Every college has one, because every college (ideally) cares about its students. At least at Wheaton, Phonathon is a call center that has three objectives with every call to alumni and parents: to update their records, to see if they would like to donate to the Wheaton Fund and to take any prayer requests they might have. Often, when I say that I work at Phonathon, the first question people ask is, "Oh, is that where you ask people for money?" Technically...
It all started the summer before coming to college. I got a fun email in my new my.wheaton.edu inbox claiming that the perfect on-campus job was accepting applications. It promised pay, promotions, parties, phun, phamily, phriends and plentiful puns. I sent in my application within the next few days and was ecstatic to be the first person to be offered a job for the new semester.
But Phonathon is so much more than a job, and the goal is so much more than financial. To be honest, I probably would volunteer to work at Phonathon even if I wasn't paid. (But as a side note, it's pretty nice to get a salary for talking on the phone to people who are interested in me and the school I love!) Phonathon is truly more of a ministry than a job. I cannot describe how blessed I have been by the people I call. They share memories, prayers, encouragement and advice that I just wouldn't be able to access anywhere else. A big part of my job is to write prayer cards that we send to our extended Wheaton family letting them know we are doing our best to support them just like we know they are supporting us as well.
One of my favorite things about the job is the fact that I have such amazing coworkers. The atmosphere of this crazy space is unlike any other. Some of my best friends come from our shared experience at Phonathon, and Phona pham is real. I know I can go to my captains and supervisors for help both inside and outside of work, and that everyone there truly does love each other and love Wheaton. It is easy to want people to support something you believe in—campaign workers and church ministries do the same thing. Calling is a gifted opportunity for alumni and parents alike to get their questions about Wheaton answered, stay in touch with the college and students, share their own life experiences and help support students striving to create their own in the years at the place we all love. Working for Phonathon is one of the best decisions I continue to make every day, and I am so grateful to everyone there for the community and skills I have gained as a result.
