Deshon Terrell, 21, is a student assistant at One Stop Student Services at Kent State. He says he wants to better himself and the people around him. Terrell has been in this position since the start of the this fall.

I had my initial interview about a year ago, but I was going to study abroad in Florence so they held onto all of my stuff until I got back. That was really awesome. I was looking for an on-campus job, some kind of desk job where I could talk to people, something that might help me with what I’ll be doing corporately. I only have two semesters left, including this one. I’m

majoring in business management and I have a marketing minor.

So far I’ve really enjoyed the job at the One Stop (Student) Services. I’ve got to meet a lot of cool people like you, Crystal. You learn a lot of customer service skills working here, but I still get time to myself when we’re not busy. I’ll use that time to do homework or to learn. I’ve learned how to work with a lot of programs like spreadsheets, SharePoint and Outlook. It’s pretty cool learning more stuff at work.

Once I get here, I check our calendars. I usually print them off once I get there to see

where I’ll go. So, there’s the first-floor student assistant, which is where I met you, sitting at the

front desk. There, I make sure people get signed in correctly, letting people know about wait

times. It’s pretty simple. There is also the fifth-floor operations, where we process paperwork and counselors answer phone calls.

My favorite thing about the job is getting to meet and interact with new people daily. Of

course, the people coming in have problems, but I enjoy being in a position where I have a

chance to help. I don’t necessarily give aid or anything, but I still enjoy what I do. I like all my colleagues. It’s always a very friendly environment. I give a lot of praise to the staff that are working there because they handle things really well. They’re handling people’s important documents, and so I give them a lot of props for that.

I’m currently trying to transition myself into better morning habits. Every day, I’m waking up and running over here because I’m usually running a little behind. I’m trying to get up a little earlier now, around 6 (a.m.), and make it to the Rec or something to get my day started a bit earlier. I started doing that recently, and I haven’t been tired going into work. This is a good stepping stone for me, but I think there is potential to get raises and climb up that chain.

Crystal Smith is a contributor. Contact her at [email protected].