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Value Added: Diane Corbett
Value Added
BY MARK TARNACKI n a college financial-aid world complicated by the recent pandemic and government policy changes affecting key issues like affordability, student debt, and the reduction of barriers for low-in-I come families, the timing was ideal for
Saint Michael’s to hire a top national veteran leader in the field.
Diane Corbett became the College’s new director of student financial services in July, moving to Vermont to be closer to family after leading the financial aid team most recently at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and before that, at The Ohio State University. Corbett heard of the opening through professional channels after having decided to move nearer her son and grandchildren in Williston, and family and friends in her native region of New York’s Adirondacks.
“As a first-generation college student, I well remember being interested in some schools after high school, but I selfselected out because I believed it was going to be a financial stretch for my family,” said Corbett, who as an undergraduate found a good fit at SUNY Oswego, where she majored in communications studies and Spanish and grew to appreciate the value of her liberal arts education as her career moved forward. “I saw firsthand—in my own case, and then for students at SUNY, Ohio State, and Cornell—how transformative a college education can be. Sometimes families look at sticker price and don’t drill down deeper to see which college is best for them holistically, meaning academically, financially, and socially,” she said. “I would say to them, look at what the college or university offers for financial aid, and also at the full experience that comes with your investment. At St. Mike’s, we’re funding students to make this valuable education affordable. Ask what it’s actually going to cost your family with all the financial support you are offered and consider all the things you will gain from this investment in your future.”
Corbett was particularly drawn to the spirit of social justice that is evident in the College’s culture, given her own family’s long commitment, both professionally and as volunteers, to supporting initiatives that serve others. Another big factor in her decision to take the job was the instant rapport she felt with Kristin McAndrew, Saint Michael’s vice president for enrollment and marketing, to whom she will directly report. Corbett said that in their extensive talks during interviews, she appreciated McAndrew’s “strategic vision for enrollment and emphasis on cross-functional collaboration… admissions and financial aid working together to assure we’re providing students with the best possible student service, while working in tandem to achieve the goals of the institution.”
