When we hire student workers in campus card offices or other auxiliaries, the obvious benefit is financial support. But as the story of one Michigan State University student shows, the true value of student employment extends far beyond a paycheck.

In an editorial in The State News, one student describes how on-campus employment shaped her in ways she’d never expected.

She began her campus job at the Spartan Greens Turf Complex expecting little more than learning how to check campus IDs as students arrived to participate in intramurals. Instead, she quickly discovered that her job taught her responsibility, independence, and organization. By managing time, budgeting paychecks, and working with others, she developed life skills she hadn’t anticipated.

Campus jobs are more than just work-study opportunities. They foster transferable skills that serve students well beyond graduation.

As her college career progressed, she expanded her campus employment to include other roles that further impacted her growth. refereeing intramural volleyball and basketball and creating social media content for The State News. Refereeing intramurals allowed her to stay connected to her passion for sports while teaching her work-life balance. Her position at The State News immersed her in a supportive, creative community, that gave her a new level of professional confidence.

True this is just one student’s experiences, but it highlights that campus jobs are more than just work-study opportunities. They foster independence and responsibility that translate into transferable skills that serve them well beyond graduation.

For higher ed administrators, the takeaway is that student employment is not only about helping students cover expenses. It is an avenue for personal and professional growth, preparing them for life after college in ways that classroom learning alone cannot achieve.

For the student employees in your card office or potential hires, encourage them to read the article from The State News. It could give them a broader perspective on the opportunity in front of them.