There is no doubt about it, I love my college. I love it with a fierce pride that makes me bleed orange and blue. The classes are challenging, yet the professors’ doors are always open, and I am comfortable going to each and every one of them with questions and concerns. I have an extensive friend group through the many activities I take part in, and I have a wonderful job. I am very grateful that I am able to balance all of these responsibilities while maintaining good mental health along with a sleep and eating schedule.
I love that you are so involved in campus activities; you are revered as a campus celebrity because you are seen everywhere, more so than many other college presidents. You live on campus, which makes you more relatable, and you are a psychology major, which is very inspiring to many people, including myself. In a world where so many people ask âWhat can you do with a psychology major these days??â you give me hope. I love that for the Deanâs list reception that I was invited to, you hosted it at your house.
I felt very nervous coming into your home, but you smiled, shook my hand, and made pleasant small talk. The reception was very casual, despite everyone being extremely well dressed. I became comfortable quite quickly. I realized that I did not have to stay for the full hour and a half, which was a relief, only because I had work at six.
I grabbed my bag in a hurry, realizing I had to change into appropriate work clothes in under 10 minutes. I ran up to you and thanked you profusely for welcoming me into your home, and I said that I had a wonderful time. I told you that I was upset that I could not stay, but I had work. Then, you shocked me with a simple question: âWhere do you work?â I replied that I worked in the Commons as a cashier and a barista; I smiled when saying it, because I truly enjoy my job. Your retort to this shocked me even more. You chuckled, and said, âWell- someone has to do it.â
Wait, what?
I could not believe that you, the president of my college, just put me down for the job I hold on campus. I donât know what answer you expected me to have—an intern somewhere, the admissions office; where would be good enough to work that would not illicit this response from you?
I shook it off as I went into work, but when I told people what you had said, the response was unanimous: it is not okay. I began thinking that they were right. I work day until night, going from class to class, to work, to extracurricular activities, to volunteering around town. As I stated before, I am extremely proud that I am able to juggle these things. I handle my responsibilities so well that I was able to make it onto the Deanâs List to attend your reception. I have pleasant relationships with all of my professors because I attend office hours and reach out to ensure I receive the best grade possible.
Despite my good grades and my leadership roles in extracurricular activities that I may hold, a dark cloud still hangs over my head: I have real-world responsibilities and bills to pay. I am in no way complaining or wishing things were different; I chose to take these things on. This does not change the fact that I have car insurance, health insurance, dues to pay for my activities, and train tickets to purchase for my way home during vacations. My family helps me out so much, but I am getting older and I do not want to rely on them as much as I used to. To pay for these liabilities, I need a job. Working at the Commons, the Dive, or Bullet Hole is minimum wage, but I can sustain myself on this if I budget.
I have been forced to grow up faster than others because of my financial situation—I have not had anything simply given to me; I work for everything I own. I am here solely because of scholarships and what I earned for myself, and I plan on going to graduate school with the money that I have set aside from this job, among the others that I have back at home. Unfortunately, I do not have enough money to kick back and relax during the school year. I am a full-time, working student, and I am proud of that.
I am learning responsibility and how to manage my time faster than others because I do not have down time anymore. Yes, someone has to do the job, and that person is me, because this job is going to help me be successful in the long run. I may not be the president of a college, but everyone has to start somewhere. You were not always a president; you were once an undergrad like me. I would think you would understand the need to work, especially with the collegeâs tuition being so high.
So please, President Riggs, do not define me by where I work, but how hard I work. Your perspective of me may change quite quickly.