Who am I?

Fresh off earning her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University (go Sun Devils!), Courtney Fauss kicked off her career in higher education at Northern Arizona University, where she cultivated a passion for college attainment and student success as a Senior Academic Advisor. Courtney’s journey with Earn to Learn began in October 2019 when she joined as a Success Coach, leveraging her enthusiasm for the program to develop expertise in enrolling and supporting new students pursuing higher education.

Driven by an unyielding thirst for knowledge, Courtney ascended through the ranks at Earn to Learn, now holding the role of Director of Community Engagement. In this capacity, she feels empowered to steer Earn to Learn toward its full growth potential by amplifying its message and securing new resources for students. Courtney serves as the catalyst for numerous community partnerships and consistently endeavors to expand Earn to Learn’s affiliations to better serve students. One significant evolution under her guidance is the program’s expansion into 2-year degrees, certificates, and short-term credentials, reflecting Courtney’s belief in the value of diverse post-secondary paths and their collective contribution to the broader community.

As Earn to Learn’s resident employee in Flagstaff, Courtney revels in the beauty of the outdoors and embraces the rarity of experiencing all four seasons in Arizona. Her cherished moments are spent with her husband and two wonderful sons, creating a balance between professional passion and personal joy.

Areas of expertise:

• Lead the strategic planning, goal setting, and decision-making processes regarding the direction of community engagement efforts
• Develop innovative, holistic strategies and programs to build and consistently engage champions who advocate for the advancement of ETL’s mission
• Design and apply campaign evaluations for community engagement
• Identify best practices and innovative ways to engage the Earn to Learn community
• Oversee efforts to develop a communications plan in support of the organizational outreach strategy, including the development and sharing of marketing collateral
• Collaborate with the Grants & Special Projects Manager to write, edit, and deliver programmatic grant applications