Your job is more than income and career progression possibilities. It’s an opportunity to grow by helping and getting inspired by others.
Between 2013 and 2014 I worked as an Academic Testing Proctor in Union County College, New Jersey. I had zero expectations about this job that I simply took because of the paycheck. Not even my soon-to-be-boss was too excited the day I interviewed for the position. “20 hours a week, $XX dollars an hour and offers no benefits.” That was the extent of her “sales pitch.” Would you like to hear something crazy? I ended up falling in love with that part-time, no benefits, job.
My story began in the Elizabeth Campus. The minute I walked through the revolving doors of the Kellogg building, one thought popped into my mind: This is what setting foot inside the United Nations headquarters must be like. Every skin tone you can think of was present in the lively and vibrant groups of individuals walking up and down the hallway. Men and women from different parts of the United States and the world, communicating in English sprinkled with various accents. It was amazing.
The test-taker who had lost everything
If memory serves, the first student who made me realize this job of mine came with a first-row seat to greatness was a young man from the Middle East who came to take the English Placement test. He was a bit nervous so I took a few minutes to let him know he had no reason to be stressed. As part of the test he had to write a short essay, and that’s how I found out he had to flee a war-torn country, leaving everything behind, including his Bachelor’s Degree transcripts. But the spirit of this individual was far from broken. He was poised to making a comeback by working two jobs, taking English classes, and, at some point, taking the Admissions Test in order to pursue an Associate Degree. Before he left that day, he thanked me for greeting him with a smile. It doesn’t matter how humble your job is, you can always make a difference in another person’s life.
The teenage mother filled with love
My second contact with greatness came in the form of a teenage mother and her baby, who was hanging from her chest in a baby carrier swaddle. The young mother wanted to take the ACCUPLACER test. There was a tinge of anxiety in her voice. Looking back now I think she was expecting me to turn her away because of the baby. She sighed with relief when I wished her good luck, and let her know that if she needed to take a break during the examination, I could certainly accommodate her. She sat in front of the computer and took the test in one sitting. Not once did the baby cried. From time to time she would rock and caress the baby with her left hand. From the other side of the testing room, I was transfixed, watching such a beautiful and powerful scene in silent respect. You have to be grateful when the Universe allows you to take part in such an important moment for a mother and her baby. Nothing was going to get in the way of this young mother, in her pursuit of a better life for her baby and herself. Sometimes God, Life, the Universe…will put you in a place where you can grow as a person, before allowing you to move on to your dream job.
The young adult who was paying for his mistakes
The third confirmation that my job was far from ordinary, took place during a very slow day at work. This couple, who looked like father and son, peeked inside the Testing Room and I walked up to them. To my surprise, the “father” was a sheriff and the “son” was doing time either in prison or a juvenile detention center. After the sheriff briefed me and asked a few questions, he exited the room and took a seat on a couch in the waiting area. I shut the door close and walked the well-mannered individual through the different sections of the Placement Test. As he was working on the assessment, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mistakes this young person had made, in order to have his freedom taken away from him. Well, whatever it was it happened in the past, and there was nothing he could do about it. His future, however, was filled with possibilities, and I sensed in him a fierce determination to make the most of each of those possibilities. If at the end of your shift you go home wearing a big smile, you’re in the right place.
I lost count of all the test-takers who walked through my testing room. To them I say, thank you for sharing with me your contagious enthusiasm, excitement, commitment, and determination. ☼
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Alex Guerrero is a content creator who lives in Lawrence, KS. He’s very vocal in his displeasure over pineapple pizza. Chocolate, on the other hand, makes everything better!
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