Staff welcomes new director of financial aid

by Terry Clpollini staff writer

A fresh new face joined the Cabrini administrative staff. He is a quiet man with a mild demeanor and a sturdy handshake. Michael Colahan is the new director of financial aid.

Colahan brings lO plus years of experience in the field of financial aid. He spent three years with The University of Sciences at Philadelphia and more than seven years at Thomas Jefferson University.

Colahan's first week on the job ended Fri., March 17. This is the first liberaJ arts college he has worked for and with a liberal arts background he believes this will be a benefit. Colahan graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Colahan wants to make a genuine positive impact for students and staff. He believes his area of expertise is operating with a high level of efficiency. "Efficiency ideally promotes an increased level of good customer service," Colahan said.

Colahan's past experience is with students with a basic common goal. Cabrini consists of a wide variety of students, both in age and knowledge. "Everyone pursuing something different becomes the challenge," Colahan said.

Students tend to feel that the dispersion of government and school funds is an arbitrary process. "My goaJ is to educate students and provide them with answers that can be understood," Colahan said.

When not in his office, Colahan enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter in their Malvern home. His wife Margaret (she prefers Meg) is a protocol coordinator for cancer testing at ACOG in Philadelphia. His daughter Michaela is 17 months old and enjoys when daddy reads her stories.

Colahan is quick to state that Michaela is not named after him. He explains that he "fell in love with the name when he first heard it spoken." It wasn't until a few years later when he first saw it written that he reaJized it was a feminine form of Michael.

Colahan is a little shy about his other interest. "If the planet orbited the way I wanted, I would be a novelist," Colahan said. "I have written a few things, but I don't think I'm commercial enough."

Something to keep in mind if you see the director of financial aid on campus: His name is Michael Colahan, but as his business card will read, he prefers Mike.