Hi, I’m
Andrea Colon
Financial Aid Counselor
Florida
Summary
Knowledgeable and dedicated customer service professional with extensive experience. Solid team player with outgoing, positive demeanor and proven skills in establishing rapport with clients. Motivated to maintain customer satisfaction and contribute to company success. Specialize in quality, speed and process optimization. Articulate, energetic and results-oriented with exemplary passion for developing relationships, cultivating partnerships and growing businesses.
Overview
11
years of professional experience
1
Certification
Work History
Southeastern University
Financial Aid Counselor
04.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Improved financial aid application processes by streamlining documentation and communication with students.
- Reduced processing time for financial aid applications through efficient organization and prioritization of tasks.
- Increased student satisfaction with financial aid services by addressing concerns promptly and providing clear guidance on procedures.
- Assisted students in identifying appropriate funding sources, ensuring access to necessary resources for continued education.
- Enhanced communication between the financial aid office and other departments, facilitating seamless coordination of funds disbursement.
- Developed customized financial aid packages for individual students, taking into consideration their unique circumstances and needs.
- Managed a caseload of students throughout their academic journey, ensuring timely completion of all required paperwork related to financial assistance.
- Collaborated with fellow counselors to develop strategies for improving overall efficiency and effectiveness of the department''s operations.
- Monitored compliance with federal regulations regarding disbursal of funds, safeguarding institutional eligibility for future aid programs.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge on relevant laws, regulations, and policies surrounding higher education finance in order to provide accurate advice to students.
- Provided one-on-one counseling sessions for students facing financial difficulties, identifying tailored solutions and offering support during challenging times.
- Provided financial aid counseling to enrolled and prospective students.
- Represented financial aid office at group meetings with high school students and parents.
- Explained very technical financial information to applicants in easy to understand language.
- Counseled students and parents about financial aid options and program details.
One More Child
Missions Coordinator
07.2022 - 03.2023
Job overview
- Be able to proficiently use all Microsoft office tools.
- Receive and send over 70 emails each day.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness, and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Worked flexible hours; nights and weekends.
- Plan all one more child mission trips.
- Including staff and presidential trips.
- Check and approve applicant applications.
- Coordinate all trip details; book lodging, flights, and transportation, and gather all necessary documents.
- Apply for travel visas for participants when necessary.
- Keep up with certain databases and make sure everything stays up to date.
- Use Asana to keep track of all necessary tasks.
- Use Raisers edge program to keep track of all participant's data and donations.
- Communicate with ministry partners about upcoming mission teams.
- Schedule orientation meetings between leaders and teams.
- Follow up with trip participants for needed documents and payments.
- Create folders for trip leaders with all necessary team and travel information.
- Mail out team packets to team members for their mission trip
- Assist with translating when needed.
- Quickly learned new skills and applied them to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
Self-employeed
Babysitter
06.2014 - Current
Job overview
- Babysat ages from 6 weeks to 12 years old
- Communicated positively with children and guardians.
- Played games, worked on puzzles and read books to young children.
- Organized and cleaned home after activities by picking up toys and straightening up play room.
- Prepared healthy, age-appropriate snacks and meals.
- Bathed, dressed and helped with teeth brushing as part of bedtime preparation.
- Taught children to organize toys, wash hands and share by leading by example.
- Sanitized dishes, tabletops, toys and frequently touched surfaces to prevent spreading of germs.
- Assisted children with homework assignments and special projects across different subjects.
- Balanced playtime and limited screen time to support development of fine motor, gross motor and cognitive skills.
- Offered age-appropriate, fun and educational activities for children ranging in age from six weeks to sixth grade.
- Fostered close relationships with children by discussing school, friends and hobbies.
- Maintained updated list of emergency contact information and child's health information in case of emergencies.
- Monitored children's play activities to verify safety.
National Land Realty
Internal Sales Associate
05.2021 - 06.2022
Job overview
- Screen incoming calls, voicemails, and texts from solar land prospects and direct them to the appropriate Project Manager or Territory Manager.
- Use analytical and investigative skills to put different pieces of information together to match inquiries with property information.
- Forwarding information and tasks to the sales team.
- Cataloging information in the CRM.
- Researching specific property ownership and contact information.
- Preparing property packages for client review, including displaying pictures, roadways and traffic, power lines, acreage, etc
- Creating and mailing lease packages to landowners.
- Working heavily with business systems including GIS software, Google Suite, contact information, Client Relationship Management (CRM) databases, and spreadsheets
- Property pre-qualification in our GIS Software.
- Assistance with event planning and coordination.
- Organize a quarterly community volunteer day for employees to participate in.
Student Financial Services|Southeastern University
Student Worker
08.2019 - 01.2022
Job overview
- Answer student questions regarding their student account.
- Sign students in to see a counselor.
- Answer student emails.
- Help cashier with paychecks and refund checks.
- Scanning papers and sorting documents.
- Answering student and parent phone calls.
- Help Financial aid counselors with anything they may need.
- Took and followed detailed directions from others.
- Worked in a team environment to maintain high levels of productivity.
Pier 1 Imports Inc
Imports Team Member
08.2019 - 05.2020
Job overview
- Learned all required tasks quickly to maximize performance.
- Kept work areas clean, organized and safe to promote efficiency and team safety.
- Contributed to team success by completing jobs quickly and accurately.
- Operated register to process payments and collect cash payment for order totals.
- Provide friendly customer service.
- Help customers open a store credit card.
- Make certain quotas every month.
- Work in different areas of the store restocking while still assisting customers.
- Take care of customers' online orders.
- Unload the shipment truck and organize the stock room.
- Clean store and restroom
CHICK - FIL - A
TEAM MEMBER
08.2016 - 08.2019
Job overview
- Responsible to take orders in a correct and friendly manner treating customers as if they were family
- Multitasking by prepping drinks and deserts while taking order and keeping the areas clean and stocked
- Working on window face to face with customers making sure they have the best experience possible
- Working a register, making sure everything is done correctly
- Cleaning the store, and playroom, doing dishes, and cleaning the restrooms to a high standard
- Lifting heavy boxes and having to lift heavy boxes onto high platforms, lifting 2 heavy buckets of ice at the same time to get things done more efficiently.
- Kept work areas clean, organized and safe to promote efficiency and team safety.
- Learned all required tasks quickly to maximize performance.
- Contributed to team success by completing jobs quickly and accurately.
- Developed strong cooperative relationships with coworkers and managers.
- Trained new team members by relaying information on company procedures and safety requirements.
Central Office | SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Student Worker
09.2018 - 05.2019
Job overview
- Complete my call goal and or exceed it.
- Provide friendly over-the-phone customer service.
- Encourage prospective students to take a closer look at our university with the hopes of them applying.
- Answered phone calls and routed callers to appropriate personnel.
- Collected information for staff and entered into computer system.
- Completing the daily task efficiently and correctly
Education
Southeastern UniversityLakeland, FL
Bachelor of Arts from Psychology
04.2022
University Overview
- Dean's List [1st, 2nd, and 3rd semesters]
- Department of Spiritual Formation Student Leader (3 years)
- Missions Department Student Leader (3 years)
- Helped organize Missions conferences and schools yearly conference
- I was on the HOLA (Hour of Latin awakening) team on our campus
- Led 4 mission teams both out of the country and domestically.
- Led a small group of 10 girls.
Polk Virtual SchoolLakeland, FL
High School Diploma
05.2018
University Overview
- Honor Roll [All 4 years]
- [4.4] GPA
- Named Salutatorian of my class.
Skills
- Research skills
- Organization and data collection
- All Microsoft office tools
- iMovie (Apple)
- Google Drive and all Google Apps
- Telephone skills
- Basic skills in Powerfaids and Jenzabar
- Raisers Edge
- Asana
- WordPress
- Canva
- Hubspot
- Able to communicate with people of all ages, due to current job and past volunteer experiences
Other Leadership Roles
- I ran a volunteer bible study group with preteens from my community.
- Sunday school teacher for elementary-age children.
- Led 4 mission trips. One was international and I led a team of 20. The other 3 were across the country and all 3 were teams of about 15 people per team/trip.
- During an annual conference my University held, I led one of the volunteer teams that were assisting with various tasks.
Certification
Certified in Deaf Studies
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
American Sign Language
Elementary
Timeline
Financial Aid Counselor
Southeastern University
04.2023 - Current
Missions Coordinator
One More Child
07.2022 - 03.2023
Internal Sales Associate
National Land Realty
05.2021 - 06.2022
Student Worker
Student Financial Services|Southeastern University
08.2019 - 01.2022
Imports Team Member
Pier 1 Imports Inc
08.2019 - 05.2020
Student Worker
Central Office | SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
09.2018 - 05.2019
TEAM MEMBER
CHICK - FIL - A
08.2016 - 08.2019
Babysitter
Self-employeed
06.2014 - Current
Southeastern University
Bachelor of Arts from Psychology
Polk Virtual School
High School Diploma
Certified in Deaf Studies
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