There is one group of students whose work often goes unseen but who regularly serve the SHU community: the students who work in the mail room.
The mailroom, located in the basement of Mooney Hall, is more than just the opportunity to organize student mail. It offers many services to the student body, like organizing and sending out any mail or online orders that come into the University.
[caption id="attachment_22621" align="aligncenter" width="838"]
Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor[/caption]
Jhonatan Garcia, a freshman criminal justice and psychology major, shared his experiences of working in the mailroom this past semester. “It’s been an eye - opening experience for me,” he said.
Garcia, who got the job by applying with Federal work study, said working in the mailroom allows for him to take the first step into working in the real world.
“This is my first job, so it’s a great experience for me,” Garcia said.
Garcia and his fellow employees have many tasks that must be completed throughout the day, such as assigning keys for mailboxes and alphabetically organizing mail that comes in.
Once a student or faculty member rings the bell looking to pick up a package, an employee must check the student’s ID, then enter the back room where the majority of packages are stored. After locating the package, it is checked out by the employee and given to its recipient.
“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that our customers don’t really see or acknowledge,” Garcia said. “That’s what I feel makes us the unsung heroes of this campus.”
Mailroom employees also explained that the job is ideal because of flexible hours. Though it is open between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, the mailroom makes sure its employees have enough time for classes and other activities.
“They’re really understanding and flexible here,” said Brielle Breheny, a freshman criminal justice and psychology major. “I work between my classes and any circumstances that may come up throughout the day.”
Such flexible hours fit well into Breheny’s schedule and her fellow employees are usually able to work before, between and after their classes. These times also do not interfere with any other clubs or extracurricular activities that an employee might take part in.
Every now and then, a slow day comes, but employees don’t shy away from each other. Both Breheny and Garcia have found it easy to bond with fellow employees in the office. “Everyone here is really nice and cool,” Garcia said.
As a final piece of advice, Garcia said that those applying for the job should give it a chance.
“Just do it,” he said. “It’s an amazing experience for anyone who is eligible.”
Ronald Castaneda can be reached at ronald.castaneda@student.shu.edu.
Comments
