“On a regular basis I am responsible for meeting with student directors and designers to coordinate their use of the space. We keep the space in order, install new equipment, and make sure no one is breaking fire code. I am constantly answering emails, but it’s rewarding seeing the space transformed on a weekly basis. I am passionate about student theater, and the Shiva is at the heart of Vassar’s student theater community. I was interested in theater management before this job, but it has definitely strengthened. I’ve learned a lot of technical theater jargon that I didn’t know before. I also learned how to convert cables, and I never thought of myself as an electrician. I’ve definitely had some interesting things happen at work. One year Tom Hanks came to see his daughter in a play and ended up unclogging the toilet in the bathroom...he’s a true hero!”

“I applied to be a tour guide because the job encompassed my only two God-given gifts: memorizing random facts about small liberal arts colleges and walking backwards. I’ve had the job since September, and it’s pretty much a perfect fit. The biggest challenge I face is that I’m 6’3” and there are several tree branches along the tour that are a maximum clearance of about 5’10”. Being a tour guide has taught me patience. I’m not sure it has influenced my future career plans (though one mother did suggest I should work at Disneyland). It’s always nice to end my tours by saying, ‘Don’t worry, the college process will be over soon, and you’ll probably be happy wherever you end up, but of course I hope it’s Vassar.’”

“As a patroller, you come into work, receive a Maglight and security radio from your supervisor, and then go out to walk the campus. Duties include looking for anything out of the ordinary, performing student escorts, and locking buildings, but we don’t get involved in any potentially dangerous situations or turn in a fellow student. Usually the nights are quiet, but occasionally a bike thief will pop up and then things get interesting. Perks include getting paid to walk around a gorgeous campus, and for the nature enthusiast, you come face-to-face with deer, possums, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and occasionally Quincy the Muskrat who lives in Sunset Lake. We’re the only completely student-run job on campus. I also have administrative responsibilities, including coordinating with the school’s professional security force, as well as working closely with our own staff. The Vassar Security force is a great group of people, and they take a lot of the student antics with a great sense of humor, which is definitely necessary. Communication, people skills, time management, problem solving, quick response, you name it, this job teaches it to you. I like knowing I’m doing something to help the campus.”

“I assist the professor in running the labs by answering questions students have and assisting with the setup. When they have exams, I generally try to make myself available for questions. Animal Physiology is my favorite course that I’ve taken at Vassar, so I consider myself lucky to intern for it. Nearly all the labs involve working with live animals, so being there to help guide the students through the experiments is important. I really like the hands-on approach to physiology. This job has helped me prepare for future laboratory work, and I plan on applying to medical school in the upcoming years, so it is very useful and relevant. I’ve found that just being in the environment with other incredibly intelligent students and an excellent professor makes it almost impossible not to learn a great deal.” —Read an extended interview with Garrett Bell-Gresham

“I usually arrive early for a brief staff meeting. The first bus of students arrives at 3:00pm, and we usually do fun stuff like board games, arts and crafts, or recently, (much to the surprise of my rhythm-less self) free dance. We wait for the second bus and then have a snack and start homework. Because Catharine St. is understaffed, I’m considered more of a staff member than a student volunteer. My students talk to me about everything as well as joke around and make fun of the fact that I can’t dance. I’ve learned that the best way to deal with people is to listen and let them talk. I want to be a teacher, and my work at the center has certainly taught me how to be a better mentor as well as strengthened my skills with children of all ages.”