- by Jazmin Straus -
Working at LifePrep@Naz has been the best part of my college experience, hands down. I started working my first semester at Nazareth and have been working as many shifts as possible since. It’s an amazing program filled with wonderful people who are so excited to learn at Naz. Many of my positive experiences in college have been from LifePrep and I know that will stay true throughout my next few semesters! Here are just three ways that working at LifePrep has positively impacted my college experience.
1. So Many New Friends!
I’ve met so many new people and made lots of friends because of LifePrep. All of the LifePrep students have such fun personalities, it’s so easy to make friends with them! While I am there doing my job, whenever I work with one of the students, we’re still able to talk and have fun! You learn so many cool things about them, like some are into dancing and music, while others are into sports and Special Olympics. They are all such cool people that make great friends. Not only have I been able to make friends with the LifePrep students, but I’ve also been able to meet lots of new people that also work as a mentor. College is a weird time in lots of people’s lives where they come to a new place and don’t know anybody. It can be hard to make friends when you are in an unfamiliar environment and are nervous about other new experiences, like college courses and living on your own. I found this to be very true my freshman year. I struggled with putting myself out there and talking to new people, but found that it was easier to approach people when I knew that we had something in common. That’s why it was so easy to talk to the other mentors. We’re able to talk about our experiences at LifePrep, compare shifts, and even make plans to hang out with the students. LifePrep has helped me make so many amazing friends that I’m sure I would have ever talked to if it weren’t for my job.
2. I’m Constantly Learning New Things!
I didn’t have any experience with working with people with intellectual disabilities before I came to Naz. I had only learned about disorders like Autism and Down’s Syndrome, and that’s really it. I had never heard of the many different disabilities and disorders that are out there, but through the students and some of the mentor training, I’ve been able to learn about so much more. Working at LifePrep has inspired me to learn more and more about disabilities and those that have them. I even started working for Fox Valley Special Recreation Association last summer while I was home. There, I was a camp counselor for adults with disabilities, and I absolutely loved it. I would have never applied to a job like this if I hadn’t had such a great experience with LifePrep. This job is constantly teaching me new things and I love it!
3. Naz Spirit!
I have never met anyone who loves a college as much as the LifePrep students love Nazareth. Whenever they have time, the students go to any event that they can around campus, whether that’s a snack cart, a latte art stand, or a free swag pop-up. Lots of them also go to nearly all of the men’s basketball games and are some of their loudest cheerleaders. Chris Teich, one of the LifePrep students, is always telling me about the friends that he’s made on the basketball team and how excited he is for the next game. I also see a lot of them at some weekend events like White Squirrel Day and Winter Wonderland. They are constantly pointing out all of the positive features that Naz has to offer and it makes me realize how grateful I am to go here. I have so much love for this school and the LifePrep students have shown me that.
My job at LifePrep has really made me appreciate this school and has made my time here 100% better. It is a wonderful program that really highlights the abilities and personalities of all of the students. If you are ever looking for a fun job that allows you to work with different types of people, consider applying to LifePrep!
