While many students are beginning to gear up for their summer internships or stressing about not yet having one, others are choosing to stay at Elon University to work on campus.
In the past, staying on campus for the summer has been affectionately termed “Camp Elon” for the more relaxed atmosphere that comes from fewer students and classes being in session.
Students remain on campus from June to August for several different reasons. Though there are usually not many students about, the university continues to operate — and it needs student employees to help it operate.
Admissions departments, campus recreation facilities and media services remain open during the summer months. They usually keep some of their school year staff working and hire temporary summer employees.
If a student excels at his or her position during the summer, he or she will likely have the opportunity to continue working when classes resume in the fall.
The rate of pay as an Elon summer student employee is usually the same $9 hourly wage as the normal August-May academic year.
Junior Emma Warman will be staying this summer to work for admissions while interning two days a week and also taking summer classes. She said she looks forward to the experience and seeing how summer on campus differs from semesters during the school year.
“Being a tour guide over the summer is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Warman said. “There is a smaller cohort of guides, so they become very close, and they get to be outside and active and interact with families for usually two tours a day before having the entire evening free from 5 p.m. on.”
With the added free time during the summer, she plans to work in the university’s community garden.
Junior Jen Gehrin is also excited to be able to take advantage of a calmer environment of fewer students. She said she has already made a bucket list of things to do and places to explore in the area since she will have more free time.
“I’m excited to stay here over the summer because it will be a much different experience than living at home and I will be much more independent,” Gehrin said. “But I expect it to be different because there will be so few students on campus.”
Gehrin said she will continue her job at Campus Recreation while conducting research.
Some other temporary positions keep students on campus for an extended time. The Office of Sustainability’s “Don’t Trash It” coordinators work from mid-April to the end of May and must stay past graduation to help students properly dispose and donate their items during move-out.
Those interested in summer on-campus jobs are encouraged to visit the Elon Job Network.