Providing Community and Care: A Grad Student, Club Leader, and College Assistant Shares Her Story
“It always warms my heart when students thank us for providing this short-term assistance program that helps to combat food insecurity.”
Helping our students succeed is the number one priority for the faculty, staff, and administrators at CUNY SPS, though many of them often do this work behind the scenes. To spotlight some of the unsung heroes who support our School and students, we have launched the blog series Backstage at CUNY SPS. Each of the members profiled here have been nominated by someone else at CUNY SPS in recognition of their great work.
In this week’s installment, we sit down with Alexandra Perez Jimenez, a CUNY SPS grad student and student club leader who works in the School’s Office of Scholarships.
Q: Briefly describe your job and the work that you do at CUNY SPS.
A: Currently I am a college assistant at the CUNYS SPS Office of Scholarships. I work with short-term assistance (Food Access Initiative, Petrie Emergency Grant, CUNY SPS Textbook Grant, etc.) I help answer phone calls and emails from students and assist with any office operations as needed. I also help to create packets, award letters (emergency grant), update spreadsheets, and save receipts on the share drive, among other items.
Q: You’re also a student here. What program do you attend? What are you planning to do with your degree after you graduate?
A: I am in the MA in psychology program, with a concentration in developmental psychology. I plan on applying for PhD programs that focus on developmental psychology, and start working in the hospital setting, helping parents from low-income areas gain the support that they need (with reading intervention programs for children who are behind in language development and reading comprehension.) I also would like to work in a research lab designing early intervention programs and resources for parents so they can start working with their children to gain reading comprehension skills.
Q: How did you end up working at CUNY SPS? How long have you worked here?
A: When I was accepted at CUNY SPS, my immediate reaction was excitement for two reasons: I got accepted into the program that I want to pursue a career in, which offers asynchronous classes that accommodates my work schedule, and I wanted to see if there was any way that I could help students obtain the necessary resources that they need in order to succeed in their classes (you should not have to choose between paying your bills or paying tuition.)
When I went on the CUNY jobs website, I saw that there was an opening for a college assistant position at the Office of Scholarships. I remember thinking “Wow, it would be great if I got accepted to the job.” I ended up applying for the job, and never expected the following result. It was just my luck that I met the most amazing supervisors and am a part of a team with talented and dedicated employees who work tirelessly to ensure that students have the necessary resources that they need to succeed, educationally and financially speaking.
I have also been lucky where I have learned not only the necessary job skills, but also life skills that I will apply in my future career. I have been privileged to have worked as a college assistant for about a year now and can honestly say that it has been a great experience from the very beginning. I cannot wait to see what happens in the upcoming year.
Q: What do you find exciting or fulfilling about your work?
A: The most exciting part of the job for me is helping the students receive the resources they need. I work primarily on the Food Access Initiative, and it always warms my heart when students thank us for providing this short-term assistance program that helps to combat food insecurity. The Petrie Emergency Grant and the CUNY SPS Textbook Grant are two great resources that have helped students tremendously.
I have always thought that to receive an education, you should not have to choose between buying food or paying tuition. I think it’s great that these types of programs exist, and receiving positive feedback from students helps to prove that the work we are doing is making an impact on their lives. I also look forward to answering questions from students when they call the office and getting to hear how much they appreciate the support we offer.
Q: How would you say your job helps support student success at CUNY SPS? Or, if not students directly, the needs of the School?
A: I would say that this job supports student success because it helps students who are currently facing food insecurity or need help paying their past due bills, and also offers scholarships to those who are struggling with tuition. As I have mentioned earlier, a student should not have to choose between paying for school or being able to afford to buy food and clothing. There should always be a way to do both. The short-term assistance programs help students with their financial burden, which I believe increases morale and their determination to complete their degree here.
Q: You have a very active presence in CUNY SPS student life. Can you give a brief description of all the student clubs and organizations you participate in?
A: Currently, I am a member of six clubs at CUNY SPS (Book Club, Cooking Club, Film Club, Latinx Club, Painting Club, and the Psychology Club.) I am the treasurer of both the Painting and Psychology Clubs.
Joining these clubs has been a positive experience in my life because I have met the most amazing students who have become my friends. I feel the sense of community when we have club meetings and it is great to participate in different events and be a student leader. I recommend to students to not to be afraid to join as many clubs as you can — you will benefit a lot from it. I have not only made amazing friendships, but I also learned that I have the potential to be a student leader and help others. I also love hearing the fellow club members’ stories and finding similarities between our life experiences or career goals and celebrating important milestones.
Additionally, I am the public editor of the CUNY SPS Student Association. I joined the Student Association because I want to help make students’ experiences at the school the best it can be (helping to create entertaining events that bring students together and getting them to interact with others; helping to create wellness and self-care events; and helping to discuss current issues that affect students and create solutions that adds to the enriching education that we all deserve to have.)
I also have the privilege of being the University Student Senate Graduate Delegate, where I get to represent CUNY SPS at the CUNY University Student Senate. I look forward to bringing up important issues that affect our school in meetings, attending rallies regarding tuition hikes, and suggesting policies that can help all CUNY students have an even better educational experience.
I have also been fortunate to be nominated to the Ernesto Malave Leadership Academy, where I hope to learn how to be a better leader that serves the needs of all, and promote inclusivity within the clubs that I am a part of and in my future career.
Q: What inspired you to get involved in these student clubs and organizations? How has getting involved changed your experience as a CUNY SPS student and employee?
A: When I was an undergrad, I had an initial interest in joining student clubs, but never really went for it due to the fear of not being able to attend all the meetings due to school and work commitments. CUNY SPS has an amazing Student Life team who do a great job of hosting club events where we can get to know about the different clubs and decide if we’d like to join. When I attended the club info session last semester, I ended up joining three clubs.
Although this is an online school, CUNY SPS does a great job of promoting clubs for students to join, and I am very fortunate to be a part of so many clubs. Getting involved in these clubs has changed my experience as a CUNY SPS student because it has given me the opportunity to meet amazing students who have become my friends, allowed me the opportunity to pursue my interests, and encouraged me to attend amazing events where I get to interact with new students and staff members from the School.
Want to learn more about our dedicated faculty and staff? Read more installments from this series.
