Karla Hernandez/THE RIDER
Waking up early for class and keeping offices running can sound challenging but, for some of the 2,600 student employees across UTRGV, it is a part of an everyday routine, according to a faculty official.
According to Emilia Trevino, director of talent acquisition and mobility for the Office of Human Resources, being a student employee is something to take pride in.
“It opens up a lot of opportunities for you, and I am a huge advocate for student employment because I see how much after you graduate, how important it is to have work experience,” Trevino said. “And to have that experience on campus, I highly encourage it.”
According to the director, student employees for the Office of Human Resources multitask on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include tasks such as reviewing job postings, approving requests, reviewing criminal backgrounds and helping at the front desk.
For students like Marieli Morales, a psychology junior from the Brownsville campus, working at UTRGV has been a great experience.
“I’ve been working in the Center for Student Involvement for two years now,” Morales said. “My favorite part about my job is the people. I’ve honestly met really good people. My supervisor is great.”
For her, a typical day at work consists of responding to emails, meeting with her supervisor to help coordinate events and interacting with her coworkers.
Morales said when she is not at school or at work, she enjoys spending time by herself, hanging with friends and going to coffee shops.
Karla Hernandez/THE RIDER
A student from the Edinburg campus, Tristan Quintero, a psychology senior, started working for the Student Union Game Room three years ago.
“It started by luck,” Quintero said. “I applied during the summer, and it was a very competitive application process, but they liked me and ended up giving me the job.”
He added a typical day at work for him consists of collaborating with students and doing video game tournaments. His favorite part about his job is his coworkers.
Quintero added working at UTRGV has helped him build leadership and charisma.
Trevino mentioned they will host a National Student Employment Week from April 13 to 17 with different activities for students on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses.
The week will include activities such as Cookies and Coffee from 9 to 10:30 a.m. April 13 on the Student Union veranda on the Brownsville campus and at the same time in the Student Union east patio on the Edinburg campus.
A wellness and refresh session will also take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. April 13 in the Student Union Gardenia Room on the Brownsville campus and at the same time in the Cenizo Room on the Edinburg campus.
“Every student can go,” she said. “Of course, our main audience are student employees because it is a week for the students to celebrate.”
On April 13, collaborating with the Career Center, students will have an opportunity to have their resume and get a professional headshot to prepare themselves for the summer job fair April 16 during the week.
Karla Hernandez/THE RIDER
