Student Employment

Student Employment

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Student Employment partner to launch unprecedented human trafficking study


Congratulations to one of our Community Service Work-Study partners, Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. The nonprofit announced on Tuesday it has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Embry Family Foundation to launch an unprecedented study of promising anti-trafficking practices in the U.S. Here's what our partners said in their press release:

“We are honored to have the opportunity to spearhead this collaborative process, which will involve multiple agencies and experts. Currently, no national campaign exists to guide states, cities, and communities in addressing human trafficking,” said LCHT Executive Director Amanda Finger. “We believe Colorado is an ideal place to pilot this ambitious project. Not only is it a source, transit, and destination state for human trafficking, it also has a vibrant anti-trafficking movement.”

A decade after the passage of federal legislation to combat human trafficking, the Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking (Colorado Project) will document successful strategies to prevent human trafficking, protect survivors, punish traffickers, and build key partnerships (4Ps) between social service agencies. LCHT will conduct its research in concert with statewide leaders from multiple fields, including Dr. AJ Alejano-Steele, Professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver; the Denver Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Denver attorney and anti-trafficking advocate Patricia Medige; and Lauren Croucher, Human Trafficking Project Director with the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.

The Embrey Family Foundation champions the well-being and rights of all people by supporting programs that advance human rights, healthy communities, education, and artistic creativity."

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What is Work-Study?




At the Office of Student Employment, we often receive questions about the Federal Work-Study Program. Think of the following list as a crash course in the program:

1)Work-Study Awards are highly sought after grants distributed based on financial need and time of FAFSA application.
2) Work-Study is a federal work program. Unlike loans or scholarships that are disbursed at the beginning of each term that can cover tuition and fees, Work-Study is disbursed in the form of a biweekly paycheck for actual hours worked.
3) These wages are given directly to the student in the form of a paycheck and can help the student with indirect costs such as books or travel expenses.
4) Work-Study earnings cannot be applied directly to tuition. It’s essentially like any other part-time job, except the wages are paid by the government. Once the student receives this paycheck, they can certainly apply it to their account, and they can do so by paying the cashier’s office.
5) If you are not awarded Work-Study as part of your financial aid package, don't worry. Employment is still a great option for managing your educational costs. You can find non-Work-Study jobs at www.du.edu/studentemployment, under the Students link.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Be Healthy!


In honor of International Mental Health Awareness Week, we'd like to share some information.

First, consider stopping by the mental health awareness event on the Driscoll Bridge sponsored by DU Peer Educators, the Health and Counseling Center, Psychology Club, and Psi Chi. These organizations will have a booth there today and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There, you can find info about health and get a free massage.

Additionally, the booth on the bridge will have a “Pledge Chain” in which students can sign a pledge to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health services. Students will also have the option to sign their own “Health” pledge (i.e. “I pledge to get more sleep”, “I pledge to de-stress by actually working out three times a week”, etc.).

Here's some mental health facts about DU students collected and shared by DU Peer Educators, the Health and Counseling Center, Psychology Club, and Psi Chi:

1. In any two week period, over 50% of your peers have felt overwhelmed by all they need to do.
2. Make sleep a priority. During any 2 week period 50% of DU students will experience exhaustion.
3. Remember to spend time with friends and family or even meet new people. 20% of DU students experience feelings of loneliness in any given two week period.
4. Work out to relieve some stress. In any two week period 17.6% of DU students will feel overwhelming anxiety.
5. In one year, 13.9% of DU students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety. You are not alone. If you feel an overwhelming amount of anxiety, visit the health and counseling center to talk with someone about it.
6. In one year 42.3% of DU students feel that academics are difficult to handle. If you’re struggling, get some extra help from your professor or start a study group.
7. Over the course of a year, 47.2% of DU students have felt more than an average amount of stress. Go to a fun workout class to sweat out stress.
8. Over the course of a year, 39.6% of DU students felt sleepy and like they were dragging throughout the day. Get your 8 hours of sleep a night; it will be good for your mind, body and even test scores (study too).

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Wrap Up on the 2010 Part-Time Job Fair




The 2010 Part-Time Job Fair on Sept. 22 was a success! A big thanks to the employers who made the event worthwhile: Avid Tutors; Bank of the West; CM IT Solutions, Inc.; Cricket Communications; College Nannies and Tutors; Colorado High School Activities Assn.; Footers Catering; Hyatt; Liberty Tax Services; Mad Greens; Sales Up; Science Matters in Colorado; Strategic Programs, Inc.; Tutor Doctor; and Wells Fargo. If you're a student who is still searching for a job, several of our employers have open positions, which they've posted at www.du.edu/studentemployment. In a survey, the majority of employers who attended the fair (88 percent) indicated they would hire DU students they met at the fair.

Friday, September 24, 2010

And the winners are...

Congrats to the winners of the 2010 Pioneer Carnival Piggy Bank Contest. Three students guessed there were 57 Tootsie Rolls crammed into the Student Employment Piggy Bank. The winners received a fleece blanket from the DU Bookstore. From top to bottom: Liz Ignowksi is a freshman in the DU Honors Program; Dustin Poole, of Hawaii, is also a freshman, majoring in pre-med; and Lana Millman is a freshman at DU from Minnesota. We'll host more contests throughout the year, so more prizes and winners are to come. In the comments section, let us know what type of contest you think we should host and prizes you'd like to have (that we can afford)!





Thursday, September 16, 2010

The 2010 Pioneer Carnival Pig Contest


Stay tuned to meet the winners of the 2010 Pioneer Carnival Piggy Bank Contest. Three lucky DU students guessed the number of Tootsie Rolls in this Piggy Bank. It might look familiar: our office often hands out the banks at events on campus. It's too late to enter the contest, but take a stab. How many rolls do you think are in this bank???

Monday, August 30, 2010

A Success Story from The Lambi Fund of Haiti


Through innovation and hard work, Sarah Leavitt, a recent graduate of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, turned a Community Service Work-Study job into a full-time position with The Lambi Fund of Haiti, a non-profit committed to economic justice, democracy and alternative, sustainable development in Haiti.Watch the video to hear her story!

Monday, August 23, 2010

What Hiring Managers Want - On Careers (usnews.com)

Students have until October 15, 2010 to secure a Work-Study position at DU. Plenty of time remains for students to find a job, and preparation can cut down on interview-related stress. So, check out this U.S. News & World Report article, which has some great advice for job seekers: What Hiring Managers Want - On Careers (usnews.com). And remember, the DU Career Center Website has a ton of tips for the interviewing process. Let us know if you have interviewing wisdom to share with DU Student Employment in the comments section.

Friday, August 13, 2010

The right performance: DU Work Program student helps with book completion


Galen Smith's story illustrates the truth behind Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous quote: "the right performance of this hour's duties is the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow." Galen, who earned his master's degree in June from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, made the best of his Work Award position at the Penrose Library Research Center.

As a recent story in DU Today informs, Galen used the experience he gained at the center -- a resource for students who need help with research projects -- to land a position as a research assistant for Korbel Associate Professor George DeMartino. He and another assistant helped Dr. DeMartino complete his book, An Economist's Oath.

Oxford University Press plans to publish the book in November, according to DU Today. Read our online interview with Galen Smith below.

Q: How did you choose your Work Award job?
A: I knew I wanted to find a position in research. The job at the library was my first choice that I found on the DU Student Employment website. I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for the position and not have to worry about settling for second or third options.

Q: How did your Work Award job at DU help you prepare for your work with Dr. DeMartino and your wider career goals?
A: First of all, the Work-Study job helped me get the job in the first place. George was interested in someone who had experience with research, and he cited the job as a major reason for hiring me over other candidates.

My initial position involved finding various articles and books for George, as well as fact checking. The research center was instrumental in preparing me for such tasks since we had received extensive training on how to find all sorts of resources through databases and over the internet. At the research center we essential help students and faculty understand the range of literature that exists on their various topics. Therefore, when George began giving me more detailed projects such as building literature reviews and conducting independent research on topics he didn't have time to look extensively, I was more than practiced at such tasks.

In short, the research center helped not only in showing me how to find individual documents, but also how to research broad topics thoroughly and efficiently.

Q: Tell us what it was like to work at the library and with Dr. DeMartino.
A: It was busy. But because both jobs involved skills that I was expected to utilize in my academic studies, I think I benefited greatly as a student and as a researcher. Also, it helped that working with George was very flexible. As long as I got my work done, there was no set schedule, which allowed me to work whenever I had the spare time to get his stuff done.

Q: Any advice for current Work Program students?
A: I was fortunate to land the job that I wanted most. But I think I would have been happy in many other jobs, simply because a work award is really such a great opportunity. I don't know if this would qualify as "advice", but I think work-study students should realize how amazing such an opportunity really is. The wages are great, the flexibility is crucial for maintaining studies, and you have the opportunity to work in jobs that relate to your education.

Q: What's next, now that you're a DU graduate?
A: The remaining question is whether or not (my work) experiences will help me at the next level: getting me a job in the DC research community. My hope is to land a job with a prominent think tank such as Brookings or the Council on Foreign Relations, dealing with economic policy issues. That remains to be seen! But I am working hard to see that it works out. Although I am confident that should I land a job, I will be able to impress thanks to the skills I've acquired from my experience with George and Penrose.

Photo provided by Galen Smith. Taken at Long's Peak Summit.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Welcome to the DU Student Employment Blog

Welcome! The Office of Student Employment created this blog to share stories from students who are seeking higher education at the University of Denver and working to meet their educational costs. We also hope to share stories from the employers who make our mission at the Office of Student Employment possible. In addition, we'll post news from our office that we think you might find useful. If you have something to pass on to the Student Employment community, please e-mail stuemp@du.edu. Don't forget: One of the greatest resources for students and employers is our website, www.du.edu/studentemployment. Just follow the link on the left hand screen that best describes you and you'll find a variety of resources, including our job bank where employers can post part-time positions at no cost.