Golden Eyestone: Supporting student success through financial aid
Golden Eyestone, a financial aid advisor, went to community college and never knew about financial aid. He wants to ensure that no student at Linn-Benton Community College has the same experience.
Eyestone, the third eldest in a family of ten, was named after a Dallas Cowboys football player because his parents just liked the name. “My seven siblings, they all have ‘normal’ names,” says Eyestone. “I guess I’m just the golden boy.”
His parents did not press their children to go to college. “I think it was for monetary reasons,” said Eyestone, “because they knew they wouldn’t be able to pay for it.”
Eyestone now believes that he would have been eligible for financial aid. Instead, Eyestone put himself through college. “I missed out on grants and other funding and just worked a ton, because we just didn’t know.”
After community college, Eyestone got married and started a family while he was working for the University of Phoenix and finishing his bachelor’s degree. He worked there for seven years in enrollment and admissions.
Now at LBCC, Eyestone enjoys sharing his own story and letting students know that aid is available.
“There are quite a few students and families who say: ‘I’m new to this … teach me.’ Some students will even ask me what financial is,” said Eyestone. He will spend 20 to 30 minutes educating them on the basics of financial aid and loans before reviewing the sources of aid for which they may be eligible. He also covers what is means to be a responsible borrower.
“When it comes to the stress and anxiety of trying to pay for school, I ask students to reach out. That’s what we’re here for,” said Eyestone. “When we are able to ease that anxiety– that’s awesome.”
Hired at LBCC in April 2020 just after the pandemic forced college administrators to close the campus and move all business online, Eyestone is one of three financial aid advisors at LBCC. Eyestone works with federal loans and handles the student verifications and documentation. A large part of his job involves answering questions and working behind the scenes on student award packages. He also collaborates with the High School Partnerships Office and the Roadrunner Advantage Program, delivering financial aid presentations in local high schools.
Five years ago, Eyestone moved his family from Arizona to Oregon, enamored of the Pacific Northwest environment after years in the desert. “Every summer my wife would say, ‘We need to get out of here, it’s too hot.’ We were sold on the Oregon green and the scenery,” he said.
While working as a loan specialist for Waterstone Mortgage in Salem, he saw the opening at LBCC. Friends of his who were familiar with the college urged him to apply.
“I was looking to get back into higher education and I’ve been super happy here,” said Eyestone. “I love the math and data on the loan side of things … and I can have fun and interact with students.
“There’s a lot of rewarding careers out there, but we get to see students progress, knowing this education will be beneficial to them throughout their life.”
Read more about LBCC Financial Aid and donor-funded scholarships.