Work Opportunities, Scholarships

Work Opportunities, Scholarships

Campus Jobs Build Confidence and Independence

Confidence. Career clarity. Independence. Friendships.

Ask Thi Pham what she gets out of working as a tutor in YSU’s Mathematics Assistance Center, and she’ll easily recite a host of benefits. In short, the junior Chemistry major says, working on campus has been life-changing for her.

Pham, whose first name is pronounced like the letter T, said her parents emigrated from Vietnam when she was 15, settling in Columbus, Ohio, because they have family there. She knew very little English, but learned quickly, completed high school and enrolled at YSU as a Nursing major in fall 2015.

She started looking for a job on campus almost immediately and landed two: a desk clerk job at the Math Assistance Center and a position as a rock wall monitor in the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center. “I couldn’t choose, so I took both,” she said.

Pham originally chose the Nursing major because she likes helping people, but a professor noticed her strong aptitude in math and encouraged her to try for a tutoring position.

Working with students from the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics helped to clarify her career plans – she changed her major to Chemistry with a Math minor.

Pham also enjoys the financial independence that her campus jobs provide, and she’s formed a multitude of friendships. “Working has given me a completely different perspective on YSU,” she said.

When she graduates, Pham will be the first in her family to earn a college degree – and her experience has been so positive that her two younger brothers talk about joining her at YSU.

Expanding the number of available scholarships and student work opportunities like Pham’s are among the top priorities for YSU’s “We See Tomorrow” campaign.

Research indicates that college students who work part-time on campus are more successful in the classroom and more likely to graduate on time. Campus jobs also encourage financial independence and the kind of work ethic that has always been a hallmark of YSU and its graduates.

Scholarships play an important role in the university’s effort to build its academic profile by recruiting more high-caliber students.

Scholarships also help the university to attract students with financial need and from underrepresented groups, part of YSU’s mission to be inclusive of all cultures and backgrounds.