Living a Double Life
Article Date: Monday, September 9, 2019
Walking to class in the freezing cold, sleepless nights cramming for exams, missing family and friends back home…
These are facts of life for all Penn State students but consider a student with a part-time job (or two) who must continuously juggle class and work schedules, race to finish school projects before their next work shift and try to squeeze in time for a social life. It all adds up to a lot of responsibility for a young person but, remarkably, I see our student employees at the BJC do this and do it well. Whether they’re working to earn spending money or to pay the bills, having a job adds a whole new and complex dimension to their college days. Consider too that many students travel long distances to visit family and friends back home, especially international students for whom going home means a long (and often expensive) plane trip. In fact, some may be working just to afford a ticket home.
The good news is this double life comes with a double reward: besides a paycheck, students also gain valuable experience while working at the BJC. Not only do they learn to perform the tasks of the jobs they hold but also time management, communication and how to interact with a wide range of people.
Along with the rest of our part-time staff, our student employees play a vital role in the success of the BJC and every event we host. And I recognize our students not only for what they do but also because they bring a bright, youthful perspective to our work. After they graduate and move on in the world, I hope they’ll look back fondly on their days at the BJC as another kind of double life- a time of learning while having fun.
- Cathy Gray, Ticket Manager