Campus Enterprises employs more than 1,000 NC State students each semester, offering a diverse range of positions to be filled. The division places high value on students’ personal and professional development during their employment, offering opportunities for skill building and growth. These include free professional development workshops and training, as well as leadership and promotional opportunities within students’ positions.

For some student employees, opportunities to grow within Campus Enterprises continue even after graduation. Hear from some of our former student employees who have returned to Campus Enterprises as dedicated professionals.

NC State Student Centers

Allison Van den Berg

Assistant director for operations and student development
Graduate student (2013-2015)
Graduate assistant (2014-2015)
Master of education, higher education administration

“My graduate assistantship was focused on developing students as employees, both personally and professionally. I directly supervised our information assistants including training, scheduling, and evaluation – and I continue to supervise students now in my current position. 

I really liked how open our team at Student Centers was to new suggestions; there was never an answer such as, ‘Well this is how we’ve always done it.’ It was (and still is) a collaborative environment, and the director and associate directors valued not just my input, but student input as well.

My experience taught me that students are much more capable and can handle a lot more responsibility than I thought. I learned that if you set expectations high, students will rise to the challenge – that they enjoy having responsibility for the success of our department and operations.”

Kyle Levine

“As a graduate assistant, I was able to provide more one-on-one support for our student employees. I worked on creating a program that rewarded student employees for good work, implementing new systems to help enhance the efficiency of work, and programs to celebrate our current and graduating students. 

My time at Student Centers helped me see the value in our work to enhance the student experience, whether through employment or by providing opportunities for engagement for patrons walking through the building.

I really enjoyed working for a team that created value not only for my professional goals but also for my personal goals. One of the reasons that I am working here now is that many of the team members I worked with in 2016 are still in the department and have grown professionally and into new positions, and now I have the opportunity to as well.

I am happy to be back in Raleigh at NC State. I feel a sense of pride not only for the work that I do, but the camaraderie that comes with being a part of the Pack!”

Casey Kenner

Assistant director, reservations and event planning
Undergraduate student (2012-2016)
Graduate student (2018-2020)
Graduate assistant (2018-2020)
Bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management; Master of education in higher education administration

“During my time as a graduate assistant, I learned a lot of administrative skills, how to balance my time as a student and professional, and so much about organizational theory from my supervisors at NC State Student Centers.

What I liked the most was that I was given a high level of responsibility and was treated as a professional. I came back to school after working full-time in public recreation, and I wanted a role where I still had a high level of independence and job duties that I felt were making an impact. My graduate assistant role offered that!

Working while I was a graduate student has made me a more empathetic higher education professional. I can relate more to the student employees who work in our department and understand the experience of balancing work and school. My time in Campus Enterprises has offered me many experiences that have shaped me as a higher education professional and given me lessons on how I would like to be a leader in the future.”

NC State Dining

Keith Smith

Director of residential dining
Undergraduate student (1988-1992)
Student manager, grill cook
Bachelor’s in economics, bachelor’s in business management

“My experience as a student employee helped me build confidence as a leader and exposed me to many opportunities for growth and development. I had so many managers invest in me as a leader, which helped me develop skills for employee and location management, training, and hiring. I learned the basics of customer service, specifically that if you give the customer what they want, they will always come back for more. 

I decided to return to NC State Dining to work professionally because of the family environment and long-term friendships I had developed here. NC State has been my home for 32 years, and I have had the opportunity to grow and learn every year I have been employed. I love the team and the culture that has been created in NC State Dining and Campus Enterprises.”

Hannah Shea

CBORD administrator/purchasing manager 
Undergraduate student (2012-2016)
Dining diplomat 
Bachelor’s in nutrition sciences

“Working at Campus Enterprises as a student helped me learn the concept of work/life balance early. I learned to balance my academics with my work schedule, collaborating with other departments to promote nutrition-related events and other dining hall theme meals. 

As dining diplomats, we worked with vendors sponsoring pop-up events in the Brickyard, as well as many of the campus chefs and other students. Working with such a wide range of people, from freshmen to employees who have been working here for 20+ years, taught me how to collaborate with different people and adapt to different environments. I learned to put myself in the other person’s shoes and try to see things from their perspective.

The things I liked most about working for Dining as a student are what I still like most about working here now: the people and the campus. I love getting to interact with new students every semester as well as a variety of employees across campus. I still work with the chefs and back-of-house employees, but now I also get to work with faculty on the university sustainability committee, campus directors, and big vendors like US Foods. No two days are ever the same, and the atmosphere reminds me of the uniqueness of my job.”