Classes are back in session at Kennesaw State, as everyone rushes to buy their books before the semester gets going. Blending in with and caught between the thrushes of students scrambling to find and purchase class materials exists even more students — this time, on the other side of the counter.
One such student is junior international affairs major Keideesha English. She works at the KSU Bookstore on the Kennesaw campus and said she enjoys being a student and a campus bookstore employee.
“The job is fun and I enjoy working alongside my friends,” English said.
The atmosphere of the bookstore was calm and the line small, opposite to the climate English describes at the very beginning of the semester. The chaos of so many students can be overwhelming for her and her co-workers.
“The influx of people coming to the bookstore at once can cause stress, and make our jobs a lot harder,” English said.
English says her job is laid back for the most part, though, and that she enjoys meeting new people daily. A plus of working at the campus bookstore is that she can work between classes and around her own schedule.
“I schedule myself around school to make sure nothing overlaps,” English said.
She believes that as a college student, it is important to have a well planned out schedule in order to be able to better manage time.
English has a well-balanced schedule between working in the bookstore and attending class regularly. She said that although she cannot do homework while she is busy at work, she can work around her schedule to accommodate her schoolwork load.
As an operations and first floor manager, Debbie Hreha is responsible for supervising the first floor of the store. She works on order fulfillments and works with cashiers.
Hreha started as a cashier in the store 11 years ago. She then became a supervisor and worked her way up to where she is today.
“I have been with the the store as KSU grows,” Hreha said.
Hreha said that the students are the most enjoyable part of her job, from customers to employees.
“Everyone who comes in here are students, “Hreha said.” Ninety-nine percent of the employees here are students.”
Part of keeping up with the tradition of giving students what they need, customer service is also important to her. One thing that frustrates Hreha is leaving a student without the materials they need.
“We want to help customers as fast as we can, as best as we can,” she said.
Despite not always being able to assist with every individual need, Hreha ensures that the bookstore exists to aid.
“Come to the bookstore because we’re here to help,” she said.
Arielle Robinson contributed to this Article.
