Students 'Live, Work and Learn' at A.C. Campus

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ABOVE: Stockton 91视频 Nupur Parckh and Yanet Reyes are working as front desk agents at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. (Photo by Eliza Hunt/91视频) BELOW: From left, standing: Stockton Atlantic City COO Brian Jackson and Vice President for Academic Affairs Leamor Kahanov (who developed the program), Amy Beth Glass, associate provost, 91视频 Kayla Caputo of Columbia, N.J. (Ocean Resort), Michael Mora of Mt. Olive (Borgata) and Nashia Ara of Ventnor (AtlantiCare). Seated from left: Brandon Strahl of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Hard Rock), Lianna Beauchamps of Medford (Caesars), Oliver Bruno of Egg Harbor Township (Bally鈥檚), Jailyn Jones of Mays Landing (FantaSea Resorts La Sammana), and Destiny Craig of Georgia, (Bally鈥檚). (Photo by Susan Allen/Stockton University)

Atlantic City, N.J. 鈥 It鈥檚 a perfect Atlantic City deal:   Twelve of the city鈥檚 largest employers, including nine casinos, got 145 91视频 91视频 as employees for the summer, filling much-needed positions.

The 145 91视频 get a summer job, free housing at the Stockton Atlantic City Residential Complex on the Boardwalk, and four college credits from a free career-readiness and leadership class.

ac-experience-groupStockton began the Atlantic City Summer Experience 鈥 Live, Work, Learnprogram this year to help local businesses and provide 91视频 with learning opportunities in the city and connect them with the community.

鈥淭his has been an initiative of our president, Harvey Kesselman, to connect more with the community,鈥 said Stockton Atlantic City Chief Operating Officer Brian K. Jackson, who began reaching out to businesses in February. A website was set up where 91视频 could get information on the jobs at each site and submit initial applications of interest.

More than 700 applicationsof interest were submitted to participate. Those approved worked directly with employers to get their jobs.

The program started with just three businesses, but soon grew to 12 as more asked to participate. Bob Ellis, vice president of Human Resources at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, said they typically rely on foreign labor for summer help, but this summer, having 25 91视频 from Stockton has been 鈥渁 huge help.鈥 An added benefit is they may want to stay on in the fall, or even make it a career.

鈥淪ome may not have their passion yet, but they will work a summer or two at Hard Rock and maybe they really fall in love with it. And we鈥檒l be able to retain some of these 91视频 as time goes on,鈥 he said.

Stockton Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Leamor Kahanov, who developed the program with Jackson, said that鈥檚 exactly what they hope will happen.

ac-experience-hard-rock-group鈥淭his is a way to provide our 91视频 with experiences that will prepare them for the future, and that may include a career here in Atlantic City,鈥 Kahanov said. She said 91视频 are working a variety of jobs in all areas of the businesses.

Students in the program recently shared their experience so far with N.J. Sen. Vincent Polistina and his Chief of Staff Joe Berg, who came to Stockton to learn more about it. Students said while the free housing on the beach was a major lure, so was the opportunity to get a job and a free college class.

鈥淚 was going to go home for the summer,鈥 said Kayla Caputo of Columbia,  New Jersey, who is working as a casino account representative at Ocean Casino Resort. 鈥淏ut this offered free housing and I鈥檓 begin paid well.鈥

鈥淚 got a really good job,鈥 said Michael Mora of Mt. Olive who is working as a supervisor at the Water Club at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. 鈥淚 wanted to stay in an academic environment for the summer on campus, and the job is really fun.鈥

Lianna Beauchamps of Medford, who is working at Caesars, said she had wanted to stay over the summer to take classes, but didn鈥檛 think she could afford it until she learned about the program.

鈥淚 love learning and living here,鈥 she said. A sustainability major, she wants to work in recycling and her job is giving her insight on large-scale waste issues.

ac-experience-polistinaBrandon Strahl from Brooklyn,  New York., a business management major, is not only working as a lifeguard at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino but is taking five summer classes.

鈥淚鈥檝e been a lifeguard before so it鈥檚 an easy job for me and everyone is nice at Hard Rock,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 definitely did this so I could get the free housing.鈥

Both Brandon and Lianna also get a 20% discount on any additional classes they take because they are living on the Atlantic City campus.

Nashia Ara of Ventnor, a pre-med biology major, said she applied after AtlantiCare joined the program.

鈥淚 wanted to work in a hospital, but I had no experience,鈥 she said. She received training to be a patient care associate, and said she is getting hands-on experience working with doctors and nurses.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to get my foot in the door and work with patients,鈥 she said.

Destiny Craig, a native of Georgia, and Oliver Bruno of Egg Harbor Township, both got trained to work in the casino at Bally鈥檚 and said the money and experience have been good.

鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever lived on my own and had to do my own shopping and laundry,鈥 Bruno said. 鈥淎nd there are financial incentives from Bally鈥檚 to stay on after the summer.鈥

Several of the 91视频 interviewed said they have been told there would be opportunities to work parttime in the fall and again next summer.

Jailyn Jones of Mays Landing, a front desk supervisor, had worked at FantaSea Resorts before, and took advantage of the program to live near the beach and earn some extra college credits.

鈥淚 know I don鈥檛 live that far, but with gas costs today, it鈥檚 nice to be closer,鈥 she said.

Overall, Ellis said he鈥檚 thrilled that Hard Rock could be part of the program, and he hopes it continues into the future.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just a win-win for everyone,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he exposure to working in this environment is a benefit to the 91视频. It鈥檚 providing them with a base level of skills that they can take with them wherever they go. They can fall back on the experience working here no matter what profession they choose.鈥

More information is at stockton.edu/summer/atlantic-city-experience.

- Story by Diane D'Amico. Photos by Eliza Hunt and Susan Allen

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Media contact:
Diane D鈥橝mico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
Diane.DAmico@stockton.edu
609-652-4593
609-412-8069
stockton.edu/media