Workplace benefits

Student workers share their appreciation and experiences with working on and off campus

BY MCKENZIE CONNELL

Roche Donato said he worked at BYUH for three years and started working at the Seasider this summer. Photos by Ho Yin Li

Student employees said location, time and experience were all influential factors in their decision to work while they are in school. Despite working in different places, students said they enjoyed their jobs and were grateful for the opportunities they have had.

Roche Donato, a senior from Qatar majoring in exercise sports science, said he has been employed by BYUH for three years. He started his employment at the BYUH Bookstore, but over the 2020 summer break, he began working at the Seasider and the C-Store.

At the Bookstore, Donato said he assisted in receiving and mailing textbooks. The employees would label and add price tags to all the incoming textbooks, he explained. “I got too bored with that one. … so they moved me [to] cashier,” he added. Getting the experience as a cashier opened the door for other employment opportunities, eventually leading to his employment at the C-Store and Seasider, Donato said.

All the jobs had their benefits, he added. “[The] good thing about the Bookstore is if you’re an employee there you have a discount.” The Bookstore is also air-conditioned, something Donato said he appreciated. While working at the Seasider provided the benefit of one free meal a day, he said, standing next to the grill in the heat can be tough.

Madison Worcott, a freshman from Washington majoring in biology, said she chose her place of employment based on past experience. As the activities coordinator at an assisted living facility in her hometown, searching for a similar position once she moved to Laie seemed like the right choice, she said.

“I was taking CNA classes, so I was looking for places, and I found Oceanside,” an assisted living facility in Hauula in need of an activities coordinator, she said. Due to her past experience, training was not an issue, she explained.

“Training was very quick because I had previous experience. I just had to be trained on the specifics of this facility.” The facility was much larger than she was used to, she added. “Getting used to how different facilities work was a little bit of a learning curve, but for the most part it is very similar.”

Emma Weichers, a freshman from Utah majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said caretaking was a complete shift from her past work experience. “My job as a caregiver is nothing compared to my jobs back in high school,” she said. Weichers said her past experience included jobs at a pizza shop, a car wash and a hotel. Weichers said she currently works for an organization named Bayada and cares for an 11-year-old boy with autism and epilepsy.

The early walks to work in the morning allow her to appreciate the beauty of Laie, Weichers said. Taking care of him has been so rewarding, she said, and watching him learn new things has made the transition worth it.

Their days together start at 6:15 a.m. when she gets him ready for school, Weichers said. After the bus picks him up, she said she heads home to work on her assignments. “Because the hours are earlier, it allows me to be more productive and be able to get my schoolwork done,” Weichers said, adding her boss understands her school obligations come first.

Weichers said she was nervous about the position, but after a week, she grew to appreciate the opportunities it has allowed her to experience. “I have felt so much gratitude because it is such a rewarding job.”