Benefits of SAS

Post #4
Date: 6/16 - 8/21
Activities: Eating and Enjoying the Facilities
Technical Skills: Badges and Using Payroll Deduct

Reflection: One of the highlights of my internship here at SAS is most definitely the food. SAS features a plethora of cafeteria's scattered around campus and housed inside the buildings. My building doesn't have its own cafe, but the nearest one, The Skylight Cafe, is only across the street, so it's not that bad. The prices are amazingly cheap and the food is amazingly good. You can literally get a full plate of mushrooms, chicken, and broccoli for less than $5, if that's not a good deal, I don't know what is. And add that on to the fact that all drinks are free, you've got yourself a golden meal each time you visit the cafe. Cameron and Dhvani have their own cafeteria in building R, which is arguably nicer than ours. So to catch up with each other as the AOIT family/squad we (Dhvani) decided to have us meet every Tuesday at their cafe in R. It's really great to have everyone (Dhvani, Cameron, Sydney, Alex, and I) all have lunch together every week. We strike up interesting conversations about our work and those we work with.

If you are an employee at SAS, you don't have to pay with cash or debit for food in the cafe. You use what they call payroll deduct system. Where you just scan your badge and the charges are automatically deducted off of your pay/salary. This is very convenient because you don't have to whip out your wallet every time, just a quick scan *beep* and you're all set and ready to go. This is also what makes snack self-service stations effective and usable. The SAS stores also use this method. If you want to buy some SAS gear, like a T-shirt or hat, you pick out the one you like, go to checkout, scan your badge and it's yours. If you had wanted to go to the gym but forgot your shorts, no problem. Go to the gym shop, pick out a pair of shorts your size and you can buy it with your badge. Granted, it's not cheap, but it is convenient. And best of all, you can view your payroll deduct charges online through the SWW, just like any other transaction.

When I got the internship, I really had no idea to expect. That being said, I had literally no expectations coming in to this internships. In regards to the expectations that I gradually came up with as the internship went on, I can happily say that they have been met and exceeded. I wanted an internship where I could be a useful member of a team and of a larger organization, while still getting paid, which I got. I wanted an experience where I could still learn even though I wasn't in school, and I have learned something new every day, EVERY DAY, since I first went through orientation, here at SAS. Do I have control over what I want to do? Absolutely. Vicki is so flexible with everything Alex and I do. If we happened to want to visit another division for a day, if we felt overwhelmed by our schedules for a certain week, she would adjust it. I could constantly adjust my objectives/expectations periodically without worries.

The lunch line in the Skylight Cafe

The tables (there's a second floor as well)