On Tuesday, April 12, as part of National Student Employment Week, Dartmouth College will honor student employees for the significant contributions they make across campus and throughout the Upper Valley. “You Deserve a Pat on the Back!” will be held from noon to 4 p.m. in Collis Common Ground.

Sylvia Spears, Acting Dean of the College, will be the special speaker for the celebration, which is being coordinated by the Student Employment Office and Dartmouth Dining Services. Student employees are eligible for great raffle prizes provided by campus departments, and the first 100 will receive a celebratory T-shirt.  The event will also feature live music and dance performances by student groups, with refreshments provided by Dartmouth Dining Services. All students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.  Registration is not necessary.

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More than 2,000 students work in nearly 200 College departments and are involved in many areas of campus life. Student employees support faculty research, assist other students in learning through the Tutor Clearinghouse, support academic departments with administrative work, and help keep Dartmouth Dining Services running smoothly. Behind the scenes, student employees sew costumes and usher for the numerous events that take place at the Hopkins Center. And, as members of the Green Team, they support fellow students through a program aimed at reducing alcohol harm.

Dartmouth students are also employed in non-profit community service agencies throughout the Upper Valley, teaching children to read, assisting at day care centers, and working with local chambers of commerce.

Student supervisors ensure that the work experience for these students is both rewarding and educational. As well as gaining valuable insights about the operation of the College, many student employees find that these jobs offer a window into the responsibilities and commitments that are required in the professional workplace.

“I like meeting the staff on campus,” says Andrew Reducha ’13, who works at the Baker-Berry Library information desk. “Being a student employee is preparing me for situations I will encounter in the outside work environment.  I have to manage my time better, show up for work on time, and still deal with the pressures of being a student.”

Co-worker Alina Politzer ’11 agrees and adds, “Being a working student really teaches me accountability.”

Aryana Jacobs ’11, who has a job in the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, says, “I am so lucky. The people I work with are flexible and understand how much class work Dartmouth students have.  I love working for the group that brings diversity and training to campus.”

Kelly Cusick, who supervises Jacobs, notes that staff benefit greatly as well. “It is nice to be around the students and get their perspective.  It’s inspiring how hard they work and how bright they are.  The quality of their work is amazing!”

More information, including photos of Dartmouth student employees and supervisors, is available on the Student Employment Office website.