sam burt

As a worker at the Grinnell College bookstore, the bulk of my duties consisted of customer service and handling transactions in addition to restocking shelves and keeping the store neat. Over summer and winter break, however, I worked specifically with books and book orders. Most days I made phone calls for book orders and spoke to customer service representatives from publications and distributers, unpacked and organized books, and shelved the processed books. As a student manager, I was responsible for opening and managing the store every other Saturday.

Substitute waterer for the Grinnell College Biology department's greenhouse over winter break in both the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years. Duties include daily watering and occasional fertilizing, with room for specific day to day instruction in addition to normal watering duties.

Writing mentors at Grinnell College assist students enrolled in a specific class in writing effectively and appropriately for their discipline. Knowledge of general writing techniques and language use is necessary, as well as experience in various standardized formats like MLA, APA, and APSA. I worked with a group of first year students enrolled in a tutorial on the subject of food in Russian history and culture. I worked closely with the students and the professor to introduce students to writing with discipline, efficiency, and effectiveness at a college level. I hosted group sessions and held individual meetings to discuss students' writing, often during the revision process though also while they worked to formulate their ideas for assignments.

Page duties include checking in and shelving returned books, assisting patrons with technology, loans, and finding books, processing new books with either hot or cold lamination, and shifting books around for maximum efficiency.

For two months over the summer, I worked four hours a day Monday-Friday with three other high school students under the direction of a Grinnell College student to remove invasive plant species from Arbor Lake City Park. We worked with an array of tools like saws, loppers, and water-soluble herbicide to keep damaging, non-native plant species from proliferating. For one week, we supervised a children's camp and directed educational activities around the park related to plants, wildlife, and soil/water quality.

Took orders and handled transactions on the Square Point of Sale app, cooked sandwiches, assembled salads, and prepared side dishes in addition to general prep work each morning. Opened and independently ran the deli regularly, handling service pressure while maintaining a clean and efficient space for food preparation. Called in orders for bread and other ingredients at the end of each day as part of the usual cleanup and closing procedure.

I have focused the bulk of my studies on Russian literature, classic, Soviet, and modern. Reading, writing, and literary analysis thus take the fore. Activities and Societies: Russian Department SEPC, Grinnell Meditation