Danette Grace Wells started working in financial aid in 1986 at Portland State University in Portland, OR. She has worked at private institutions, community colleges, large state schools, a guarantee agency, and a lender.  She thinks financial aid is the perfect career for her, as she is never bored.  After retiring in 2023, she missed the satisfaction of helping students with funding their education, so she returned to consulting work during the 2024-25 FAFSA simplification crisis.  Having survived reprogramming Banner for all the changes, she looks forward to a few calmer FAFSA cycles.  She lives north of Seattle with her spouse, two dogs, two cats, 19 chickens, a large garden, and a koi pond