B E N   S T O M M E S D a t a   A n a l y s t bstommes@hardwickday.com Ben Stommes is a new data analyst who is rapidly learning to perform financial aid optimizations. As do Hardwick~Day’s other analysts, Ben will create the live simulation models used during the on-site visit to compare various financial aid policies and will be on hand during many of the visits to provide instant answers to data-related questions.

He will operate the live model spreadsheets and also have the client database available to answer any other data-related questions that may arise. Ben will also monitor the admit pool and incoming class throughout the recruitment cycle.

Ben graduated from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a minor in Economics. He worked as a credit analyst for a bank after graduating, but soon realized he had very little interest in the realm of banking. Ben decided to return to his blue-collar roots, working for his uncle’s contracting firm while on the lookout for something more in line with his personal interests.

He has found that fit with Hardwick~Day. Ben appreciates Hardwick~Day’s mission of working exclusively with private colleges. “When there was a class I needed that I couldn’t fit into my schedule, I was able to take it one-on-one with a great professor. I don’t think I would have been able to do that at a public university.”

One of the things that made Ben stand out as an analyst candidate was a writing sample he provided entitled “An Analysis of Academic Challenge Indicators” which compared a senior survey conducted by the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University with results from the National Survey of Student Engagement. Ben looks forward to delving into many such analyses for Hardwick~Day clients.