Becky Digman, a 2011 alumna of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville who earned her degree in business administration, returned to her alma mater in 2018 as a financial specialist in the Cashier’s Office. She currently works in the Financial Aid Office as the scholarship coordinator and financial aid counselor.
“I love working in higher education – who doesn’t want to work at their alma mater,” said Digman. “I love the fact that I can relate to students as I went through the same experiences, and it is very rewarding to me to give back to my alma mater.”
Digman connects with current and future Pioneers about scholarship opportunities and financial aid packages. Digman said she enjoys that her workday is never the same.
“When I’m not talking with a family or student, I am usually comparing or entering data,” she said. “A lot of what I do requires diligent review of numbers. This requires me to spend a lot of my day working in one of my favorite programs, Excel.
Outside of campus, Digman is busy spending time with her family and helping her husband manage their farm. “We have three wonderful little boys,” she said. “Between the farm and keeping the boys busy, I spend a lot of time outdoors. When time allows for my own free time, I enjoy cooking, reading and crocheting.”
You collaborate with several areas on campus including the three colleges, Office of Admissions and UW-Platteville Foundation to distribute a variety of scholarships. What are the challenges and rewards of overseeing scholarship funds?
The greatest reward is being able to work with so many people across all three of our campuses – students, faculty and staff. I appreciate having the opportunity to interact with others and getting to meet new people. I also feel privileged to work closely with the Foundation by awarding scholarships to our students that fellow alumni [or donors] have established for our students.
The biggest challenge is managing multiple hats – as I’m a scholarship coordinator and a financial aid counselor. This means I’m always handling multiple tasks that sometimes require different rationale to accomplish tasks.
As the scholarship coordinator, you counsel students and families about scholarships and financial aid. How has the Financial Aid Office adapted in answering questions and assisting Pioneers during this time of COVID-19?
Our office did a wonderful job making sure we were available virtually for students. All financial aid forms can be completed online, and we have a secure upload available for any documents we are requesting. All of our counselors have Book Me Now links, where incoming or current students can schedule one-on-one phone calls or Zoom meetings with us. We are always doing our best to be available to answer students questions.
What do you wish more students knew about the scholarships offered at UW-Platteville?
You can’t be awarded a scholarship if you do not apply. The 2021-2022 scholarship application is open and students can apply until April 1. To apply, visit www.uwplatt.edu/scholarships.
What do you enjoy about working in a university setting?
I love the atmosphere. I appreciate having students around and being able to meet with future and current Pioneers. I enjoy the diversity my job brings and having the capability of not every day being the same. I love the fact that I can learn from the students just as much as they can from me.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments during your time at UW-Platteville?
My previous work experiences allow me to use my knowledge to succeed in my current role and help advance processes at UW-Platteville. I don’t feel one moment stands out to me as a major accomplishment, but small improvements can move mountains. I’m proud of bringing new ideas to the table regarding scholarships. I have established new ways to reconcile and prevent errors in awarding them. I have also established better communication across campus regarding scholarships. We also have new scholarship software, that the Foundation purchased, which allows us to track what we have done in the past for awarding which improves awarding in the future. The Financial Aid Office also has a stronger social media presence. All of these activities allow us to improve procedures and improve the scholarship process. Overall, I’m really proud of having a job that I enjoy coming to each day thanks to all of the wonderful people I work with in my office and across campus.