Work-study jobs provide money, range of job experiences

BY ISAIAH WARREN / VN STAFF WRITER

Dominic Chirco, a senior political science major, earns money working on campus as an audio engineer at the CST studio in the basement of Briggs Building.

For three years, he has held a work-study job, setting up sound for events on campus.

The money “comes in handy when you need to pay for books and supplies,” he said.

Detroit Mercy, like many other universities, participates in the federally funded work-study program, allowing students who qualify through financial aid to, in a sense, become employees of the university.

Every semester, numerous work-study jobs are filled on campus (and off) by Detroit Mercy students.

Jobs are posted online through TitanConnect and on a bulletin board in the basement of Fisher Building.

Among the current openings are positions in the ticket office, weight room, Institute for Leadership, Fisher Building, Wellness Center, Gesu School, theatre costume shop, library, law clinic, Calihan Hall and elsewhere.

As a starting point, interested students should locate a job on the list and fill out the appropriate paperwork from the financial aid office to ensure they qualify.

“They need to be enrolled and there needs to be money in the budget,” said Tina Cardamone, student employment coordinator.

The earlier you apply, the better the chance money will be available.

Some non-work study jobs are available, too.

Cardamone said an off-campus job can be especially beneficial because it is usually with an outside organization and it may look more impressive on a resume or in a portfolio.

DeRoss Cullens, a fourth-year architecture student, works in a campus lab.

He finds work-study convenient because his commute is non-existent.

Cullens tried to make a slogan for work-study on the spot while being interviewed.

“Good work-and-study job,” he said.

Cullens said he could not think of any negative aspects.

As for Dominic Chirco, the only negative is that occasionally there is a rush to get to his audio assignments – especially at the end of the semester, when student schedules grow heavier.