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Health & Fitness

#weruntogether #wesavetogether

By Penelope Hauck

Over the course of the last ten years, I have become a student of running. Signing up for races,both big and small,has allowed me to test and learn and tweak strategies that help me grow and get better at my sport.

In his New York Times bestselling book, Eat & Run, Scott Jurek provides these inspiring words:

“The reward of running—of anything—lies within us. As I sought bigger rewards and more victories in my sport, it was a lesson I learned over and over again. We focus on something external to motivate us, but we need to remember that it's the process of reaching for that prize—not the prize itself—that can bring us peace and joy.”

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These words inspire me not only in my running, but in the way that I approach my life. Reaching life’s goals is a process that requires dedication and planning, but brings joy. I am fortunate to work at an organization that approaches the work we do with families in much the same way.

Many goals can seem daunting and unachievable without the help of a good coach. I know that I would not be prepared to run the 2014 Marathon if it wasn’t for the support of my coach and my team. MEFA is here to be your coach to help guide you through the process of saving and preparing for college. We know that planning for college is a marathon, not a sprint. Our team works with families year in and year out to help them prepare for their long-term goal of higher education, and we’re constantly reinforcing to families that they are not in this alone. Year over year, we visit every corner of the state and areas in between to talk to families one on one about how to prepare for college. We’re ready to support families at every stage, whether it's as simple as starting early conversations about the goal of going to college or as complex as reviewing the details of the financial aid formula and how the Expected Family Contribution is calculated. We will break down each milestone and help you develop a plan to get on course and achieve your goal. From Facebook to Twitter to emails, blogs, worksheets, and more, our tenacity to get the word out in every way possible is constant and it demonstrates our desire to help others. The best reward of all is when families tell us how happy they were that they started saving early and were able to achieve their goal.

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It's hard not to notice the popular hashtag #WeRunTogether circulating Twitter, Facebook, and printed material this past month. Personally, #WeRunTogether has many deep layers of meaning, from running together as a charity team (I’m running for team @uAspire) to the solidarity of the masses coming together to achieve an incredible feat of 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston on Marathon Monday, April 21, 2014. If you have a young child and dream of sending that child to college one day, or if you are in the midst of deciding what your next step is with your college admissions package, or if you’re anywhere in between, MEFA is here for you. Saving is like running: what you put into it is what you get out of it. So ask yourself, how important is this goal to you? When you’ve answered that, let our team help you get there. #WePlanTogether.

 

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