The Perks of My Job

As a post-placement counselor at Prep for Prep, I am responsible for not only meeting with students on a monthly basis, but also chaperoning events held every other Saturday. At first, I seemed a little skeptical about having to work a couple of hours on certain Saturdays. However, I have now come to realize that there are so many unintended perks to this arrangement. First and foremost, I generally work on a Tuesday to Saturday schedule, which gives me Monday off. This gives me the chance to run all necessary errands on Mondays when offices across the city are actually open. Another perk is that I am able take advantage of events that are so emblematic of New York City free of charge. Over the last couple of months, I have been able to visit the Bronx Zoo, watch a Mets Game at Citifield, see the Big Apple Circus, and sit front row at an Alvin Ailey Dance Show. I must admit, that the role of a chaperone can at time be stressful. We often have to lead 30 plus students across trains and crowded streets to get to our final destination. We hold a group count at least four times throughout the day to make sure we don’t lose anyone along the way. Yet despite all this, I am very grateful that my organization is exposing my students and me to these different facets of the city. The Saturday activities definitely provide me and the other counselors a chance to observe and interact with our students.