Every week, WSN profiles a student who balances school and work. Check out our previous “On the Job” columns here.

While LS sophomore Brandon Warrick spends his weekdays no campus in Manhattan, he often commutes to Brooklyn on weekends for his job at an antique shop in Bushwick called La Luz.

Comprising three parts, La Luz is not an ordinary antique shop. Everything from vintage furniture to strange, modern gag items can be found in the consignment part of the shop. A workshop-turned-photo studio can be found in the back, where photoshoots, fashion shows and various style and photography parties are hosted. The third part upstairs is a rental space for dance classes, improv comedy shows and even yoga.

Once learning that his stepbrother, who owns the antique restoration shop, needed someone to help put it together and provide customer service, Warrick jumped on the opportunity. Through the job, Warrick interacts with people of all backgrounds, including those just looking to browse to individuals from major network television shows in search of props.

“On a daily basis there’s always just an influx of different, interesting people coming in,” Warrick said. “The weirdest stuff happens and I’m always meeting new and eccentric people. Much of this is due to the various components of the antique store that bring in people that are not always your average vintage-scavenging shopper.”

Warrick explained that his transition from working more on the weekdays during freshman year to working longer shifts on weekends this year has helped balance his schedule. This year, Warrick typically works 16 hours throughout the weekdays along with an additional 16 hours on the weekend. Despite the long demanding shifts, Warrick said that he has managed to allocate time evenly among classes, extracurriculars and work.

“It definitely helps that I’m allowed to do homework during my shift, as long as I complete my work responsibilities and duties first,” Warrick said. “I’ve even written a whole paper about gentrification in Brooklyn so that was definitely a straight-up experience I got to relate from my work to class.”
Email Tiffanie Hwang at [email protected].