In his first year at Wesleyan, Gray West ’28 has gotten involved in meaningful campus communities through his work at the Office of Student Academic Resources (SAR) and the Center for Prison Education (CPE). As a SAR Office Assistant, he assists with the coordination of the office’s academic support services and programs, primarily the Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program. As a CPE Research Partner, he supports CPE students’ academic work through the fulfillment of research requests, which include critical course-related research, general intellectual curiosities, and research for post-release academic opportunities.

 

In what ways has your campus job contributed to your personal, academic, or professional growth and aspirations? What skills have you gained?

As this is my first year at Wesleyan, I am so thankful for the guidance, opportunities, and lessons that my on-campus jobs have allowed me to explore and navigate. Without guidance from Khai at SAR and all the amazing people at the CPE I would not be the student, person, or worker I am today. I am so thankful for the support and independence I have been granted with my jobs. My jobs have taught me how to work independently with deadlines and how to work with a team. There is no better feeling than learning something new and being able to do it on your own after being taught in through the guidance of another. My skills working with graphic design, community outreach, and independent organizational skills have all been enhanced so much by the responsibilities and goals at SAR and the CPE.

 

How do you manage to balance your campus job with academic commitments and other activities?

I think that the most important answer to this question is working a campus job that you really care about. At first, its always a struggle to navigate how to study and work at the same time, but with enough passion for what I do in both fields it has been so manageable and achievable. There came a point when I realized that the work I was doing had meaning and it made my jobs feel less like a “job” per say, and more like another project and community that I am passionately a part of on campus.

 

What advice would you give to students who are seeking or starting their campus employment journey?

I couldn’t recommend authenticity enough. Be who you are in your applications, your interviews, and on the job. By just being myself I have found myself working two on-campus jobs that are perfect for my interests, my personality, and my career goals.

 

How has your campus job helped you build connections or networks within the university or broader community?

Working with the Office of Student Academic Resources has really broadened the scope of who I know and work with within the faculty and staff at Wesleyan. There are some really amazing projects that I have had the privilege to work on, where I am more proud of the connections I have made than the actual project. Getting to work with the deans on campus as well as the accessibility staff on campus. My job with SAR has allowed me to meet all these wonderful and amazing people who are so dedicated to supporting my own education that I would not have had the privilege of meeting without my job.

 

 

Updated April 14, 2025.

 

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