Making it Work

With many professional offices still closed to visitors or closed entirely in the spring 2021, the annual process of pairing each junior with a host employer for their Junior Work Week experience was turned on its head.

Instead of spending a week on site, students completed an exploration project that incorporated many of the tasks students would have completed at a work site. “The new format gave students a chance to individualize their Junior Work Week reflection and allowed them more flexibility in completing it,” said Chet Childress, director of counseling and coordinator of the program. Childress also encouraged juniors to reach out to several dozen Trinity alumni who had volunteered to be ‘virtual hosts.’ “They had all been through the Junior Work Week program, they understood its importance to their personal and academic growth and they wanted to make sure this year’s students get the best work week possible,” said Childress.

Below are just a few of the pandemic-year Junior Work Week experiences, through the eyes of the students themselves.

Owen DeFrancesca ’22 created a TED-Talk-type project with Gray Thouron, the golf pro at Willow Oaks Country Club, whom he got to interview in person. DeFrancesca’s TED-Talk detailed the qualifications, career path and responsibilities of the position of Golf Pro, including management, coaching and hospitality skills. “The best piece of advice I got from Mr. Thouron was ‘do something you enjoy,’” said deFrancesca. “He said you’re going to get frustrated or annoyed with any job you have but as long as you’re doing what makes you happy it’s worth it.”

Chaz Sutton ’22 and Aidan Wagstaff ’22 pursued a collaborative project called “so you want to be...” connecting what they learned from both of their hosts.

Sutton met Zoom with Kenneth Johnson, founder/CEO of Johnson Marketing Inc.

“Mr. Johnson provided insightful advice and views on his industry,” said Sutton. “The most useful piece of advice I gained was to take each day as its own. Always wake up with the mentality to attack the day and get the most out of it as possible. Never just sit and lay back.”

Wagstaff interviewed Trinity alumnus Desiree Tunnell ’08, marketing director at Virginia Family Dentistry.

“The most meaningful part of the whole process was learning how much organization [the job] takes,” said Wagstaff, adding that the experience inspired him to make his own daily planner to manage all of his work. Perrin Gilman ’22 worked with Tracy Sears, news anchor and reporter on WTVR CBS 6. Gilman’s interviews explored how the news has an impact on the community. “Since one of the requirements for the JWW project was to record the Zoom interview, I thought that it would be a great idea to incorporate Tracy’s actual words into my project,” said Gilman, who creatively turned her interview into a video with herself playing the role of TV reporter. “Tracy truly inspired me to look into being a news anchor as the work that she does to benefit others is so positive,” she said. “This Junior Work Week project has definitely helped me decide that I want to major in Communications in college.”

Chandler Grant ’22 interviewed the advancement director of YWCA who is also a Trinity alumna, Rupa Somanath Murthy ’95. “My conversation with Mrs. Murthy further affirmed my passion for women’s rights, and more specifically, creating spaces for women of color,” said Grant. “We bonded over our shared experiences of feeling isolated in a predominately white environment, and talked about what led us each to turn those feelings into a burning drive to create change. I’m forever grateful for this experience, as it gave me some idea of how I’d like to make my mark within the nonprofit sector, while also pursuing entrepreneurial paths.” Grant said she hopes to channel these interests into opening her own wellness business and center specializing in affordable services for women of color. “I just want to give back and empower the women in my community and beyond.”