The college years are a busy time for students. There are academic obligations – classes, homework, chapel, internships – and extracurricular activities – clubs, intramurals, sports – as well as social commitments. It can be tough to balance it all, which is why the college experience can help students develop time management skills.
Some students thrive amidst the busyness of college life and are using their free time to work some side hustles, which really skyrocketed to awareness during COVID-19.
We caught up with several current LBC students and recent May 2023 grads who are able to balance their side hustles with being full-time students. Whether earning a little cash on the side to help pay their tuition, acting on a passion or preparing for a future career, these students make the most of their time at LBC.
Learn more about these students and their side hustles:
Erin Kelly (’23) | Social Work
Tell us about your side hustle: “I’ve been making clay earrings since COVID-19. Like many during the shutdown, we found hobbies! I’ve loved working with clay since high school, where I participated in clay classes freshman to senior year and then was a teaching assistant my senior year. Clay earrings have allowed me to utilize the talents the Lord has given me and ‘The Dogwood Studio’ mission is to proclaim Isaiah 64:8. We do Instagram story sales, and I currently sell them at a local shop back home – ‘Home On Main.’”
How do you balance school and your side hustle?: “It’s been hard to balance, as my senior internship with children and youth has been demanding on top of taking 18 credits. However, working with clay has always brought me joy and is a great escape from the busyness of life!”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustle?: “My biblical worldview really shapes the business in that our mission is always to point people to Christ, even in the small ways such as making clay earrings. I am currently majoring in social work and have been able to donate earrings monthly to ‘Home On Main,’ which is a store that sells home goods; 100% of the proceeds go to furnishing and decorating homes of youth who have aged out of the foster care system or have experienced homelessness.”
You can check out Erin’s earrings on Instagram @thedogwoodstudiooo or at Home On Main on West Main Street in Lansdale, Pa.
Isaac Zimmerman (’23) | Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Tell us about your side hustle: “I have always loved cars and film, and once I bought a pickup truck a few years back I thought I’d put my filming skills to the test and talk about why I loved my truck. I uploaded that video to YouTube and it got over 160,000 views. I thought, ‘Hey, maybe I could do this as an actual job,’ so I started going to dealerships and asking if I could borrow their cars to review them. They were a little confused at first, but after the first few videos got traction and they saw that it was free marketing, a lot more dealers were willing to loan me cars. YouTube began paying me for my venture and, for the past three years, I upload a new car review every single week. Sometimes it’s a modern car, sometimes it’s a classic, and I talk about the history. But I always include my humor and faith in the videos. I recently was invited to join WAPA (Washington Automotive Press Association) by a fellow reviewer, and so now ‘Automotive Journalist’ is officially my title! If all goes well I am on track to have the actual manufacturers send me the cars to review directly in the future.”
How do you balance school and your side hustle?: “Cars tend to come out around the same time, so I usually bulk-film my reviews over breaks. I tend to film 15-20 reviews over winter break and around 30-35 over summer break, then I edit them when I have time and release them weekly. Over the semester, that gives me time to reply to comments and do some light editing, but I don’t have to burden myself by rushing to get uploads done week to week.”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustle?: “For the past two and a half years or so, I’ve added Bible verses to the end of my videos. At first, I just put them on screen, but after spending time at LBC | Capital, I’ve really felt the pull to read them out loud and explain the context. I’ve found that has energized my reading of Scripture for the videos because I want to make sure I’m speaking proper exegesis!”
You can check out Isaac’s auto reviews at youtube.com/c/AlphaSharkPictures.
Jalen Glasgow (’25) | Communication
Tell us about your side hustle: “In the beginning of the second semester of my sophomore year, I started taking pictures of Lancaster City every time I went there with my friends. My friends started telling me how good I was, so I decided I wanted to try on a camera. I started taking landscape pictures on a camera and I started getting more and more interested in taking pictures. Soon after that, I made an Instagram page for all my pictures and started posting. I started to get noticed more and I wanted to do more with it, so I started taking pictures of people but I didn’t post any. I would just do it for that person. After doing this, I still wanted to do more so I started taking pictures for sports, and it was really fun. I began to love doing photography for sports and that started to get me noticed more. I began taking pictures for LBC sports teams and people like it a lot, so that helped drive me to take more pictures. Soon after that, I began looking into videography because I wanted to do more. Now I’m doing both photography and videography and still looking to learn more. I would love to do weddings, events, personal and other types of media for people. I just love capturing moments in life.”
How do you balance school and your side hustle?: “Usually I don’t have class in the mornings, so that is when I do my schoolwork, and then in the evenings after all my classes are done, I work on my projects.”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustle?: “LBC has brought me many connections through my business and even supplied me with a nice camera to use.”
You can check out Jalen’s photography on Instagram @capturedbyja.lens.
Matthew Iseman (’23) | Business Administration
Tell us about your side hustle: “The idea for my business came about when I stumbled upon someone else doing the ‘rip-n-ship’ style of livestream, and I instantly loved the concept. I decided to give it a shot and began growing my social media account until I have enough viewers (1,000) to start hosting livestreams. With a $200 loan from my dad, I started buying boxes of Pokemon booster packs in bulk online and in-store, and selling them on my livestreams. Customers would purchase them through Venmo, Cashapp and PayPal in the initial months of business. As the business grew, I built a website to streamline the purchase and shipping process. To show my appreciation to customers, I include free bonus cards in their packages before mailing them out. Thanks to this side hustle and by God’s grace, I was able to graduate debt-free!”
How do you balance school and your side hustle?: “Balancing my side hustle with my schoolwork has required careful time management and prioritization. Since I am taking 18 credits and can only work part-time, I have had to find a schedule that works for me. Typically, I host my livestreams late at night, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., when I have finished my schoolwork for the day. This allows me to devote my daytime hours to my coursework and other responsibilities. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve learned to be disciplined and focused in order to ensure that both my side hustle and my schoolwork receive the attention they need. I’ve also made use of planning tools and strategies to keep myself organized and efficient, such as setting specific goals and deadlines for both my business and academics. It has been challenging at times, but the satisfaction of seeing my side hustle grow while also succeeding in my studies has made it all worthwhile.”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustle?: “My education in business administration at Lancaster Bible College has been instrumental in helping me with my side hustle. The coursework and concepts I’ve learned at LBC have provided me with a strong foundation in business principles, marketing strategies, financial management and customer relations, which I have been able to directly apply to my side hustle. For instance, I have been able to implement effective marketing techniques to grow my social media account and attract more viewers to my livestreams. Additionally, my understanding of financial management has helped me budget and reinvest profits into purchasing more inventory for my business. Furthermore, the emphasis on ethical business practices and customer relations at LBC has guided me in providing excellent customer service and building trust with my customers, leading to repeat business and positive reviews. Overall, my education at LBC has been invaluable in equipping me with the knowledge and skills necessary to run by business successfully.
You can take a look at Matt’s TikTok @MattyIce292.
Shannon Sensenig (’26) | Business Administration
Tell us about your side hustles: “I have DJ’d for small events since I was 16 years old. I gained interest in this after being part of my high school’s TV studio, KGSH, and Performing Arts program, GSPA. I was also involved in my church as a sound technician and helped with lighting for Christmas plays. I have three different sound systems now in varying sizes, depending on the size of the event. Additionally, I have several stage lights and special effects lights. I recently added a laser projector and three different projection screens, and one is big enough for a drive-in movie!
“Another side hustle is helping a friend of mine with his business, Cloaked in Freedom. We are both veterans and we use old uniforms to sew quilts, stuffed bears, backpacks, wall hangings and more. We both learned how to sew by growing up on a farm and it benefitted us in our military careers, fixing uniforms and sewing on patches for ourselves and others. Sewing is great therapy for our PTSD. The low hum and rhythm of the sewing machine helps us focus on what we are doing and block out everything else.”
How do you balance school and your side hustles?: “For me, schoolwork and my college experience come first – I look at it as my full-time job. Outside of classes, being the baseball team manager is an integral part of my college experience. The DJ side hustle is limited, and I fit sewing in around homework and baseball.”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustles?: “Even though I am just starting, my education at LBC has helped me with my side hustle. I’ve been learning to be a better leader and lead as Jesus did. Additionally, the career change has shown me the increased opportunities I have for my future.”
You can check out Shannon’s contribution to Cloaked in Freedom on Instagram @cloakedinfreedom.
Alaysha Iwais (’24) | Sport Management
Tell us about your side hustle: “I started The VAULT in 2019, my freshman year in college. Now more than ever, athletes are using social media as a platform to speak up about their own personal struggles to reveal that they too are imperfect humans. This series will highlight the personal side of athletes that is not seen on the court or the field, while still showcasing their competitive nature to let the world know that they are more than an athlete.”
How do you balance school and your side hustle?: “I’m a stickler for time management! I have two calendars in my room, and I also use a calendar on my phone to schedule meetings, practice, interviews, work, homework and even socializing with friends. At times, it can get overwhelming but overall it’s rewarding, and I love what I do. The Athletic Department is very supportive with my post-game interviews and social media content!”
How has your LBC education helped with your side hustle?: “I’ve learned so much over the years about the internal operations of a professional sports team, the way to plan meetings, the way to conduct professional interviews. I am also minoring in communication, and I have learned how to edit videos. I have learned how to make graphics, how to mic people up properly, what kind of microphones are good for one-on-one, concerts, speakers in chapel, etc.”
Check out Alaysha’s post-game interviews and LBC Athletics social media content on Instagram @thevaultyt.
Further Reading
Want even more stories on LBC students who have delved into the business world with their talents? Continue reading…