Polina Karpova didn’t consider herself an outdoor person before she went on a multi-day sailing trip with UNC Greensboro’s Outdoor Adventures in Fall 2021.
“I never thought I would sleep in a tent,” Karpova says. “But the trip was so inspiring. I thought ‘Wow, the trip leaders are doing this and getting paid and having all of these fun opportunities’.”
That trip pushed Karpova to apply for a job as an adventure trip leader with the Outdoor Adventures program, a job she’s now held for about a year.
“I love being on overnight adventure trips because you connect with people differently, you challenge yourself, you leave your comfort zone in different ways, and you learn to appreciate nature and the environment,” says Karpova.
FEELING OF COMMUNITY
Karpova works within all three areas of Outdoor Adventures: the climbing wall, adventure trips and Piney Lake activities. An international student from Russia, she considered going home before getting a job with Outdoor Adventures.
“I did not have a lot of friends before working there,” Karpova says. “I’ve now met a lot of people, and Outdoor Adventures gives you a feeling of community.”
As an international student, Karpova is only allowed to work on campus, but says it is even more convenient to have a fun, paying job right at UNCG.
Karpova is one of about 300 students employed on-campus annually through the Department of Recreation and Wellness,one of the largest UNCG student employers. Near Karpova in the Kaplan Center Natatorium, senior Lukas Tucker spends his time as a lifeguard.
“I get to interact with a lot of students which is a really big benefit,” Tucker says. “I also get to meet different people who I know are going to be within my community. I have classes with a lot of my coworkers, which is nice.”
BUILDING SKILLS
Both Kapova and Tucker say their on-campus jobs help them prepare for the future.
“It’s hard work, but I’ve noticed what you put in, you get back in good skills and useful knowledge,” says Kapova, a junior double majoring in environment sustainability and geography.
Tucker, who is studying history, also works in the Office of Intercultural Engagement (OIE) with their Kaleidoscope program and as an office worker.
Kaleidoscope is a peer education program that promotes intergroup communication and understanding of diversity, equity, and social justice at UNCG. The program also hosts workshops around social justice issues, something Tucker says is beneficial.
“I want to eventually teach and leading the OIE workshops helps me because social justice and history go hand in hand,” he says. “So ensuring I have oral communication skills, and using them practically, is really important for my development.”
NOT JUST A JOB
While you may see Lukas and Polina at their jobs, you’ll probably hear Sarah Dawkins – the general manager of WUAG, UNCG’s student-run radio station.
Dawkins is working toward a bachelors of fine arts in sculpture and ceramics with a minor in media studies. It was in a media studies course that she first heard of WUAG when a previous general manager came to speak: “My eyes lit up. I knew I wanted to be in that position one day.”
Dawkins started as a DJ at the station before becoming the social media manager and then the general manager.
It’s a job that requires Dawkins to be the point of contact and knowledge for WUAG, helping to promote and get people interested in the station’s work.
“My favorite part of the job is seeing something accomplished,” Dawkins says. “For example, seeing a DJ have the show she wants. So, I enjoy having someone come up with an idea, ask how to do it, and then execute that idea. We get to share that.”
Having a job on campus is nice for the paycheck, but for students like Dawkins, Tucker, and Karpova, it’s much more. Dawkins says she would do it for free.
“The people that are interested in WUAG are interested in it for the work,” Dawkins says. “They don’t just think of it as a job.”
EARN WHILE YOU LEARN AT UNCG
Story by Avery Craine Powell, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
Additional photography courtesy of Polina Karpova
