Have you met Alexandra Topham? Alex is a Psychology major and work study employee in the Financial Aid office. She’s a great person to know on campus, especially if you have financial aid questions!
In her current role as Office Assistant, Alex is on the front lines when it comes to student and parent interaction. She calmly handles multiple responsibilities at once, fielding questions and informing students of FA requirements, answering phones, filing, coordinating social media and conducting student outreach.
Prior to starting her work study position in the Financial Aid office, Alex worked long hours at the mall as a merchandising manager and struggled to find time for schoolwork. Since beginning her job in Financial Aid, Alex has found more time to study while further developing her customer service skills in a more professional setting. She’s also made stronger connections within the UNH Manchester community.
Not only have Alex’s customer service and professional skills increased, her grades have benefited as well! “In a way, working at the school made me take my education by the reins and change my priorities and study habits,” she reflected.
Alex was pleasantly surprised by how flexible her work hours have been, she stated “This is the kind of job that allows you to study when needed, take personal time off, and also work other jobs. My work study position works around everything else that’s going on in my life.”
When asked what advice she would give to students considering a work study position, Alex had this to say: “My advice to students would be to give work study a try…you earn extra money for expenses like gas, food, books, etc. without having to work 12-hour days running around at the mall.”
To learn more about the Federal Work Study Program, please contact the Financial Aid office.
