Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 26 text:

Unconventional Jobs that Teach Valuable Career Skills Temple University is known for providing its students with a well-rounded education used to achieve interesting and fulfilling careers. In addition, Temple offers a variety of unconventional, multi-faceted jobs for students on campus to help prepare for life after college. Chris Williams, a junior media studies and production major, is a videographer for die Temple Owls football team. Mis job is to attend every practice, home game, and some away games, and film the team to help players and coaches sec the plays from different angles, something that Williams hopes to make a permanent career post-graduation. “I would definitely like a career doing something with vidcography. I think this experience [working on campus] has definitely helped me, shooting-wise,” said Williams. “This spring I’m interning with a couple guys who do the same things I do here.” Williams said the job gives him great experience in the vidcography field, among other benefits. “The cool thing about this job is I've only been on a plane once before, but with this job I get to trawl all the time [for away games],” said Williams. “I get to ride planes with the team, so I can’t complain about tliat, because I know a lot of friends who have to drive. We can get across the country in an hour and a half.” Williams’job is not the only one that expands his borders outside of Philadelphia. Nicholas Gareca works as a conversation partner at the writing center in Tuttleman learning Center, and his job is to talk with foreign students to help them learn the English language and American culture. “I meet with a student and sit and talk with them for a 50-minute appointment or a 20-minutc drop in,” said Gareca. “I help diem do whatever they want, whether it is practice presentations, answer questions about English, teach them about American slang.” Gareca speaks English and Spanish and is learning how to speak Chinese. Me savs his jiassion for language expands from his family roots, as he visits family in Argentina every summer. As a conversation partner, Gareca hopes to give international students an opportunity that they might otherwise not have. “Some kids just want to talk. A lot of international students don’t have time to practice speaking because they only interact with native speakers,” said Gareca. The job has introduced Gareca to many new people and new experiences in the work place. “I remember teaching a guy how to swear, who wanted to learn more about American culture,” said Gareca. “He didn’t recognize some of the words his roommates were saying playing [Grand Theft Auto 5], and I was like, i know those words.’ I think in order to understand American culture he needs to understand those words.” “So I asked my boss for permission to teach him to swear. The next day I shook his hand and took him to a private room, and taught him to swear,” said Gareca. “1 told him what the words mean and where they come from. And I told him not to use them in formal occasions.” Being a conversation partner is similar to what Gareca wants to do after he graduates. “Certainly hope to do something with languages, maybe teaching English to second language learners. I want to continue to learn different languages, meet people and travel,” Gareca said. With opportunities like the ones Williams and Gareca are using. Temple helps provide students with experience that can lie used in the real world. LOGAN KWJM