by Elisabeth Ray
Students at Ouray School work in a wide variety of jobs, and their experiences help, according to how positive an environment their job creates. The better the environment, the better the job. At Riverside RV Park employees seem to love their jobs and strive to do good.
General manager Kalei Kipp does everything from the store, to housekeeping, to working at the cafe across the property, but she feels her most important job is to set a positive tone. She said, “I do believe it is a good environment. I think it’s like a community. We are all like a work family.”
She knows that for many people Riverside RV Park will eventually be a stepping stone to greater things, as it will be for her. “I think it will be good for building a resume,” she said, “and I’ve learned a lot of new skills working here.”
Partly because of this positive environment, housekeeper Lorraine Roundy said that working at Riverside has made her more considerate. Now she is likely “to consider how I leave things when I visit somewhere.” She believes that “everything that you do is a reflection of you.” Not only does Lorraine like working with her coworkers, she also likes her bosses a lot.
Joel Nunez said that he has worked at Riverside from the beginning. He does everything from maintenance to helping with laundry and housekeeping. Joel believes that it is a good environment “all the time.” Joel is happy to say that he has been working there for “15 years” and what makes him the happiest is that he only “works on Tuesday and Friday.”
Everyone needs a job and Skylar Gabriele has the right one. He is the general manager/innkeeper. He also helps with emergencies during the night. When guests need something, his smiling face and happy voice make them feel welcome. He says that working at Riverside makes him “the happiest he has ever been in a workplace genuinely.” Skylar loves how “every day is not the same” and “that he enjoys that.”
Here in Ouray Colorado, kids and adults start working from a young age. I started working at age 13, and many of my friends started working at 10. Having bosses and coworkers who make their job a little more fun gives us a better experience.