Thank you so much for being a part of the Alumni-Admissions Program this year! In a year that presented many economic challenges, Saint Mary's will welcome a smaller, yet in every other way robust, freshman class for the fall of 2009. Your help, and the incredible support of other AAP members, made recruiting a new class possible and the Admissions Office and I send our heartfelt thanks to you for your contribution.

As a group, we now encompass more than 600 members from the far reaches of the countryand beyond. Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, the East Coast and even Australia and the Philippines. The geographic diversity you provide, along with your insatiable desire to promote your College, is one of the highest contributing factors for bringing in this new class. I hope that you take pride in what you personally, and as a group, have accomplished.

This is my final year at Saint Mary's College. This fall I will begin graduate studies in theology at Boston College, and plan to join your side as a proud East Coast AAP member. I am delighted to introduce your new AAP coordinator and fellow alumnus, Damien Fatongia '05. I hand over the reins completely confident in his ability to bring a fresh and insightful perspective to the program. He has a genuine passion for Saint Mary's and a desire to see this program grow to new heights.

I am personally honored to have worked with you this year, and it is my greatest hope that you will continue to stay involved in the program and help it grow in the years to come! Please join me in welcoming Damien, whom you can contact anytime at (925) 631-4745 or dff1@stmarys-ca.edu.

Yours for Saint Mary's,

Linde

--
Linde Haskins '06
Senior Admissions Officer
(925) 631-4930
lwaite@stmarys-ca.edu

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - Brandon Birr '07
This issue, we would like to highlight an incredible addition to the AAP membership: Brandon Birr '07. Brandon grew up in Sierra Madre, Calif., and came to SMC to major in history and Spanish. Brandon came to SMC with a strong desire to continue an education in the Lasallian tradition that he had experienced at  La Salle High School in Pasadena. The mission of Saint Mary's, along with its small class sizes and welcoming community, made it an easy decision. The best part about his College experience were his study abroad experiences in Costa Rica,Tucson, Arizona and Mexico.

As a student ambassador in the admissions office, Brandon developed a love for guiding prospective students through the admissions process, and he continues to be of service to high school students both as a teacher and devout AAP member.

Brandon now teaches U.S. history and Spanish at his high school alma mater.  In his classroom, he strongly advocates for the Socratic method of inquiry. He is a stalwart for the rigorous education that prepared him to teach, and often points out the fruits of critical thinking found within the Collegiate Seminar experience.

As an AAP member, Brandon has attended the Southern California Information Sessions for the past two years in Pasadena. Brandon says that "AAP has given me a way to stay connected to Saint Mary's while living somewhat far," and that he loves the opportunities to share his experiences at prospective and admitted student events. This year, 10 La Salle High students have enrolled at Saint Mary's. We thank Brandon for his outstanding leadership and dedication to Saint Mary's College.

DAMIEN FATONGIA '05 - New AAP Coordinator
As of July 15, Damien Fatongia assumed the new role of AAP coordinator for the Admissions Office at Saint Mary's College. Damien graduated from Saint Mary's in 2005 with a degree in sociology, and immediately began working for the College as an Admissions Officer. In 2006, Damien went on a hiatus from higher education administration to play professional rugby in Germany, and since his return to the office in 2007, has been responsible for coordinating the four major spring yield events for prospective students. Damien will now be coordinating minority student recruitment in addition to overseeing the Alumni-Admissions Program. You can reach Damien at (925) 631-4745 or dff1@stmarys-ca.edu.

Got SoCal?
If you're residing in Southern California and want to stay connected, be sure to contact our Southern California Regional representative Kevin Miller. Kevin has spent the past year conducting admissions recruitment from San Luis Obispo County to San Diego, and he has plenty of opportunities for you to get more involved in AAP. You can reach Kevin at (925) 518-5482 or kfm1@stmarys-ca.edu for more information.

COLLEGE FAIRS
The first group of college fairs will be Tuesday, Aug. 18. Check out the schedule online to look for college fairs in your area this fall at www.stmarys-ca.edu/aap/collegefairs.

NEW SMC VISITOR CENTER OPENS FOR BUSINESS
In June, the Admissions office moved from its temporary location in Brother Urban Gregory Hall to the new Visitor Center in Brother Jerome West. The new Visitor Center sports a fabulous lounge for visitors to sip coffee and mingle with the student ambassador team, along with a state-of-the-art presentation room and soon-to-be-completed foyer with SMC memorabilia (complete with a phone booth!). The prospective student visit experience includes an information session and campus tour Mondays-Fridays at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m., and beginning in September, Saturdays at 9 a.m. If you're in the area, please join us to celebrate our new facilities.

CHANGES TO THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA): Source: NACAC E-List Serve, July 7, 2009.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced a shorter, simpler and more user-friendly Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They are designed to increase postsecondary enrollment, particularly among low- and middle-income students by making it easier to apply for student financial aid. Some changes are already in place while others will be phased in over the next few months.Changes include:

• Available summer 2009: enhanced skip-logic used in the new web-based FAFSA to reduce user navigation for many applicants by more than half.
• Starting in January 2010: students applying for financial aid for the spring semester will be able to seamlessly retrieve relevant tax information from the Internal Revenue Service for easy completion of the online FAFSA. The Department of Education and the IRS will be working together to examine the possibility of expanding this option to all students for summer and fall semesters.
• The administration will also introduce legislation seeking statutory authority from Congress to eliminate financial information from the aid calculation formula that is not available from the IRS. This would remove 26 financial questions from the FAFSA that have little impact on aid awards and can be challenging to complete.

The FAFSA Simplification Fact Sheet provides details of the Obama Administration's plan. Additional information about the Department of Education's efforts to improve access to higher education can be found at the Department online. 

AAP ACHIEVEMENTS AND YEARLY REPORT

Congratulations on completing a successful year. Increases include the number of college fairs attended as well as the number of alumni-endorsed applications received.