The People behind your Union South Experiences
Photo by Xuefeng Xu. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union.
Have you ever been to a Badger Bash in Union South’s Plaza? Ever enjoyed the sweet, sweet goodness of Babcock Ice Cream at the Daily Scoop in Union South? Pretty great, right? Well, it’s all possible thanks to incredible Wisconsin Union team members dedicated to making your time in our buildings awesome. In this story, you’ll meet some of the people helping make your Union South experiences possible. And they’ll even share some of their words of wisdom for fellow and future student team members.
As a student employee, myself, I can tell you that our student team members are dedicated and enthusiastic and all-around provide an energy like no other in town. I sat down with some of my team members who work in Union South to learn about why they do and why they chose to join the Union team.
Jenny Strugnell, a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a lead building manager for the Union. What does a building manager do exactly? Put simply, building managers help ensure events run smoothly and that all Union members and guests have safe, enjoyable experiences. Her daily responsibilities vary from cash handling to resolving technical issues.
The convenience of having an on-campus job with flexibility initially drew Jenny to the Union.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of really great student employees and full-time staff,” Jenny said. “The ability to talk with coworkers and have shifts covered when life gets stressful is very useful.”
Jenny’s advice to students looking to apply for a Union job is to look for a position that works both with your schedule and will challenge you to learn new skills.
“This job has taught me an incredible amount of customer service skills,” Jenny said. “I feel like my communication abilities have greatly improved since starting as a building manager.”
Another student employee, named Joseph Srholl, has worked at the Union since 2015. He currently serves as a student supervisor for both Prairie Fire and Daily Scoop in Union South and has worked at the Wisconsin Union Hotel.
After more than three years, Joseph continues to work at the Union, he says, because of his coworkers and the daily, fun interactions with Union-goers.
“It’s the people who make this place worthwhile,” Joseph said.
As a student supervisor, Joseph makes sure shifts run correctly and priorities are being managed appropriately. Working 20 hours a week, Joseph learned early on the importance of balancing school and work. His advice is to be a student first, which supervisors at the Union support, and make the most of your work experience through gaining foundational skills and building friendships.
Interested in working for the Wisconsin Union? To find your next favorite job at the best place to work, go to union.wisc.edu/jobs.
