By: Sarah Wood | Guest Contributor
University of Lynchburg Hornet Shop | Facebook
At the University of Lynchburg, the school day doesn’t end after class for some students, it shifts into work.
Student workers across campus play a key role in keeping daily operations running, from answering questions at the information desk, to restocking shelves in the campus store.
For junior Hanna Aliff, working at the information desk means being a guide for others.
“I help people figure out where to go for important campus information,” Aliff says. “We’re kind of the middleman.”
Aliff, who works about 8.5 hours a week, scheduled her shifts in between classes.
While she says the job itself isn’t stressful, long days can be challenging.
“On days when I have my long classes and then work, it gets to be a lot,” Aliff says. “My day won’t be done until five or six, and I still have homework.”
Still she says the experience has been positive, “It gives me something to do during semesters besides just going to classes,” Aliff says. “And I’ve gotten really close with the people I work with.”
In the campus store, student worker Taleah Teasley takes a more hands-on role.
As a sales associate she manages customer checkouts, restocks merchandise and keeps the store organized.
“The busiest part of my job is after big weekend events on campus when the store needs to be restocked and put back together,” Teasley said.
Teasley works between 10 and 16 hours a week and says while higher pay would be nice, she understands the expectations.
“I would like more, but considering it’s a campus job, I didn’t expect much,” Teasley says.
University administrators say these student roles are critical for campus operations.
According to Michael Vaughan, Assistant Vice President of Operations, student employees are “an extremely vital aspect to the operation.”
“Students give us immediate feedback on how they want things to operate,” Vaughan says, noting that their perspective helps shape services across campus.
Most student workers earn around $11 an hour, with wages expected to increase in the coming years due to state adjustments.
To help students balance academics and employment, Vaughan says most campus jobs are designed to stay within a manageable range of hours.
“We try to keep student employment at 20 hours or less per week so students are able to balance classes,” Vaughan says.
While campus jobs may not fully help with the cost of college, both students say the experience goes beyond a paycheck.
From building connections to gaining skills, working on campus has become a meaningful part of their college experience.
For more information on student employment opportunities at the University of Lynchburg visit: https://www.lynchburg.edu/student-life/belonging/international-student-support/employment/.