When Amanda Mitchell was an early childhood education major at USI, she worked as a student worker in the Bursar’s Office.

She said she had to quit when she graduated, but when two cashier positions opened, she applied for one and received it.

“I really like it,” Mitchell said. “The people around here are pretty friendly, and everyone gets along pretty well.”

When the Bursar’s Office is busy or missing a cashier, Mitchell steps in to help, which can make it difficult to get her own tasks completed, she said.

August is the busiest time for the Bursar’s Office because bills are going out, being paid and students have questions about their bills.

Mitchell said she likes helping out in the cashier one position because she likes helping students and being able to talk to students and other university employees.

“Obviously I like it if I’ve come back,” Mitchell said.

She considers herself a “germ-a-phobe,” so she uses a lot of hand sanitizer, she said.

But, dealing with the money does not stress her out too much because she has had prior bank experience before coming back to the university, she said. Mitchell said she enjoys working with the students and helping them.

There is much diversity among the workers in the Bursar’s Office. The majority of the staff has different majors and focuses, which keep things interesting in the office.

Becky Goans, accountant assistant, said she enjoys helping students, too.

“The first two weeks of August is (are) stressful,” she said. “Afterwards I’m not too stressed out.”

Goans said she likes working with and helping the students – helping them get their loan refunds and making them a payment plan for outstanding balances.

Goans doesn’t deal with money directly, but she helps students understand their bills and help them with refunds.

Andrew Karch, senior computer science major, visits the Bursar’s Office once or twice a semester and considers getting help from the Bursar’s Office. “All in all I think they offer a positive experience considering what they do,” he said.

“I’ve never really had a negative experience with them,” Karch said. “They’ve always been very fair with me and always led me in the right direction.”

Working with students who might be angry would ruin someone’s day, but handling the money wouldn’t be stressful, he said.