Maia Schwing
Student Program Coordinator
Department of Dining Services
What is your academic level?
Senior
What is your major/concentration?
Dual Degree for Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education
Which campus are you a student at?
Storrs
What is your job title(s)?
Student Program Coordinator
What department(s) or agency do you work for?
Department of Dining Services
How did you find your position? (I.e. JobX, 12Twenty, word of mouth, etc.). What was the process like from application to the offer stage? Please detail your experience.
When I was a freshman, I applied to be a Student Worker at Towers Dining Hall. The application was on JobX where I submitted my resume and class schedule. I received an email from the Student Manager two weeks later informing me that I was offered a position. I started working in Spring 2023 as a Student Worker, and was promoted to Student Supervisor by the end of that semester. In Fall 2023 I was promoted again to Assistant Student Manager (ASM) and work at both Towers Dining Hall and Buckley Dining Hall as an ASM. In Spring 2024 I was promoted to Student Manager of Towers Dining Hall. Through Fall 2024 to early Spring 2025 I held the position of Student Manager. I applied for the Student Program Coordinator (SPC) job in Spring 2025 and was accepted after an interview.
What made you apply for the position?
I decided to apply for this position for many reasons! First, I have been with Dining for many years and have grown to love the work that I do. The role of a Student Manager is to oversee a unit’s operations related to the Student Program by managing staffing, developing training procedures, coordinating events, and being an unwavering support for my student employees. Engaging with these employees is something that I value and have grown so much from. Dining has introduced me to so many people and formed strong connections that I will remember for the rest of my life. The role of SPC would allow me to expand these roles into the entire department instead of just my own unit, so I took on the challenge and threw my name in. In addition, I plan on working in administration for school districts and felt that this role would be a great opportunity to learn applicable skills.
How have you been able to balance your schoolwork and work responsibilities? Please provide details of any challenges or hurdles you have encountered.
In high school I was always one to turn in work early and score perfectly on every assignment. I prided myself on my commitment to academics, but upon reflection I did not accomplish as much as I had hoped outside the classroom. Once I was accepted to college I decided that I wanted to expand the areas of my life. While I did have jobs in high school, working at the level that I am now was unimaginable. My success comes from a strict planning calendar, honest communication with both my friends, professors, and co-workers, and a lesson learned in flexibility. Setting aside specific times for my schoolwork and my actual work has been a huge help in planning and ensuring I am succeeding at UConn. My most challenging year was my junior year when I was looking to be promoted to Student Manager. I was constantly working and trying to prove to others that I was the best person for the new position of Student Manager. While I did succeed, I struggled to maintain the same amount of responsibility with my academics. This challenge presented itself when I sat down for a final exam and realized it was cumulative instead of only being on half the semester! Through lots of stress, tears, and mental health days, I realized that the only way to move forward is to learn from my mistakes and do better for both myself and those around me.
What are your personal keys to success? What aspects of your job do you find the most fulfilling?
My personal keys to success are staying organized and being a good listener! If you are visibly disorganized, others feel that emotion and projection rolling off you and suddenly their confidence in you wavers. Staying organized and methodical allows me to keep pockets of my life separate and ultimately present my best work. While organization can be time consuming and lots of work up front, its product is priceless. In my role, I navigate many relationships both among my staff and full-time employees. Understanding what it means to be a good listener and identifying when someone just needs to vent has saved me many headaches and, in fact, improved my relations with others. The most fulfilling part of my job is watching my employees grow more confident in their abilities to problem solve and manage their own work. This reward is one of the reasons why I continue to show up day after day.
Describe your typical day at work? (I.e. your job responsibilities, and things you are allowed to do on the job).
A typical day in my work involved both a mix of administrative duties and fieldwork. My position is generally to oversee Student Employment in our Department. I manage a crew of over 1,000 student employees, including about 160 members of student management. Dining Services has 17 dining units including everything from your dining halls to the cafes, and even university catering! Each unit is assigned a Student Manager who works to handle daily operations of their unit. This includes training, hiring, task completion, payroll review and submission, discipline procedures, file maintenance, and distribution of evaluations. Most Student Managers are supported by an Assistant Student Manager who aids in carrying out the assigned tasks and maintaining a positive workplace. Most units have Student Supervisors who act as shift leads during operational hours. They assign student positions, carry out training and cross training, field any questions or problems on shift, and complete the bulk of student evaluations. My role is to ensure units are complying with department standards and to provide support. I conduct interviews for select student positions and assist in promotions of new management teams when necessary. If any management vacancy (SM) is open, I will step in and fill the spot until it is filled. I lead bi-weekly manager meetings with all 17 Student Managers and center each meeting on a training opportunity for different parts of our jobs. I review most cases of discipline to ensure units are following procedures and to make sure all students are being treated equitably. I oversee the submission of Student Payroll every other Thursday night and troubleshoot issues as they arise. My role is both administrative and fieldwork. Some days I am working in my office, and other days I travel to units and make in-person visits to check in and assist my team with any other necessary tasks or situations. In my tenure as SPC, I have transitioned many of our payroll, orientation, and training forms to be digital to cut down on paper usage. I also aided in the start-up of two new units, the Coop and the Hartford Times Café. This past semester I worked to update and revise procedures to promote efficiency and allow my team to focus on the real goal of our work: our Student Workers! I handle records management and conduct semester audits of all 17 units. My role is to be available for all things Student Worker related in Dining Services. I serve on the Work+ Student Advisory board to discuss implementation and revision strategies to boost career readiness in our students. My role is to support the Student Staff in our department as a whole. We cannot run without our students!!
What skills have you acquired or developed in your on-campus job that contribute to your career readiness?
Time management, communication, empathy, organization and how to prioritize, problem solving, software skills, ServSafe certifications (both Food Manager and proctor), public speaking, management of multiple units, flexibility, hiring, training development and implementation, conflict resolution, and so much more.
