Post College:

Fund for the Public Interest
Green Mountain Energy
Student Conservation Association
PennFuture
Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh
Starbucks Corporation
Homewood Children’s Village
Amazing Cafe
Green Pepper
Whole Foods Market

Starbucks Corporation

Role: Barista
Dates Employed: Jan 2015 – Jul 2016
Highlights:
  • Recognized as Partner of the Quarter in April 2016
  • Placed second in district Barista Championships
  • Was the go-to artist for hand-drawn store signage
  • Performed my Starbucks Rap for coworkers at a quarterly partner meeting
Why I wanted to work here:
  • To see if I could be a morning person.
  • To learn about coffee and the craze that runs our society. Prior to working here, I had never had a cup of straight-up coffee. Sugary lattes were consumed every now and then sure, but I was always more of a tea person. Curious to learn about the most prevalent and legal drug that exists (besides sugar), I figured I might as well get paid to do so!
  • There was always that romanticism aspect of working in a coffee shop that I wanted to experience
What I liked:
  • The set structure and efficiency routines (mechanization) with the freedom and fluidity of in-the-moment social interactions (humanization).
  • The fun and fascinating coworkers I got to befriend and learn from
  • Connecting with the awesome customer base
  • Making lattes into art and all beverages with class
  • Being a source of boundless positive energy at godly hours in the morning (or any time of day, really)
Why I left:
  • For the opportunity to follow my dream job working with EcoDistricts and sustainable community development in an underserved neighborhood in Pittsburgh

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Homewood Children’s Village

Role: SCA Sustainability Fellow
Dates Employed: Jul 2016 – Jan 2017
Why I wanted to work here:
What I liked:
Why I left:

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Amazing Cafe

Role:
Dates Employed: Feb 2017 – May 2017
Why I wanted to work here:
  • To learn about vegan foods and health benefits
  • To be employed at a place that is within walking distance of my home
  • To support local, organic,
What I liked:
  • The food was out of this world.
  • My co-workers became close friends and the customers
  • Ranked as one of the top-notch vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh
Why I left:
  • The cafe closed. Us workers went on strike to bring attention to unfair and unsafe working conditions. The owners didn’t like that.

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Green Pepper, Korean Bistro & Lounge

Role: Server
Dates Employed: Sept 2017 – Mar 2018
Why I wanted to work here:
  • I needed a job. A friend of mine introduced me to the owner and I started the following week.
What I liked:
  • The veggie bibimbap with no egg is the MOST DELICIOUS vegan offering there is. I’d order that for dinner all three nights a week I worked there (with leftovers to spare) and never tired of it. Doused in spicy gochujang sauce with the extra-cooked rice at the bottom of the dolsot bowl tasting like popcorn….mmm!
  • Bottomless side dishes. Helloooo.
  • Practicing balancing items on a tray and harnessing chi to feel into the movement so as not to spill.
  • The silverware set includes metal chopsticks, not the wooden single-use variety many other places use.
  • Learning how to wrap silverware efficiently. It almost felt like practicing for rolling a joint (which is still on my learning list).
  • The diversity of the staff and customer base. Korean, yes, but also Spanish, Latino, Jewish, African American, Kazakh, Chinese, Caucasian. Diversity is like music to my ears and eyes; I need it to survive.
  • Sharing bus rides home with the head cook where he’d teach me Spanish and I’d help him hone his English skills.
What I’d like to see changed:
  • I’d rather the name be Organic Green Pepper with OG food to match
  • The kimchi made without fish sauce so it would be vegan-friendly
  • Recycling and compost programs implemented
  • As a general restaurant rule that customers bring their own take-home containers
Why I left:
  • Temporary physical disability of a torn ACL prevented me from being able to fulfill my duties. Was told with my strong work ethic and positive contributions I am always welcome back!

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Whole Foods Market

Role: Cashier
Dates Employed: Oct 2017 – Mar 2018
Why I wanted to work here:
  • To continue my health food journey in knowledge expansion
  • To build convenience and ease of access to healthy foods into my daily routine
What I liked:
Why I left:
  • My role as a cashier was too stressful and not a good behavioral fit for me. Speed was emphasized over learning so I never felt I had the time to digest and retain information as I would have liked.
  • My values as a vegan and energies as an empath go beyond general WFM practices and I could not in good conscious keep supporting or transmuting energies from animal flesh, inorganic produce, or the wide selection of processed foods offered even if they are “better” than competitors. “Less harmful” is still not good enough for my idealistic tastes and I feel more compelled to educate and enlighten pre-consumer behavior instead of simply smiling and waving as a cog at the end of the machine.
  • Had I been more proactive in transferring to a different department like produce that is more in line with my values and more my speed, I would have lasted longer.
  • God was calling

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