Working Our Way Through College
Written By Daisy Willis
The UH Hilo Library as seen at night. Photo found on the UH Hilo Chancellor's Blog entry titled, UH Hilo History 1947-2014. The blog entry can be found at the following link, http://hilo.hawaii.edu/blog/chancellor/history-uh-hilo/.
The unfortunate truth about going to college is that the stress of school work isn’t the only thing students have to worry about. Students struggle with balancing their personal and professional lives on a daily basis, and on top of all of that, the large majority of students also have the pressure of working for a living outside of their academic studies. Needless to say, college is a difficult and hectic time for all of us, but there are opportunities on campus that can help ease the burden a little. For students struggling to maintain their work and school responsibilities, there are many employment positions available right on campus!
One of these positions is currently filled by Emily Fernandes, a senior in the geology department and a Student Assistant in the Edwin H. Mookini Library. She works in the library making displays and signs, recording statistics, organizing archived material, and of course assisting her coworkers in any way she can.When asked about her student employment position, Emily stated “I wanted a job that was close to campus so I could work around my class schedule. This job also allows me to be creative when making displays and signs. Since I work at the library I'm on campus all the time. I like to start my schedule early in the morning so I get out of bed and go to school every day. It has also really helped me with my studying and research skills.”
Emily Fernandes writing down call numbers on book covers that she will post around the library. Photo provided by Emily Fernandes.
The most intriguing part of Emily’s job is that, although she is a Geology major, she is still able to work on campus outside of her discipline. The library employs many students, both for work-study and for regular employment positions, and they do not discriminate based on a student’s area of study. Emily has benefited immensely from her time at the library, and stated that “I've gotten to know my supervisors really well and they support me in everything I do. They have been so helpful when I have applied for internships and jobs. I love the people I work with and being able to be creative.”
If you are looking for a way to ease the burden of working your way through college, consider an on campus job! The SECE website shows an extensive list of jobs available to students and is a great great to start your search for an on-campus position. Let Emily’s positive experience be your own, and start looking today!
