The former Work Study program has been transformed into the new Bronco Essential Assistance and Support Team Program, known as BEAST, with changes meant to increase flexibility and equity for Brophy students and families.
Under the new BEAST program, any student will be able to choose from a variety of different jobs on campus. The Work Study program had only been offered to students who received financial aid on their tuition.
Jobs based on school events such as athletics support crews and snack bar workers will earn students $15 per hour.
Other jobs will give students a set credit per semester. For example, teaching assistants receive $750 per semester. Student supervisors will monitor progress that students make throughout the year.
The money goes straight to students’ FACTS account, where they can use it in a variety of different ways. FACTS Tuition Management is the program that Brophy uses to manage student expenses. These include tuition, athletic fees, immersion trips and more, marking a change from last year’s program, where the money students earned went straight to their tuition.
“I think it’ll give families a lot more autonomy to where that money actually goes that the students will earn. Before it went right to tuition and they had no say. This time, since they’re earning actual money towards their FACTS account, it’ll sit there in one spot, and so the family delegates where that money goes,” said Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion Ms. Deena Sellers.
When Ms. Sellers was hired as the director at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, she said that changing the Work Study Program was something that Principal Mr. Bob Ryan wanted her to take charge of.
Ms. Sellers spoke with Student Support and Advocacy Coordinator Mr. Jonathan Londoño, Chief Financial Officer Mrs. Jill Zimmerman, and Business Accounts Manager Mrs. Ellen Mccoy. Together they devised the new plan for the BEAST program, and presented it to faculty, with rollout beginning this fall.
Ms. Sellers said she believes that the new program will give students an opportunity to improve real world skills, such as time management.
Students are able to work during the school day if they have a flex in their schedule. Previously, they had only been able to work before or after school.
Daniel Martinez Romero ’23 was involved in Work Study last year, working with Ms. Sue Hornbeck in the Office of Faith and Justice. This year, he helps Ms. Sandra Dennard with student activities in a teaching assistant position, which gives him a $750 credit per semester.
Romero uses some of the money that he earns to supplement his tuition. He plans on using the rest to fund an upcoming immersion trip to Washington D.C. For him, the transition to BEAST has been beneficial.
“It’s different in the sense that I don’t have to do hours for tuition, but rather I do hours to help me do more at Brophy. It’s a great overhaul to the program and the change eliminates any stress students had before,” said Romero.
While the new program will need some time to be fully evaluated, it seems to be off to a positive start in the eyes of students and the administration.
