Employee Spotlight: Elizabeth Samuels

In 1985, Elizabeth Samuels made the trip from her home in St. Petersburg, Fla., to visit family in Augusta. She never left.

“I came here for a summer vacation, met my husband, and he wouldn’t let me leave,” Ms. Samuels says. “The same thing happened to my mother. She came here, met my father, and stayed, too.”

On September 21, she and her husband, John Michael, will celebrate 15 years of marriage. On July 31, Ms. Samuels celebrated another anniversary–with her second family–the staff of the financial aid office. That day marked her 15th year on the ASU campus.

A mixture of the right time and place and a desire to help others may have led her to the office 15 years ago, but the strong family-like bond among the people there has been one of the many reasons she has stayed.

Over the years, Ms. Samuels has taken on many roles in the office–from simply being a friendly face behind the front counter to providing students with needed guidance through the financial aid process.

“I love working with people so much,” she says. “I like learning so many different things, and I like the education field. I’ve grown with the office, and I’m here to stay.”

Who: Elizabeth Samuels

What: Senior Financial Aid Assistant I

Where: Financial Aid Office

How long at ASU: Since July 31, 1989

Family: Husband, John Michael; Son, John Michael, Jr., 2; Daughters, Miteka, 18, and Jonkota, 8

After work I enjoy: Spending time with family, reading, fishing, and working in the yard

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