……….. Ann Tinnon.
As many of you are aware, the TASFAA President each year presents a scholarship award to a student at their institution. I remember as TASFAA President in 1995-96 presenting that award to two Vanderbilt students who worked as work-study assistants in the Office of Student Assistance. It was a small award at that time, but each received $250.00 and expressed such gratitude.
For many years the award was simply the “TASFAA Presidential Scholarship”. But, that changed in 1993 when TASFAA suddenly lost a dear friend and colleague, Ann Tinnon. To honor her, the TASFAA Board changed the name to the “Ann Tinnon Memorial Scholarship”. I remember when I told Peyshun and Kelly that they were receiving the “Ann Tinnon Memorial Scholarship”, I told them about Ann and what Ann had meant to me, to the financial aid profession and to TASFAA.
So, over the next few weeks leading up to the Spring TASFAA Conference you as current TASFAA members will learn a great deal about the beautiful and talented Mrs. Tinnon.
She most recently touched my life in January of 2013, when I lost my husband of 44 years. Many of my family, friends and TAFAA colleagues were asking what they could do to honor him. I pulled out a Memory Box that he had given me for our 25th Anniversary, and discovered there the answer to those questions. He believed in my career choice, and always said my career was really and truly my calling. He had placed in that box all of the Thank You notes that I had received from students and their parents over the years. I pulled that box out often when I became discouraged with the hustle and bustle of financial aid. There I found a copy of an old TASFAA CROSSFEED newsletter containing a picture of Ann.
I asked that anyone who wanted to give to make a contribution to the “Ann Tinnon Memorial Scholarship”. And, many of you who will be reading this did just that.
Jane Pennington
A brief history of Ann”
- · TASFAA President 1982-83
- · TASFAA Executive Board member
- · Active Committee member
- · Publisher of TASFAA’s Admissions and Financial Aid Handbook for counselors and students
- · 1984 TASFAA Distinguished Service Award
