With many students struggling with financial debt, finding steady work is crucial. That is why many students find a job with their school as a way to earn money while never having to leave campus. Western University and Fanshawe college offer students with financial needs the opportunity to work part time on a campus job .
Arts and Humanities student Jill O’Craven works as a server for the Spoke restaurant at Western University as a part of the work study program. She says that serving her fellow students has its benefits, but can sometimes be a challenge.
“I’ve had a couple of night shifts this last couple of weeks and I don’t think [the student workers] realize that just because we’re closing in an hour or two and we can start closing procedures, doesn’t mean we stop making food.”
Despite the slight difficulties with working with other students, O’Craven says that one best parts of serving students is their ability to remain calm even when they don’t get exactly what they asked for.
“I hear so many horror stories about about people who work in retail and fast food. I’ve never been yelled at by a customer even when we do screw up, they just come back.”
Kurtis White is a retail worker for Fanshawe’s Bookstore. He says that the convenience is the best part of the job for him.
“I’m already here for classes, so I might as well just work here. I just give my classes to my boss, and he just works around those.”
The objective of the work study is to offer students training and experience that may help them in their studies, while also helping regular staff and faculty.