Rachel Kynhoff, financial aid counselor, recently transferred from her position in Academic Affairs, where she had been employed since May of 2008.
While working for Academic Affairs, Kynhoff was involved in several facets within the department. She dealt with adjunct faculty payroll, late withdrawal requests, academic bankruptcies, Dean’s Lists and maintaining the vice chancellor’s schedule, along with other general office duties.
“I wanted more contact with people,” Kynhoff said. “I enjoy helping people work toward goals, so I moved to a place where it would be easier for me to do so. I help people find available financial aid so that they can potentially reach their goals for higher education.”
In the Financial Aid Department, Kynhoff deals with processing, federal student aid and is a counselor for students who are perplexed by student aid and how to acquire it. She informs both students and parents their options for school financing.
Kynhoff attended IU Southeast and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music with a concentration in music business in 2006. She is now working on her master’s degree.
Prior to obtaining her degree, Kynhoff worked in mental health for six years. Right out of high school and through college, Kynhoff worked in a group home where she helped adults work on activities of daily living.
“I basically taught them every day skills so they would be able to move on, eventually have their own place and be successful,” Kynhoff said.
After receiving her degree, Kynhoff worked for Systems of Care, a strength-and-need-based program for families with
permanency issues.
Kynhoff grew up in Sellersburg, Ind., where she has resided since she was six years old.
“It is a small town environment, everybody knows everyone,” Kynhoff said. “It also has a great school system. I felt like I excelled in their school system.”
Despite Kynhoff’s small-town residence, she has traveled abroad several times. Kynhoff has visited Scotland, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and various islands surrounding Greece. Kynhoff has also traveled to Germany, where her father originated, to visit family.
“I was fortunate to travel a lot in my childhood,” Kynhoff said. “I love architecture and historic buildings that are over 200 years old. My favorite is all of the castles. There are a lot of things to see when you travel abroad, especially in Europe.”
Kynhoff said she enjoys singing and reading books by authors Wally Lamb, Emily Giffin, Ken Follett and Stephanie Meyer. Before switching her degree to music business, Kynhoff was seeking a concentration in vocal performance.
“I love music in general,” she said. “I also enjoy some Rockband every now and then. I feel musically diverse with the genres of music that I am interested in. I enjoy rock, country, classic, ‘80s — anything. I go through phases.”
Kynhoff said every decision she has made in her lifetime has shaped her to the person she is today. She said one of the most significant decisions that she has made in her lifetime was choosing to stay closer to home for college.
“I started at IU Southeast as a senior in high school and spent most of my time on this campus,” she said. “I also graduated with 30 college credits from both IU Southeast and Vincennes University. I already knew the instructors and felt pretty embedded in the program from which I was planning to graduate. My choosing to stay completely changed my plan path, and I think it was meant to be this way.”
Because Kynhoff decided to attend IU Southeast for her higher education, she was able to become acquainted with the university environment and acquire a job through IU Southeast.
“I love the university and working for the university,” she said. “I hope to work in Administrative Affairs as a vice chancellor in the future. I think that I am great in leadership positions and being a vice chancellor for Administrative Affairs is a huge leadership position and responsibility over several departments that I have interest in.”
By COURTNEY MCKINLEY
Staff Writer
comckinl@umail.iu.edu