Liz Mantush | staff writer

Every weekend Cecelia Jackovi goes back to her hometown of Mt. Lebanon to work. She doesn’t drag herself there or dread her shift. Instead, she is greeted by two smiling faces, excited to see her and spend time together.

She works as a nanny for two young children ages 3 and 6. She has been with the family for almost three years, watching the kids grow up.

Jackovi, like roughly 40% of full time college students, works a job in addition to attending classes.

Employment looks different for everyone, but for her it’s a fulfilling experience.

The nanny’s relationship with the family goes further than receiving compensation, as she has developed a personal relationship with both the kids and parents.

“I’m the oldest of four, so now that my siblings are older, it’s like I have a new little [sibling],” she said. “I just like watching them grow up and having a connection with them.”

Kids can be sneaky, and Jackovi recalled when they discovered a weakness of hers and used it to their advantage.

“If I’m sitting on the couch, and I’m not really paying attention, they’ll come up and tickle me, and I’ll have to hold myself back from screaming because I’m very, very ticklish,” she said.

Jackovi loves working with the kids and takes the chance to see them whenever she can.

“They’ll text me ‘Haven’t seen you in a little bit…when are you coming home?’ I’m like, whenever you want me to,” she said.

Not everyone has to be a nanny to love their job. Some people like Sophie Perrino find joy in helping other people.

Perrino, a senior sociology major, works at UPMC in Oakland, and has returned to her job as a Medical Assistant every year since she was a sophomore.

Day to day, she assists with injection procedures, measuring dosage and preparing equipment, but she said the experience is more than just gaining medical knowledge.

“All the doctors have been super helpful. It’s a teaching hospital, so they allow me to shadow even when I’m not assisting. I’ve been able to make connections,” Perrino said.

Working with doctors in a teaching hospital has helped her to develop her patient care skills head on.

“You learn to communicate with patients in a certain way that’s sensitive to their specific condition and be understanding,” she said.

Like Perrino, Joely Zappia, a senior Integrated Marketing Communications major, is taking strides toward her career while doing something she loves.

During the year, she works at Urban Outfitters and is a remote intern for a boutique in her hometown of Buffalo, but over the summer she had a much different experience.

Zappia moved to New York on her own to work for Tanya Taylor, a designer brand based out of NYC as a social media intern. She lived on her own, working unpaid and having to gain income from her second job remotely.

During her time with Tanya Taylor, she oversaw an Instagram account with over 250,000 followers. Here, she developed her skills making email spreads and Instagram posts, editing photos and other marketing essentials, while providing for herself in the big city.

“I definitely would not move to New York again unpaid, but hopefully post-grad there’s something with a bit more money involved waiting,” Zappia said.

For senior Olivia LeClaire, a senior forensic science and law major, her job is a little less glamorous.

She works at DiAnoia’s Eatery in the Strip District as a host, but her responsibilities don’t end there. In addition to hosting, she often works until midnight, bussing and washing tables, cleaning dishes and cleaning bathrooms.

“I have to wash my clothes so much because I just smell like pasta and Italian food and oil. I always get oil on my clothes,” LeClaire said

For her, balancing classes and long shifts can be a challenge.

“There were times where I was at work right before our biochem exams and I was like ‘Why am I here?’” she said.

Noah Lemmon, a sophomore Marketing and Date Analytics major also works as a server. He works about five shifts a week at an Olive Garden. The shifts are normally 4 p.m.to close, but Lemmon has developed a foolproof way to balance his responsibilities.

“Get classes done, do some homework and then go,” he said.

Lemmon’s paycheck is delegated to tuition expenses, rather than food or housing since he lives on campus.

Other employees like LeClaire, Jackovi and Perrino, use their income for their day-to-day lives, like groceries, parking and other living expenses that come up.

Having a job can mean taking steps towards your career, or having a little extra money in your pocket.

While juggling school, work and life can be a challenge, Perrino said finding balance comes with time.

“For the most part, to me, it hasn’t interfered, which I think is really good.”

Liz Mantush can be reached at mantushl@duq.edu