Dr. Maria Hammett’s job touches just about every student at Mercer University. As associate vice president for the Office of Student Financial Planning, she leads the team responsible for compliance and administration of federal, state and institutional financial aid.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, her office processed over $289 million in financial aid for Mercer’s more than 9,000 students.
“I feel like we do change people’s lives,” Dr. Hammett said. “I have people that say, ‘If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have graduated.’ And it’s not just special to me. It’s special to everyone who works in financial aid.
“You have a lot of people who come in and even just your smile sometimes makes the difference of them staying or not because they’re feeling isolated, they’re feeling alone, they’re feeling like they can’t figure it out. … When you help them figure it out, it’s just a really good feeling.”
Dr. Hammett extends that care not only to students but also her staff. Their jobs can be tough as they deal with confused students, frustrated parents and government auditors who expect nothing short of perfection. In her office, Dr. Hammett has a snuggly stuffed bear for employees to cuddle with when they’re having a hard day.
She relies on her faith and believes that God will help her through whatever she faces.
“I just think that there’s always a way out, and that mentality, I’m very happy to say, has permeated the whole office,” she said. “There’s always an answer. There’s always a way. No matter the challenge, you just have to think it through, and we try to learn from it too, so then we’re better after the challenge.”
Dr. Hammett holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing, as well as a Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. in educational leadership, both of which she earned at Mercer. She started her career as a clothing buyer for JCPenney and then a textbook buyer for a college in Viriginia.
Her husband’s military career moved them to Robins Air Force Base, and after taking some time off to raise her son, Dr. Hammett joined the Office of Student Financial Planning at Mercer. She was office manager, a counselor and senior associate director before becoming associate vice president in 2012.
During her tenure, Dr. Hammett has worked intentionally to cement Mercer’s Office of Student Financial Planning as a leader among state, regional and national institutions.
For about a decade, Mercer has been the No. 1 training location for workshops of the Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, a professional organization that includes 650 individuals from more than 120 institutions. Dr. Hammett served as president of the group from 2020-2021.
In addition, Mercer is the No. 1 training site for the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
“I want us out there and for our people to grow and be recognized,” Dr. Hammett said. “We have a good group. It’s very much a team.”
To that end, she mentors staff in her office to take on leadership roles. Emmilee Mitchell, director of operations for student financial planning, is president of the Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators for the 2024-2025 academic year, and Emma Stich, director of financial planning services, is chair of virtual webinars for the organization.
Dr. Hammett believes in lifting up those around her.
“There’s nothing that gives me greater joy because I want to know that what we’re doing is going to carry on,” she said. “I want to invest in them and give them the opportunity. For Emmilee to be president, that gave me great joy.”
As a leader, Dr. Hammett said she gets to “build hopes and dreams” in others.
“And that’s what I want them to have, the belief that they can do anything that they set their mind to, and they’re not daunted by the challenge to get there,” she said.
