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This article is the first of a two-part series highlighting students currently participating in the Community Service Work Study Program.
The Community Service Work Study (CSWS) Program helps University of Portland financial-aid students who have received a Federal Work-Study award to work off campus. Students have the opportunity to do valuable and rewarding work with the community while getting paid.
If you are unsure if you were awarded Federal Work-Study, we recommend you check your financial aid award package in Pilots Self-Serve or contact the Office of Financial Aid. There are currently over 650 UP students who have qualified for a Federal Work-Study award this year, but are not using it.
Several CSWS jobs are currently posted on the UP Job Board, but there is also the possibility that a non-profit you work with or are interested in working with could become a CSWS partner. And as an incentive, CSWS students are paid $12.00/hr rather than the $11.25/hr minimum wage rate paid for on-campus jobs.
We recently spoke with Anita Oman, a sophomore nursing major, who has been working as a coach and mentor at Portland Tennis and Education in St. Johns since November 2016 as part of the CSWS program.
What do you think are the benefits of the Community Work Study Program?
Having a job that benefits the community is a lot more fun and a lot more fulfilling than most on-campus jobs. CSWS positions are also a lot more flexible with your hours if you need to work nights or weekends. There are a ton of CSWS jobs that are all really different so the odds are, if you’re passionate about some type of service, there’s a CSWS position for you.
What do you do at Portland Tennis and Education?
I take the bus to the center and then pick up the scholar athletes from school at 2:15 p.m. and walk them back to the center. The first thing we do is fitness. The scholar athletes can get their energy out by participating in various activities. Following fitness, half of my classroom goes on the tennis court and the other half works on homework. During this time, I check-in with the scholar athletes about their school and home lives, and help them with whatever they need.
On the tennis court the scholar-athletes play games led by the coaches and do tennis drills. After this, we all come back to the classroom and spend the rest of the day doing raz or IXL , which are diagnostic programs we use for the scholar athletes to practice math and reading and to assess their level.
At the end of the day each scholar athlete has a chore to do in the classroom, which the coaches oversee. All of the scholar athletes go home around 6 p.m.
What has been your favorite experience at Portland Tennis and Education?
My favorite experience so far has been seeing the kids in my classroom grow both in their tennis skills and in their academic abilities. It’s awesome to work with kids over a long period of time because so much changes. You see them grow and becoming amazing individuals who are capable of so much.
How has you work at Portland Tennis and Education prepared you for your future goals?
I want to be a pediatric nurse and working with at-risk kids has given me a lot of insight into how to talk to and interact with kids who are struggling with factors outside of their control.
What is one piece of advice you would give students who are interested in the Community Work Study Program?
If you have federal work study definitely apply to at least one position. There are so many different kinds of work you can do, so I think you’ll find something you really enjoy! Even if you don’t have any type of service experience, CSWS is a good way to start doing service.
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