What Students Have to Say

Maribel Hernandez ('04) talks about opportunities...

"Harvard offers a ton of opportunities, among them the opportunity to find a job that you really like and the opportunity to conduct academic research under the guidance of one of the school’s amazing professors. Luckily, I have had the opportunity to do both. For the past four years, I have worked for the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program (UMRP) earning money and contributing to a larger cause. Through the UMRP I have recruited students who would otherwise not have thought of applying to Harvard. Seeing them finally matriculate at the university is one of the best rewards. Therefore, I do not see the UMRP as a job. Instead, I see it as a personally fulfilling activity that I would have done even if I had not gotten paid to do it."

"In addition to working, I have spent the past two years conducting research with Professor John Womack Jr., professor of Latin American history and economics. Under the auspices of the Mellon Program, I have been able to work one-on-one with him, which has allowed me to get to know him both as an academic and as a person. During our frequent meetings, our conversations range from research related topics, to politics, to life in general. This has led me to seek his academic, professional, and personal advice."

"I am grateful for these opportunities because they have enriched my college experience as I have learned both within and outside of the classroom."

Christina Juan Vargas ('04) talks about job skills...

"Working at Harvard has been a truly rewarding and fun experience. Practically speaking, my work has given me valuable skills I can take into the job market, from learning software programs and filing systems to having a pleasant and professional phone demeanor. Socially speaking, I’ve met people through my job I would not have otherwise met, and I feel I’m making a valuable contribution to the Harvard community."

"Having enough time is a common concern about taking a job: Will I be able to participate in other extracurricular activities? Will working interfere with my academics? I’ve been able to serve as president of an a capella group and do some dancing as well. So the answer to the first question is ‘Yes.’ As for the second, employers on campus are especially sensitive to the fact that we are students, and they are flexible with scheduling. All in all, working at Harvard is an experience I recommend for every student."

Timothy McDonald ('04) talks about dorm crew...

"I first became involved in Dorm Crew during the fall of my freshman year. Like every other incoming freshman, I received a packet advertising all the orientation week possibilities and activities. For me the choice was a simple one — there was only one program that would acquaint me with Harvard and Cambridge while lining my pockets with book money. And four years later, here I am, still working for Dorm Crew."

"What began out of a necessity to make ends meet has become one of my most worthwhile endeavors, a combination of employment and extracurricular activity that has introduced me to a number of close friends, to valuable job skills and to a range of work experiences. While the labor itself — cleaning student bathrooms during the academic year and cleaning entire dorm buildings before and after the summer vacation — is far from glamorous, the pay rate is one of the best on campus, the hours are flexible and the opportunities for advancement and managerial experience are first-rate."

"Over my four years in Dorm Crew I’ve worn many different hats; I’ve cleaned bathrooms and mopped floors, led cleanup crews of a dozen students, and eventually supervised hundreds of employees doing a million dollars of contracted work. Dorm Crew is not at all what I would have expected when I first came to Cambridge, both in the amount of time I’ve dedicated to it (four years!) and in the range of work experiences it has afforded me, but it has been time very well spent."

David Sol-Del Valle ('04) talks about research opportunities...

"When I came to Harvard, I had an enormous desire to continue doing research. At the end of my first semester, I looked into the research interests of about 30 faculty members, met with many of them and visited labs. I finally joined the lab of Prof. Andrew Murray in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and have been working there ever since, including last summer."

"The Murray lab has given me a warm welcome and has made me feel a part of a family of researchers. I have become a member of their team as they discuss their projects, scientific problems and results with me. They encourage me to think critically and to read and analyze scientific papers, extracting the key points I need to improve my experimental methods."

"Research gives me the opportunity to see biology come alive. I love the environment, the teamwork, and the process of sharing results, analyzing data, discarding lousy interpretations, or just celebrating when people find good answers to important questions."

Sue Meng ('03) talks about tutoring...

"I work four to six hours a week at the Writing Center, where I have been a tutor since sophomore year. Staffed by trained peer tutors who provide individual conferences at no charge, the Writing Center is a place for undergraduates to get help with all of their writing -- to work on specific assignments and to improve overall writing skills. I meet one-on-one with students who come into conferences with ideas, notes, parts of early drafts, and even final drafts. The best conferences are those that are discussions about ideas, from which students leave not only with better papers, but with new styles of argument or ways of critical thinking. As a tutor, I get to interact with a wide cross-section of my peers, and get a crash course in economics, or English, or philosophy every time I sit down for a conference. Working at the Writing Center is a great way to share my love for writing with students at the same time I'm exposed to the diversity of ideas and interests that thrive on this campus. There is also a great community of writing center tutors which makes for a fun work environment. I definitely have one of the best jobs on campus!"

Allison Fitz ('05) talks about fund raising...

"My job as a Crimson Caller at the Development Office is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling activities I take part in here at Harvard. Crimson Callers phone alumni on behalf of the Harvard College Fund, which raises money largely for financial aid. It’s an incredibly well paying job, and there are even opportunities to get bonuses."

"I have talked to some amazing people about their lives, their jobs, and their time at Harvard, and it’s always great when they’re curious about me as well. The best parts about Crimson Calling, however, are the work environment and the people. Some of the nicest and funniest people I’ve met at Harvard are Crimson Callers. I know that there will never be a boring night at the Development Office. I always leave work laughing about a hilarious discussion, and looking forward to the next time I get to work! Crimson Calling is really one of those amazing jobs where you know you’re actually helping out Harvard as well as having a great time."

H. Michael Rosenburg ('05) talks about the Harvard College Research Program...

"The HCRP is no ordinary research program. Who else would take a chance on an enthusiastic freshman with nothing but a passion for trains and a plan to learn more? The HCRPis support made it possible for me to spend part of my freshman summer studying one of Americais last legendary trains, the Coast Starlight. After a month collecting data and conducting interviews, my grant allowed me to travel to Los Angeles to actually ride the great train. In rail yards before dawn, in baggage cars, in kitchens and in diners all the way to Seattle, I documented the path of this living link to an American railroading tradition. On the way, I became convinced that the greatest learning is a first hand experience, surrounded by the people and places that define a subject."

"The stories I captured on paper and film have led me to refine my passion and distill enthusiasm into understanding. I now use what I learned aboard the Starlight, and the contacts I made, to write articles about national rail policy as I look toward a thesis further down the tracks. For the future, I plan to continue my work on railroads, applying the lessons Iive learned on an international scale. My latest project investigates the role of the transisthmian railway in Panamais development as a transportation hub, and Iim sure it will be another phenomenal experience. The HCRP took a chance on my work and opened up a whole world of learning; for that, I cannot be thankful enough."

Anna V. Glezer ('03) talks about work in a lab...

"Throughout my years at Harvard, I have worked in a psychophysiology laboratory, gaining valuable research experience and insight into the field of psychology. I have had the opportunity to interact with patients and participants, and have learned first-hand the intricacies of working in a research facility. I've been involved with all parts of the projects, from running experiments and recruiting subjects to data analysis and statistical work. Now I'm working on an original thesis project within the laboratory. It has been a worthwhile learning experience I know will be useful as I continue on to medical school and pursue my interests in psychiatry. And my earnings have helped pay my way at Harvard."

Daniel M. Jacob talks about mentoring student research...

Gordon Mckay Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences

"I am thankful to the HCRP for allowing me to give promising undergraduates an intense research experience. I treat HCRP fellows as full members of my research group. I expect them to take initiative, to participate actively in group meetings, to make presentations to scientific conferences and to publish their work in a scientific journal. I am proud of what my students have accomplished with HCRP support. All have published their own work and several are currently in graduate school. In fact, one past HCRP fellow, now a graduate student in my research group, will be assisting two new undergraduates this year."