Spreading Kindness at The Graduate School

Name: Lisa WioskowskiPosition: Financial aid coordinator, The Graduate SchoolYears at Duke: 9 

What I do at Duke: I handle funding for master’s students, Ph.D.’s and I coordinate National Science Foundation grants, which are over $5 million. I help our students make financial aid decisions on what they’re borrowing compared to what they’re getting back, the cost of attendance, what’s available to use and work-study options. 

If I had $5 million, I would: I’ll always have a soft spot for master’s students because they’re so underfunded. I told Cindy Robertson, our senior associate dean, if I ever won the lottery, I’d set up a scholarship fund for them because they carry so much loan debt and it’s very hard for them to pay it off. I have a daughter who graduated from college two years ago so I totally empathize with students.

My first ever job: I was a lifeguard at a camping ground in Clinton, Ohio when I was 17. I had gone there to work in concessions and they thought I was there for a lifeguard position, so they decided to send me to classes to become certified. I had several weeks of classes to pass the ‘boards,’ where you had to swim a certain distance and tread water and ‘save’ somebody. A perfect score was 36 and I got a 35.5.

My dream job: Being a benefactor. I’d want it to be upbeat and help others. You need a loan? Here you go. Need a car? Here you go.

The best advice I ever received: Don’t let somebody’s emergency constitute an emergency on your part. You have to control the situation. It’s something my husband says and when I have my bad days, I think of that.

What I love about Duke: My coworkers. The Graduate School has always been good to me. I like being a part of it because we refer to each other as family. I also enjoy the students. It’s good to see them come and sad to see them go, but many still email with me. I’ve got a drawing of B.B. King hanging in my office from a former master’s of teaching student. If you’re nice to people, they’re going to be nice back to you.

When I’m not at work, I like to: Go on cruises. My husband and I try to go once a year. Royal Caribbean is the only line we go on. We recently got back from Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti and the Cayman Islands. You disconnect from everything and focus on relaxing because you can’t have cell reception and can’t check your email.

If I could have one superpower, it would be: To not age and stay youthful along with my husband. We’ve only been married for four years, but it’s one of those feelings when you meet that one person you should’ve been with since the beginning of time. We’re both older and I wish we met when we were younger so we could’ve had all that time together.