This is part of a weekly series highlighting different students’ on-campus jobs. This week’s interview is with Emily Evans ’22, who worked as a Program Assistant this summer for Colorado College’s Pre-College program. This Interview has been edited for length and clarity
By Mary Nussbaumer
Mary Nussbaumer: What did being a program assistant entail? What did your day-to-day schedule look like?
Emily Evans: I didn’t have a regular daily routine. Everything I did revolved around taking care of the pre-college students. My days consisted of running errands such as driving the van, planning and facilitating activities for the students, checking in on classes, and coordinating with ResLife to be wherever they needed me to be. I also lived with the kids in the French House, so I was pretty much their RA.
MN: That sounds pretty demanding. What were your residents like?
EE: In total there were 62 students — 50 of them specifically at CC for the pre-college program, and another 12 taking an undergraduate Block B course. The kids were rising juniors and seniors in high school. They were all really smart and invested in their classes. There were some international students, but mostly, kids came from around the country.
MN: Did you do any special activities with them after classes or on the weekend?
EE: Yes — every day. We watched movies, played games, had a Fourth of July party, played Kahoot, made dinner, and even had birthday parties. One weekend, we went camping at Mueller State Park for the night. I had never been camping before, and being responsible for 50 kids while doing it was pretty intimidating, but it all worked out and ended up being pretty fun. We also visited Garden of the Gods, downtown Manitou Springs, Red Rocks Open Space, Citadel Mall, and downtown Colorado Springs. All of the activities were planned before the students got there.
MN: What is your highlight from the summer?
EE: One day, we held an Olympics event. We put the kids on teams and made up activities. There was tug-of-war, capture the flag, and relay races. It was really nice to see the kids come together, have fun, and bond over something outside of the classroom. Not to mention, it was pretty fun for me and the other program assistants.
MN: Would you recommend this job to another student?
EE: I would. I got to learn a lot about leadership and planning. I also lived in the French House all summer, which was really nice. While some parts of the program were hectic, it was really satisfying to see all of our plans come to fruition successfully. I’m not an RA during the school year, so this job presented a unique opportunity for me to bond with students in a different way and overcome challenges. I think I learned a lot about myself, my strengths, and my weaknesses. I really enjoyed bonding with the students, whom I would have never met had it not been for this program. I would definitely recommend being a pre-college program assistant to any student who is looking for something to do next summer.