As an employee of the university, Melissa Foran provides services to students while still taking time to enjoy college campus culture.
Her job in the scholarship office is to apply the funds to the student’s account after they have already been awarded the scholarship; however, this is just the start to her presence on campus.
“I love my position, and I love it here,” Foran said. “Life can be so boring without something to do, and I find that Troy offers me an exciting place to work.”
Another thing that Foran does is to check the GPA on recurrent scholarships (ones that will be extended throughout the student’s educational career, such as the Millennium and Chancellor’s scholarships) to make sure that the student is keeping up their end of the bargain so to speak.
Foran, a native of Eunice, La., came to Troy when her husband accepted a job in the area, excited to return to a smaller town after a stint living in Pensacola, Fla., Foran knew immediately that she wanted to work and be involved with Troy University.
“After attending some of the musical events and plays here on campus, I knew this is where I wanted to work,” Foran said. “I wanted to be in the middle of the culture on campus, and I always try to go to international events, or any of the arts here on campus; if the Greek organizations need a judge, I’m there, and if there is a tent on the quad, I want to stop by and see what’s going on,” she said.
Her time here on campus has only allowed for her love of Troy to grow, and her fondness for the arts has certainly played a large role in her involvement as she makes an effort to attend any and every event put on by the theatre and dance department as well as the music department.
However, it is not just the extracurricular that makes Foran a valuable asset to Troy University.
She works to see that students receive the scholarship funds that are awarded from Troy University departments and donors.
“She is truly the brains behind the financial management of scholarships at Troy,” said Hayley Hinote, a senior human resource management major from Pace, Fla. “She knows the ins and outs of all my questions and never hesitates to help. She deserves a tremendous amount of recognition and thanks for what she does for students like me daily.”
Foran encourages students who may be interested in finding scholarships to visit their department and see what might be available for their particular educational path.
Students never know what is available for them until they ask, and just because a student has an institutional scholarship awarded by the admissions department, they are still available for a departmental scholarship, like a journalism scholarship for journalism majors or a music scholarship for band students.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that you apply for scholarships in this department,” Foran said. “That is not the case. However, I can provide students with a list of places to go in order to find scholarships that may help.”
Among this list are sites like Scholarship America (http://scholarshipamerica.org/), The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (http://www.gmsp.org/), the International Scholarship and Tuition services (http:// applyists.com/), and www.financialaidpath.com which provides students with an overview of general information concerning financial aid and scholarships.
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