I have a job! I managed to snag one of the few student assistantship programs available through Waycross College. I’m certainly not going to make my fortune doing this, as I will be working ten hours a week or less for a whopping $7.25/hr, but that’s a good chunk of change more than no income at all… and besides, I couldn’t cram a full time job in around this course load anyway! I’m working for the PREP program, which is a program Waycross College runs with the local area middle and high schools. It helps keep at-risk students on track for college (at-risk being defined as those from low income families, families where neither parent went to college, and single/no parent households). I’m helping with the middle and high school students over in Pierce County (Blackshear), which is a bit of a drawback, as it takes a good 20+ minutes to get to the schools – luckily my car gets excellent gas mileage! So far, all I’ve done is paperwork (apparently that’s a big beginning of the school-year task for the program), although eventually I’ll be planning events and fund raisers and helping with tutoring.
One bizarre thing to share: the architectural design of Pierce County High School is based off that of a tri-level women’s prison! My first day there, I kept thinking that the building had a very strange design and that it reminded me of... something. It wasn’t until the PREP director told me that it was based on a plan for a prison that it all clicked into place. No, none of the cell – er, classroom – doors slam shut with a clang when the bell rings, but once you know what you’re looking at, it’s simple to take any scene from any prison movie/show and superimpose it on your surroundings. Not as creepy as the morgue-turned-dorm at Sewanee, but still a tad disconcerting. And at least the PCHS kids aren’t saddled with that horrific “mouse ears” design of my former high school. *shiver*