By Rachel Huser
When the pandemic hit the U.S. and Dominican decided to host the rest of the spring 2020 semester online, many students found themselves out of work.
Senior Gabby McCoy, a student of the work-study program, was one of them. She currently works for the chemistry department as a teacher’s assistant and does lab preparations. She also works for the Admissions Office as an ambassador.
McCoy was working 10 hours a week and sometimes more before the pandemic hit. When classes moved online, she found herself without work.
“I went from 10 hours to zero,” she said.
McCoy received an email from her boss in the chemistry department, Rahel Bokretsion, shortly after spring break was extended. It said that because everything was online, there wasn’t much of a need for her, but that the department would do its best to give her hours.
“We didn’t have anything for her to do because labs went online,” said Bokretsion.
Fortunately, McCoy was able to go back home to St. Louis for the rest of the spring semester and the summer. In the summer she got a full-time, in-person internship at Alcami, a pharmaceutical company in St. Louis.
“That helped me with the beginning of the semester expenses,” she said.
McCoy was also able to gain some hours back in the chemistry department once the fall semester started. She was working two to three hours per week.
Starting in the fall, hours became more regular because labs were in-person again, said Bokretsion.
“The CARES Act was also able to cover my out-of-pocket tuition costs,” said McCoy.
The same story can be told for the admissions department, McCoy’s second job. Fewer ambassadors were needed because everything was going virtual.
However, Ixtel Viramontes, admissions counselor and ambassador coordinator, still tried to encourage students like McCoy to sign up for virtual events and office hours, she said.
Last spring, Viramontes also asked McCoy and other ambassadors what they were willing to do to still reach out to guests.
“First and foremost, we want to make sure students feel comfortable,” she said.
McCoy and her fellow ambassadors responded and said that they would be willing to talk to guests in any capacity, but felt most comfortable with instant messaging platforms.
Viramontes and the rest of the admissions team took this feedback and in the summer started researching instant messaging programs. Also during the summer, the office focused on the commuter population of the ambassadors and offered the occasional in-person tour when they could.
Throughout the rest of the summer and fall semester, the office researched various platforms for the ambassadors to use.
In January, the admissions office launched Unibuddy, an instant messaging platform that allows high school students to connect with student ambassadors that helps them get their questions answered.
“I really appreciate admissions because they are really flexible with offering opportunities,” said McCoy.
“Work-study is a really positive opportunity… I look forward to next fall to get more hours,” she said.
rhuser@my.dom.edu
Image credit to Dominican University Flickr
