After Kaitlin Risner figured out the manual settings on her Canon T5i, she started booking shoots on the side for some extra money.
Risner, a sophomore human resources management major, was introduced to photography by a friend.
“One of my closest friends that I met my first year, Sophie, does it as a minor,” Risner said. “We had done a few photo shoots together, and I love the idea of it; I just hated being in front of the camera.”
Now behind the camera, Risner said her schedule grew even more hectic.
Risner works as a cashier at Pacific East in downtown Kent along with holding an HR internship with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio, making scheduling shoots difficult.
“When I’m scheduling photo shoots, I have to do it at least a week or two in advance so that I can figure out how to move around the rest of my schedule,” said Risner.
In college, students often find themselves picking up odd jobs or creating their own for a quick buck on the side. College side hustles create an additional way for students to make money on their own terms.
During junior business management major Stephanie Valentine’s Blastoff event, JoAnn Fabric’s allowed her to take the rest of the beads and string left over.
“They literally said, ‘Take it all,’ so that’s what I did,” said Valentine. “I just had a whole bucket of beads and string. I was like, you know, I could probably make something out of this.”
Valentine runs an Instagram for her bracelet business called Beadsnthingzbysv. Her small business allows her to earn extra money on top of holding a job at Eastway Market.
In addition to bracelets and photography, cosmetic services are extremely popular amongst Kent students. Many students offer nail or hair services like Savanna Hershberger, a freshman communications major.
“I first started doing nails in general whenever I was in sixth grade,” Hershberger said. “My mom wouldn’t let me get my nails done, so I was like, ‘Oh, I’m just gonna learn how to do this.’”
Hershberger started providing nail services in high school. She specializes in gel extensions and hard gel manicures, a structured material that can help nail growth.
“I make sure everybody knows before I do their nails, like, okay, I’m an amateur,” Hershberger said.
She does not hold a license, so legally she cannot ask to be paid for her services. Despite this, Hershberger received around $500 in tips for her nail services.
Brianna Blanton Bell, a sophomore psychology major, also runs her own cosmetology side hustle on Instagram, Bria.beautyy.
As a kid, cosmetology always interested Balton Bell. She first started with hair care, which she also provides services for, making around $500.
Jaden Stapula, a freshman fashion design major, makes press-on nails, typically for friends and family. Due to this, she prices her sets relatively low, making around $90.
While Stapula’s friends urge her to start growing her brand with press on nails, she said she prefers keeping the business and creativity aspects separate.
“It was kind of such a nice little creative freedom for me personally that I don’t want to necessarily monetize it,” she said.
Sophia Balough is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].