For many students, academic years are entirely focused on academics. However, some balance both school and work. We asked Ms. Kayla, our college counselor, about her experience with balancing both responsibilities.
Ms. Kayla remembers receiving financial aid but because she was living in the expensive Bay Area meant she still needed to work multiple jobs. “I worked every single year in college,” she says, expressing that all her jobs were valuable to her.
One of her first jobs was as a secretary for the Golden School of Public Policy, an opportunity that made her interested in public policy. “It was fun and interesting,” she says. Her exposure to the field inspired her to minor in public policy. She was juggling two jobs at that time, her other job being as a Chipotle worker. Her love for cooking made the job enjoyable, but her schedule would have her working at the same time she had class. “There were days I worked until midnight, then woke up for class in the morning,” she recalls explaining how hard it was for her to prioritize her classes when she was being paid for working. By sophomore year, she found it hard balancing both roles leading her grades to drop, and she eventually had to quit her job at Chipotle to refocus on her studies.
Later on, Ms. Kayla worked as a program assistant with TRIO, a college access program funded by the government. Unlike her job in the past as an office assistant, this job had her more involved with high school students in giving them support. She continued with TRIO for a full year, attending trips and helping students along their journey. She chose not to continue working with TRIO and instead took on a job with DCAC/EAOP as a college advisor to gain more experience in the field of education.
