Read Me…You know you want to.

I completely forgot to do this in my first blog, again being new to the blog scene comes with many errors but I am learning slowly but surely.  So here goes…

My name is Katie and I am the Orientation and Event Coordinator for Benedictine University Admissons.  I plan Orientation and other events through out the year…its a pretty cool gig and I am loving every minute of it!

Speaking of events, we are having a Financial Aid 101 event this coming up Saturday, June 6, from 9 – 11:00 a.m. in the Krasa Student Center.  This event is geared for students and parents who still have questions about their FAFSA, who have not applied and anywhere in between.  So if you fit into any of these categories come out! To register for the event, call our Admission’s Office at 630-829-6300 or register for Financial Aid 101 online.

Also to check out all of our events for the Summer and Fall go to our Orientation web page: www.ben.edu/orientation

On a more personal note, I did see the movie UP this weekend and I must say it was quite good, so if you like 3D, Ed Asner, large birds and talking dogs, then this is your movie.

I am no Ebert but I give this movie a good 2 thumbs and 8 fingers up.

Also this weekend my Alma Mater held their graduation and this year celebrated the last of my friends graduating. It was a sad and happy event all rolled into one. So in honor of this weekend I have posted a picture of my graduation from two years ago.

Me and my parents after my college graduation

Huān Yíng!

Just me. Photo courtesy of my best friend Alexandria.

To my blog!
Nĭn hăo! Ohayo gozaimasu! (That is hello and good morning in Chinese and Japanese respectively!). My name is Lisa Darnell (Class of 2008) and I am the Financial Aid Liaison for the Enrollment Center. I primarily work with incoming Freshmen. I assist students who are applying for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). And I also make sure everyone receives their financial aid award letter in a timely manner! If you have any questions about applying for financial aid please feel free to contact me at (630) 829-1126 or ldarnell@ben.edu. If you have already received your financial aid package I can get you in contact with one of our awesome financial aid counselors!

I really like China and Japan…if you couldn’t tell . I am trying to teach myself both languages (time permitting!) but I am still a beginner! So far my favorite thing to say in Japanese is “sono kosokudoro” which means—

*drum roll*

The highway.

No joke. Fascinating. Language.

I also enjoy reading manga (As if I wouldn’t!), the Twilight saga (I didn’t care so much for the film—*hides from enraged fan girls*) and the Stephanie Plum novels. I’ll give you ONE guess who lent Alex Batman Battle Royale (see previous blog). Look at that! Circular humor! Everyone here at BU is great!

My other interests encapsulate: video games, being a ninja, kittens, green tea, eating with chopsticks, drawing (when sufficiently inspired), independent films, studying psychology, Japanese rock music, writing and taking pictures. Anways! Enough about me! Have you applied for FAFSA yet?

Here is some general information about filing for federal aid:

You can apply for financial aid at www.FAFSA.ed.gov! You will want to file your 2009-2010 FAFSA and use Benedictine’s school code: 001767. You and your parents can electronically sign the FAFSA application using a Personal Identification Number (PIN) which you can create at www.PIN.ed.gov! It can take one to three weeks to receive your financial aid award letter. It is possible that you may need to provide additional documentation (copies of federal taxes, proof of selective service registration, proof of citizenship, etc.) to our office before we can send you your financial aid award letter, so keep an eye out for any mail from our office!

Financial aid can be confusing! So we dreamed up this piece of brilliance: Financial Aid 101. The idea behind the event is to explain the financial aid process, what your awards mean, how to pay for what financial aid doesn’t cover and all that jazz! For your convenience there will be two events: Wednesday, May 27 from 6:30- 8:30pm, and Saturday, June 6 from 9:00-11:30am.

For more information or to RSVP go here: http://www.ben.edu/ecom/fa101_09/index.html

Alright! My rant is finished!
Xiè xie! Arigatou! Thanks for reading!