy and using their voices and stories can make a lasting impact. They 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 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.Additional Resources
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Trauma-Informed Practices for Postsecondary EducationDecember 11, 2024
Presented by:
Shannon Davidson, Education Northwest
Presenter Bio:
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.
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. -
Financial Aid 101 for Support StaffNovember 20, 2024
Presented by:
Maria Rebecchi, Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid Education, College Success Foundation
Presenter Bio:
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.
Learn how to navigate the financial aid application processes for Passport-eligible students. Get an overview of the FAFSA Simplification Act, best practices in overcoming application barriers for these youth populations, guidance on additional verification processes to receive financial aid, and resources to support you as you help students take their next steps in their post-secondary education. You’ll also learn about the different federal, state, and school-based financial resources available to students, 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.Additional Resources
- College Success Foundation: Financial Aid Hub
- SchoolHouse Connection: McKinney-Vento Act Quick Reference
- DCYF: Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program
- More information on private loans
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Passport Student Support Funds UtilizationSeptember 25, 2024
Presented by:
Dawn Cypriano-McAferty, Assistant Director for Passport to Careers, Washington Student Achievement Council
Presenter Bio:
Presenter
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.The first Washington Passport Network webinar of the 2024-25 academic year focused on Passport Student Support Funds Utilization, featuring a panel of Passport campus leaders and financial aid administrators from two-year and four-year institutions. Hear from 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. You’ll also hear 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.Additional Resources
- Slide deck
- Links to programs/organizations that came up during the discussion:
- WSU’s Coug Money Matters
- WSU’s Invest in Cougs program
- SEAG (Student Emergency Assistance Grant)
- SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners)
- Read more about the FAFSA simplification changes and how emergency aid is considered in this Dear Colleague letter. The emergency aid topic is under “Other Financial Assistance.”
