By J1 Reporter Yena Kelly

It’s more than just picking up scraps of paper at school. Behind the scenes, Marian’s Work Study students are the reason students and staff are able to walk into a clean environment every day.

The Work Study program is for students who need tuition assistance. These girls’ everyday tasks are to help clean the school in their assigned areas and assist staff members when needed. Some of these places are teachers’ classrooms, student services and the cafeteria. The students choose which shifts they would like to work, the choices being morning, the afternoon, and during study hall. Each of these students is expected to show up on time, 7:15 a.m. for the morning shift and 3:10 p.m. for the afternoon shift, and spend about 30 minutes cleaning desks, vacuuming floors, taking out trash, or other tasks the moderator needs assistance with.

No work study job is like the other. Senior Grace Comstock has been doing work study since her freshman year and is currently assigned to Mrs. Ashley Bauer’s art classroom in the morning. Since Bauer’s classroom layout is different from most and it is only Comstock on the job, her tasks differ day by day. “I usually sweep [the floors], change up the calendar, or organize art supplies if needed! I really like how different the jobs can be instead of the same old stuff every morning especially as I prefer small spontaneous stuff over repetition,” Comstock said. Some days Comstock helps Bauer get ready for her class such as fixing markers, moving sculpture projects to clear out desks, and setting up fun activities.

You may hear your teachers telling you to clean up after yourself so work study doesn’t have to. Work Study helps teachers worry less about providing a clean space for students. Spanish teacher Ms. Caitlyn Gaule appreciates her Work Study student. “I am able to focus on what I need to do and know I can rely on my work study to keep everything tidy,” she said. 

Teachers spend much of their time outside of school preparing their next lesson, grading assignments, and for some, coaching. The last thing they hope to have on their minds is if their class is clean and organized for the day. Even though Work Study varies from each area, both moderators and students form an understanding of each other.

Did you know some girls do Work Study during the summer? They show up to school Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon for three weeks. Alongside tasks they do during the school year, they clean lockers, windows, the entirety of the Performance Art Center, and finally scrap gum from under desks. “At one point we volunteered from 8 to noon and noon to 3 for the art workshop, so we got lunch provided for us!” Comstock said. The summer work study students put in extra hours to clean up messes that were left behind on the last week of school, otherwise many students would have lockers filled with old papers the first day of school.

While to most people the tasks seem dull and repetitive, it actually builds up life skills. “I am rather proud to do work study because I like cleaning and making things look good! Work study allowed me to afford to go to Marian, and as a senior I know it has prepared me for college in a way other schools don’t. It hasn’t been easy being able to go to Marian coming from a single parent household, but doing what I can to make it more affordable has been worth every second,” Comstock said. Through work study, Comstock has a routine she follows every morning and it helps ensure she gets to school on time.

It is important for students to clean up after themselves, and help make the job of Work Study easier. The next time you chew gum, don’t stick it under anything, it’ll only hurt the students who clean.