From peer mentoring to assisting professors, students working on campus have discovered unexpected opportunities for growth and connection. 

Peer leader for the Promise Scholars Program, Anabella Raj, said that her job on campus has allowed her to build relationships with fellow students and counselors.

“One of the biggest benefits has been opening up myself, and being able to network with a bunch of counselors and students,” Raj said. “I was able to hear about a lot of opportunities just by making conversations with the students.”

Fellow peer leader for the Promise Program, Andy Casas, said he was forced to get out of his comfort zone and become more extroverted because of the relationships he made with his counselors.

“I’m surrounded by my counselors, the retention specialist, Albin [Lee], Jeremy [Evangelista-Ramos], and all of those from the Promise Program,” Casas said. “So I definitely get very encouraged and empowered by just observing them and listening to them.”

Raj said that working for the Promise Program gave her the opportunity to help and conduct workshops for students at Skyline.

“Some part of me unlocked when I would do these presentations, and I would just go full on public speaking mode and then turn into like the peer leader that my job entitled me to be,” Raj said.

Student Sophia Escobar said she found work on campus outside of the Promise Program, working as a student assistant for Professor Kenny Gonzalez. While she already considered herself an extrovert, working as a student assistant challenged her to grow her conversational skills in an unfamiliar settings.

“I would say that job [student assistant] really helped me with professionalism over the phone, as well as just how to time manage,” Escobar said.

After working as a student assistant, Escobar said she became the publicity commissioner for the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development.

“You want all students to feel included and especially here at Student Life, you want students to know that we are here for them and we’re here for any of their needs,” Escobar said.

Raj said similarly that community was important in her work space on campus.

“Community is always the most important thing, and that’s one of the things we emphasize in promise was the importance of community because if you’re able to help out people and they’re able to help you in turn, you guys just all become friends, and everything is good in the world,” Raj said.

Another aspect to working on campus is how students are well supported in their education, Casas said.

“Because the jobs are on campus, they are extremely flexible. Their priority is your education,” Casas said.

Working on campus has given students the opportunity to build life skills while also making great connections with a diverse amount of people on campus.

“Knowing the resources that can be here working on campus and its advantages, just try to make the most of your job,” Escobar said. “Make those connections with your bosses, your managers, your professors, because they’ll help you in the long run.”