Shockingly enough, one of my favorite parts of this year so far has been my on-campus job(s). Up until this year, work has always been more of a necessary means to an end than a passion for me. Turns out, it can be both!
I received federal work study as part of my financial aid package, which meant I had a lot of options to choose from. Federal work study (FWS) jobs are coordinated through the college and they give you the opportunity to get paid for positions that are often volunteer-only. My job search process was made much easier by Oberlin’s website for student employment, which allows you to use filters to narrow down your results. Pretty much immediately, I found a match.
If you’re familiar with my blog posts, you may already know I love musical theater. I also grew up in dance, and spent a few years assistant teaching baby dance. The job I found was a perfect intersection of those interests: assistant teaching musical theater classes for kids. I was so excited, and applied immediately. I got an interview and then the job!
The MAD Factory is a community youth theater in Oberlin, only about a ten-minute walk from my dorm on north campus. It’s located in a very old, very gorgeous brick building that houses a few different art organizations. The first semester, I was able to assist in two classes: an improv class, and a musical class (the kids performed Elf, Jr.). In about a week, classes will start back up again and the kids will be doing Moana Jr. I really love it there— the students are great, the teachers are wonderful, and the environment is fun and relaxed. It's amazing to see kids already developing a love for musical theater and watch as they grow in their artistry and self-expression. I’ve already learned a lot through the experience (for example: I even got to be on the other side of the audition table for the first time). I'm excited to jump back into it this semester.
My other job on campus is, of course, with the Oberlin blogs. I read these as a prospective student somewhat obsessively. They were a source of comfort for me and helped me get excited about college— and now I get to be a part of that for someone else, which is such a beautiful thing. Being a blogger has perhaps been my favorite work experience ever so far. It gives me an opportunity to write for fun, and has helped me meet a lot of great people. I think it also encourages me to get out of my comfort zone and live in the moment more— after all, I have to go out and have experiences to write about them. And best of all, I get to talk all about life at Oberlin!
The best part of my campus jobs is that I’m truly passionate about them. They’re the kind of things I would love to do anyway, regardless of pay, so I feel extremely lucky to have them.
