WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program announces new director April Seehafer, new office location
MEDIA: Mary Sanchez Lanier, Assistant Vice Provost, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-8239, sanchez@wsu.edu
PULLMAN, Wash.—Professional advisor and counselor April Seehafer is the new director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program, part of undergraduate education at Washington State University.
Seehafer will begin her duties as director on Jan. 26, 2016, announced Mary Sanchez Lanier, assistant vice provost. The program’s new office will be in CUE 519-C on the Pullman campus.
She succeeds Sarah Ann Hones, who led the program for its first five years and retired this past summer. Hones’ office was on the third floor of the building.
WSU alumna Seehafer has assisted thousands of students and managed university programs and policies dedicated to student success throughout her two-decade professional career at WSU. She has specialized in student advising and counseling roles, and built a broad base of knowledge and expertise. In appreciation, students voted her “Best Advisor” in The Daily Evergreen’s 2015 students’ choice award edition in March 2015.
She served from 2007 to 2016 as the academic coordinator and advisor to hundreds of aspiring nursing students in the Health Professions Student Center in the College of Arts and Sciences. She helped them gain insights about themselves, identify their strengths, reflect on the courses and experiences they most enjoyed, discuss their community engagement, and develop a “new vision for their future.”
Seehafer was previously assistant director of the Office of Admissions, and served as a scholarship and financial aid counselor in the Office of Student Financial Services.
She has administered the WSU Regents Scholars program and was the contact person for the College Success Foundation Achiever Scholars program. She has frequently made presentations to student and parent audiences at a wide variety of informational WSU events and workshops, such as Alive! orientation, Future Cougars of Color, Preview, Destination, and the Health Career Expo. She is a member of the professionals’ WSU Academic Advising Association (ACADA) and is a member of the Health Careers Expo committee.
Beyond WSU, she is active in projects for her children’s schools, is an avid reader, and attends WSU sporting events with her family.
Seehafer earned her bachelor’s degree in English at WSU and her M.Ed. degree in student personnel services from the University of South Carolina.
The Distinguished Scholarships Program helps guide students to become the type of scholar who is competitive at pursuing prestigious, national scholarships to enhance their education in the U.S. or abroad. The staff partners with campus experts to mentor students who seek these distinguished scholarships, which include awards such as Fulbright’s, Goldwater’s, and Rhodes’s. For more information, visit the website at DistinguishedScholarships.wsu.edu.
Seehafer can be reached at 509-335-8239, or by email at Seehafer@wsu.edu.