While winter vacation may be a break from classes, it's not a break from work for some students whose jobs require them to stay in the State College area throughout the holiday season.

"Just because the university has off doesn't mean everyone does," Samantha Schein (sophomore-kinesiology) said.

Schein said she has to stay in town over the break to work as a personal trainer for One On One Fitness Consultants Inc., 275 Northland Center.

"I have to stay for my clients," Schein said.

Although she doesn't mind working, Schein said she feels she is missing out on time she could be spending with her family.

Schein said she plans to take a few days off during the break to return home and celebrate Hanukkah with her loved ones.

Chris Bierman (junior-life sciences), an emergency medical technician (EMT) for the University Health Services (UHS), said he made the decision to work over the break because UHS is usually short of staff during the holidays.

"Only a handful of us are staying," Bierman said. He added that UHS has to hire older people in the area to fill the positions of students who go home for break.

Bierman said he plans to work especially hard from Dec. 16 through Dec. 23, when the majority of EMTs return home.

"I will work 69 hours in an eight-day meter," he said.

Bierman added that he will take a short break from his rigorous work schedule from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3., the time UHS is closed for the holidays.

One student said she is unsure whether she will stay in State College over the break to waitress at Champs Sports Bar & Grill, 1611 N. Atherton St., or return home to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to work at a very different kind of job.

"I'd rather go home and work because I can make more money and do what I really like to do -- take care of horses," Courtney White (junior-animal sciences) said.

White said she would prefer working indoors, but is willing to work outside if it means doing what she loves.

"Even though its going to be freezing out, it's still more fun and better money," she said.

Elise Hagen (sophomore-animal sciences) works throughout the year as a waitress at The Waffle Shop, 1229 N. Atherton St. Hagen said she uses summers and breaks to rack up some extra cash by working full time.

But for Hagen, the decision to stay in town and work over the break was an easy one.

"I'm from State College," she said.